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The United Communities Against Poverty in Empirian Village joined forces with Empirian Village and Camp Fire USA to bring information sessions and workshops like the Green Jobs Training Program to Greenbelt.

UCAP provides adult education, computer training, job readiness and resume-development classes, as well as emergency financial assistance, wrote UCAP Chief Operating Officer Gwendolyn Ferguson in an e-mail. The UCAP office in Greenbelt, located at 9229 Springhill Lane, was offered free of charge by Empirian Village Management.

"The free rent allows us an opportunity to focus on specific programs and the outreach needed to extend services into the broader community," Ferguson said. "We save revenue that can go into direct program delivery, which decreases our overhead and allow us to offer valuable services at low cost."

Ferguson said that most of the workshops are held in the group's Capitol Heights office, located at 1400 Doewood Lane. However, about 20 people have participated in information sessions held in the Greenbelt office, Ferguson said, and participants can attend either the Capitol Heights or Greenbelt offices depending on which location is more convenient and offers the services they need.

The program is part of a 120-day pilot program to measure the need and demand for northern Prince George's County communities, and the Greenbelt location will be reviewed in late February, wrote UCAP CEO Sandra Gammons in an e-mail.

"We feel that the program is very helpful to the citizens of Greenbelt," Ferguson wrote. "Thus far, customers have benefitted from the services provided."

Cheverly resident Glenn Peters started taking the Green Jobs Training Program in January after he was laid off from his job in construction last fall.

Peters hopes the class will help him stand out against competition in the job market.

"I've been doing construction work for about 30 years, but this class has taught me quite a bit about going green that I didn't know before," Peters said.

Camp Fire USA Patuxent Chapter CEO Rosemary Pezzuto said she was also thrilled at the joint venture.

"I have had a long and very good relationship with the United Communities Against Poverty," Pezzuto said. "The fact that they have been willing to come here and make the people in this community's dreams come true is tremendous."

E-mail Jordan Attebury at jattebury@gazette.net.