Neighbor Up members know finding a good job close to home that pays a living wage is a challenge for many of their neighbors living in Greater University Circle. That's why they teamed up with University Hospitals and Towards Employment to craft a unique jobs pipeline that connects locals to jobs inside the hospital.

More than 150 people have gained employment through the program, including Amanda Harris, who shares her story with "Neighbor Up Spotlight" host Carol Malone.

Harris is also an aspiring poet. "Anything you think of, you can write," she tells Malone before sharing one of her poems, "My Journey."

Malone also chats with Neighborhood Connections consultant Alicenne Passavanti about the jobs pipeline programming and how it is expanding to include area hotels.

Listen to this episode below or get it via Soundcloud or iTunes.

Those interested in a career in hospitality can attend one of the following sessions to learn more. Call 216-696-7311 to register for a session. Additional details are also available online.

—Monday, April 3, 9 a.m., at Fatima Family Center, 6600 Lexington Ave.

—Wednesday, April 5, 2 p.m., at PNC Fairfax, 8220 Carnegie Ave.

—Monday, April 10, 9 a.m., at University Hospital's Otis Moss Jr. Health Center, 8819 Quincy Ave.

“Neighbor Up Spotlight"  focuses on members of Neighbor Up, a network of approximately 2,000 Greater Cleveland residents making positive change in their neighborhoods. The effort was launched and is supported by Neighborhood Connections, the community-building program affiliated with the Cleveland Foundation.

Support for this series, "Grassroots Success: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods," is provided by Neighborhood Connections and NewBridge Cleveland.