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2003 Community Partners - Employment/Economic Development
Alpha Project for the Homeless: Neil Good Day Center
$45,000 for the creation and implementation of a learning center at the
Neil Good Day Center.
The center serves over 400 homeless men, women and children daily by providing
services such as showers, restrooms, mail/message service, safe storage
and referrals. The city of San Diego supports the center and has made
a significant financial commitment to it. There has not been funding,
however, for critical support services that would help prepare clients
to
reenter the workplace. The proposed learning center would offer those
services and would reflect the philosophy of the Alpha Project which is
to provide "opportunities rather than handouts." The center
would consist of six computers and one printer plus an employment specialist
on site, who would teach basic computer skills and resume writing, conduct
job preparation workshops and provide training, educational and employment
referrals. These support services are considered vital in creating a successful
transition into the workforce. A similar center was created successfully
by the Alpha Project at the Metro, a Supportive Housing Project for formerly
homeless men and women with disabilities. To date, 300 individuals have
been placed in jobs. The staff at the Neil Good Day Center is dedicated
and highly qualified, combining compassion with discipline. The president
has served since the agency was founded in 1986.
Bronze Triangle Community Development Corporation (CDC)
$25,000 to fund a collaborative project with the Golden Hill Health Careers
Academy, a state licensed certified nurse aide and home health aide program.
The Bronze Triangle CDC is a community-led, non-profit organization supporting
the efforts of low-income residents in the ethnically diverse Stockton,
Grant Hill and Logan Heights neighborhoods. This partnership will allow
more Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) students to successfully reach
economic self-sufficiency by combining a health care occupation with a
clear career ladder (such as LVN and RN), and linkage to the BTCDC Family
Economic Success program. The Bronze Triangle CDC currently offers financial
literacy and earned income tax credit (EITC) assistance. They will also
offer CNA students vocational English/Spanish; referrals to supportive
services such as child care, housing, time management, and transportation;
and peer counseling and career support to encourage long-term employment.
Some of the services will help the students become ready for the CNA program,
while others will encourage long-term education and employment. The Golden
Hill Health Careers Academy has a long history of success in preparing
CNAs and will benefit from the collaboration with BTCDC's work at reducing
the most frequent barriers to employment and economic success.
San Diego Second Chance: Prisoner Re-Entry Employment Program (PREP)
$35,000 for operating costs first year of a three-year program.
The purpose of PREP is to address the problem of prisoners released into
the San Diego community (approximately 8600 every year) unprepared for
finding housing, jobs or medical help. Over a period of time this leads
to chronic unemployment, homelessness and a variety of health problems.
Most are rearrested within 3 years. PREP is the only prisoner reentry
program targeting participants prior to release from incarceration. The
program builds on national level research that demonstrates job readiness
programs reduce recidivism and increase employment prospects for ex-offenders.
PREP will begin with orientation inside the correctional facility, gate
meeting and transfer to Second Chance housing, STRIVE job readiness training,
permanent affordable housing referrals and counseling with a 2 year follow-up
support service. PREP is supported by collaborating partner agencies including
San Diego County Sheriff, Probation Department, California State Department
of Corrections, The Mental Health Systems Parolee Partnership and others.
Funding comes from various sources such as The California Endowment. One
of the greatest strengths of this program is the participation of individuals
who have gone through the STRIVE program and are adding their expertise
to the planning and organization as well as daily participation in the
training.
Urban Corps of San Diego: Corps-to-Career Program
$25,000 for two part-time staff positions and administrative costs for
the corps to career education, job placement and management responsibilities.
The Corps-to-Career Program provides a solution to the problem of high
youth unemployment while addressing the need for public land conservation
and community service. The Corps-to-Career program serves approximately
130 young people on a daily basis who are between the ages of 18 and 25.
The population served is very diverse: 45% are women, with 18% being heads
of household, 45% are Hispanic/Latino, and 50% of the participants are
high school dropouts. The Corps-to-Career program includes one year of
training in Job Readiness and Life Skills, Vocational and Environmental
Awareness, High school Diploma through an on-site Charter School, Hands
on Job Training and Placement. The main strength of this program is the
paid hands on job training in non-traditional employment and the mandatory
one-day per week education requirement. Within six months of enrollment,
participants are ready to apply for full time employment. Program participants
work in the area of Graffiti Removal, Urban Forestry, Recycling and Environmental
Projects. Participants receive individualized education and career path
counseling. The Corps-to-Career Program addresses the needs of traditionally
underserved communities while providing valuable conservation services
to the entire community. Since its inception in 1989, the Urban Corps
has assisted over 2000 young inner city men and women complete their education,
find jobs and become part of mainstream society.
Walden Family Services: Employment Skills Development Program
$29,000 for the salaries of coaches $15,560 (six job coaches (part-time
20 hours/week) - 1 job coach for 10 youth.
Operating expenses to expand the ESDP for foster youth ages 13-18 in San
Diego County to develop skills and works maturity to prepare them for
adulthood and self-sufficiency. The Program provides training, work experience
and a refresher course for those that secure employment. They hope to
expand the program from 50 to 60 participants, 90% of whom will complete
the program. Their strengths are that they combine training and work experience
for hard to reach kids. It is a collaborative effort with the Walden Family
Services and Casey Family Programs Foundations and business partners.
The funding is primarily state and federal per child. Program is free
to all foster youth in San Diego foster family agencies and is a skills-based
program that is multi-step: works site tours, training seminars: interviewing
skills, career planning, appropriate dress and behavior, job maintenance
and communication skills and development of the employment portfolio,
Pre-employment training. For over 27 years, Walden has provided foster
care services to physically abused, sexually abused, severely neglected
and other at risk children and families in Southern California. The corporate
office is in San Diego with five district offices throughout the state
and is the largest Foster Family Agency in San Diego County, currently
providing services to more than 400 children and their families each day.
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