Last year more than 1,311 people were homeless living on the streets of Albuquerque.Now, these people have hope thanks to a new program working on getting them off the streets and putting money in their pockets. “The money that they're going to be making and thus giving back to the city in taxes is going to continue to fund projects like ours,” said Kathy Sotelo, executive director of Heading Home's Job Connect Program. She's been working to connect local businesses willing to offer job opportunities to the homeless. One restaurant is the first to take the leap of faith.El Patron is the first business to take a chance in this program."We're helping out our own community and helping people be successful in our community,” said Nadine Martinez-Daskalos, an owner of the El Patron chain.“Allowing them to have a chance to work, get money, and be successful,” Daskalos said.The restaurant owner plans to use the help in the kitchen, wash areas, and anywhere around the restaurant.She says this is a win-win situation. “To be able to offer a service like this when they have particularly asked for it is super, super exciting,” Sotelo said.El Patron is the only restaurant in our community taking part in the program right now, and they hope to have their first workers hired and working in the next few weeks.“This will give us an opportunity to help someone out, give them some skills and learn something different maybe that they hadn't done before, but it also helps us to be successful,” Daskalos said.Sotelo also added she’s spoken with other businesses also interested in participating in the program.