Freakin job billboard getting attention

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The President brought his economic message to Buffalo and at the same time, Buffalo answered with a message for President Obama and the world: "I need a freakin' job!"

It's been exactly one week since this billboard went up on the 190 Thruway at Smith Street and the response has been overwhelming. Three days after we aired the story Monday, CBS Evening News came to town focusing on the "I need a freakin' job!" campaign as the majority of their coverage of the President's visit.

Founder Jeff Baker said, "It's aimed at nothing more than really trying to readjust the national focus."

Buffalo native Jeff Baker created the billboard and website after his family-run textile business closed last year. He wanted to give a voice to those who need a job. Just in the past three days, the website has generated 11,000 Facebook friends.

"The overwhelming response has been, "Thank you for the effort that we're putting forward," and then they go and tell their own personal story. It seems like everybody has a story," said Baker.

Some employers with jobs to offer have even contacted the website and now it's up to Jeff and his brother to consider creating a resume page or jobs section on this monster of a website they've created.

Baker said, "We'll continue to now use our creative resources and the momentum that we've gathered to make sure that the jobs and economy literally stay at the forefront of everybody's attention."

Baker says the timing of this was uncanny. He planned this campiagn for several weeks and the billboard popped up the day before it was announced that President Obama was actually coming to Buffalo.