When Joseph of Cypress, a friend and associate of St. Paul, became an early convert to Christianity, he was given the name Barnabas, which means "son of exhortation" or "man of encouragement."

In the winter of 2002, Harry Corbett, found himself badly in need of encouragement.  Corbett, now 56, and his wife Paula, moved to Jacksonville in the summer of 2001, picking the city because it had big-city amenities but a small-town feel.  Corbett, who had worked in finance and information technology for several major corporations in places like Boston and Charlotte, thought he'd have no difficulty finding work as a consultant.  Then 9/11 happened.  Suddenly no one was hiring.

"I had never had trouble finding work before," Corbett remembered.  "Then I come down here and the bottom falls out for me. ... I began asking the question everyone asks,  'What's wrong with me.' "  As Corbett wrestled with the emotional consequences of being middle-aged and unemployed, he came to a surprising realization: He really didn't know much about how to find a good new job.  He also realized that a lot of people lack job-hunting skills, though having them is "as important to you as knowing how to balance a checkbook."  So as the deeply religious Corbett prayed about his problem, an idea came to him.  He would form a nonprofit, faith-based organization that would help people facing the same dilemma he was facing.  In helping them, he would help himself.  He called the new group Friends of Barnabas, which he describes as a ministry of encouragement.  Thus far, there are five local chapters, which meet on a weekly basis to provide career transition advice and support.  Four of the chapters operate out of churches - Radiant Family Church in northern St. Johns County, First Baptist Church of Middleburg, Fruit Cove Baptist Church and Orange Park United Methodist Church. The fifth chapter, newly organized, meets at the City Rescue Mission.  There is no charge and there are no salaries for anyone involved.  Corbett has also helped start a series of free career transition workshops, each consisting of 12 seminars. The ongoing series takes place each Monday at 7 p.m. at Mandarin Presbyterian Church.  Corbett, for the record, didn't stay unemployed.  He is now working as a contract employee for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.  But that's a job.  Friends of Barnabas is a mission.  "There is no reason for anybody to go through this alone," he said.

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This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/103106/pat_5843431.shtml.

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