RIDGEWOOD, New Jersey (CNS) -- In these dark, unstable economic times, with the unemployment rate on the rise and stock market value on the decline, a ministry at a parish in the Newark Archdiocese is providing a ray of hope.

The Career Resources Ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Ridgewood was started in the fall of 2001 following the 9/11 tragedy as a way to help those who lost their jobs because of the terrorist attacks.

Now the ministry, through a series of workshops, is helping people who are seeking employment in this recession by providing them with tools and encouragement to find a new position.

"We give people the tools to find a job. It is more of a 'how-to' group than a networking group," explained Ed McCabe, a career coach, senior counselor and master trainer at Lee Hecht Harrison, a management firm. He is one of the ministry's founders.

An ominous sign of the economic turmoil is the increasing number of attendees at the workshops. The first one, held in September, drew 17 people; 30 people came in October; and 50 to 60 people attended the session held Dec. 7. The next workshop is scheduled for early February.

Participants are encouraged to bring their resumes for review.

"I have been receiving many resumes via e-mail," said McCabe, who volunteers his time. "We don't have enough people helping out. (The current economic situation) is scary and sad."

According to a Dec. 5 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate has reached 6.7 percent, with job losses widespread across major industry sectors.

Other statistics show that as of October the five states with the highest rate of unemployment are Rhode Island (9.3 percent), Michigan (9.3), California (8.2), South Carolina (8.0) and Nevada (7.6). The unemployment rate in New Jersey is about 6 percent.

The ministry at Mount Carmel advertises throughout the archdiocese but the workshops are gaining popularity through word of mouth. The sessions are open to nonparishioners and non-Catholics throughout the four counties of the archdiocese, which is part of the ministry's interfaith community outreach.

Carol Shea, vice president of information technology recruiting at Berman, Larson, Kane in Paramus, is also a volunteer member of the ministry team. She has worked in senior recruitment and staffing for 20 years.

"In career counseling, I help direct people in what way they should go," she told The Catholic Advocate, newspaper of the Newark Archdiocese. "We teach them how to network and lead them to Internet sites for their area of expertise."

The workshops provide a hospitable environment for everyone to share their stories. McCabe, who conducts the sessions, knows the plight of those searching for a new job.

A former senior vice president at J.P. Morgan Chase, McCabe's job was eliminated in 1995 and he was uncertain of his future. "I was 53 years old and looking for a job for the first time in 31 years," he said.

McCabe shares his story with those who attend the workshops and lets them know he can relate. "I try to give them stories to make them more comfortable; it is not just academic."

After losing one's job, a person's confidence can be shaken, and at the workshop sessions "we try to stop this downward spiral of anxiety, anger and depression," he said.

"The fatal mistake a person can make is to believe they can do it alone. If a person chooses not to network, it can prevent them from getting a job. Only 10 percent of jobs are advertised," McCabe added.

Those who attend the career workshops are from every field of business.

"People come from all levels of industry: from secretaries to vice presidents and other executives," Shea said.

"People are concerned with keeping their kids in college and paying their mortgage. Companies are taking away benefits and health care costs are increasing," she added.

Ginny Brinkerhoff, a former human resource executive at Konica Minolta Group Cos., saw an ad for Career Resources Ministry in a local newspaper. Since attending a September workshop, she has a renewed focus on her job search.

"Ed and Carol are friendly and supportive and they assist professionals to understand how to market themselves," Brinkerhoff said. "The workshop gives us focus on who we are and what we have to sell."

Brinkerhoff was with her former company for more than 20 years and had to familiarize herself with today's job market.

"The people at the ministry really care and the sessions are extremely informative and quite detailed. I can see how far I have come in my search and I know I have progressed," she said.

Losing her job has been a "profound and surreal experience," Brinkerhoff said, but Mount Carmel's ministry has helped her make positive steps.

"I value the relationships I have made and the interviews I have landed," she said. "Career Resources Ministry provides a calming environment that is needed in such a fast-paced world."

© 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops