Chrysalis House, Inc.
1589 Hill Rise Drive
Lexington, Kentucky  40504
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ELAINE CHAO OFFERS  ENCOURAGEMENT FOR JOB PROGRAM
By Art Jester
HERALD-LEADER STAFF  WRITER
  
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, moved by what she saw and  heard, lingered longer than planned yesterday at two Lexington  programs that help women overcome substance abuse and prepare for  the job market.
 
Chao was supposed to spend an hour touring the Hope Center for  Women, 1524 Versailles Road, and its sister facility, the Chrysalis  Community Center, 1589 Hill Rise-Drive, but her visit stretched out  an additional half-hour.
 
Chao is in Kentucky for today's gubernatorial inauguration. Her  husband, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, was a leading backer of Gov.  Ernie Fletcher.
 
Yesterday, the labor secretary toured the two centers to learn  about their nationally respected job readiness program.
 
After meet-and-greet with the center's staffs and board members,  Chao spoke with women in the Chrysalis Community Center's computer  lab. She got some spontaneous endorsements for what was happening  there.
 
"It's the kind of program that will make you want to get  involved," Shanil Malone said.
 
Kimberly Dunaway said, "This showed me the way to recovery and a  new way of life, a chance to prove I can be a productive member of  society."

At the Hope Center, where women go through their first phases of  recovery, Chao heard even more enthusiastic comments.

Kelly East: "We learn to face ourselves. I've been in other  treatment programs, and we never dealt with the real problem, which  is facing yourself."

Charlette Breathett: "I've got my dignity and self-respect back  again."

Eugenia Ramey: "When we came in here we felt so hopeless and so  unworthy."
 
"You are all very courageous," Chao told the women. "I have a lot  of admiration for you."

She later added that she was impressed by the women's taking a  "very decisive first step" to transform their lives.
 
"I wanted to offer these women some encouragement and hope," she  said.
 
In an interview, Chao said the programs, which receive some  public funding, are "a terrific example of public-private  partnership."
 
Chao said the "overall job situation is improving daily."
 
Friday she announced that the U.S. unemployment rate had dropped  to 5.9 percent; Kentucky's rate was 5.4 percent.
 
Chao said she looked forward to working with Fletcher and thinks  he will "pay more attention to economic development" for the  state.