The Magic of Coffee

Over the past 25 years, and over and over, I've told the story of our "shiny coffee pot" in the Haskell Avenue Food Pantry.  Here's how I told the story in my first book:

". . . I remember that, during my first week or so on the job, I made a trip to a local discount store where I purchased a large, industrial-sized coffee pot.  The next morning as was setting up the new coffee pot in the interview room, a long-time volunteer approached me.  She put her hand on my shoulder and asked me in a tone that mixed disgust with surprise, 'What are you doing, Larry?' I replied with great pride, 'Oh, I bought us a new coffee pot.  I love coffee and the conversation it can start!  New we can make coffee for our guests when they come into the food pantry.'  She looked at me with incredulity and said, ' You can't do that!  Don't you know that, if you serve coffee, these people will never leave?'" (The Wealth of the Poor:  How Valuing Every Neighbor Restores Hope in Our Cities, pages 54-55)

Needless to say, coffee has remained, from those early days, a staple at CitySquare.  We serve it every morning at the Opportunity Center to our friends, many of whom are homeless.  Our students brew it daily in the CitySquare Cafe on that same campus. 

Actually, coffee has taken on a life of its own at CitySquare.

Our culinary arts and hospitality students learn how to make coffee, some even opt for barista training!

Last year our good friends at Highland Park United Methodist Church invited us to open and facilitate a coffee shop in their beautiful building.   Our trainees and interns staff the food and coffee service every Sunday in two locations inside the church--the new Youth Center and more formal coffee shop setting that we've built out in Wesley Hall.  CitySquare reaps the income while learning how to provide food and coffee service on Sunday mornings.  And, the coffee shops always seem packed.  Every table debunks the myths of poverty with "fact cards" revealing the brutal truth about poverty in Dallas and beyond.

More recently, Southern Methodist University graduate students took charge of a Union Coffee popup truck during a market analysis of how a coffee shop might be received in the South Dallas neighborhood around the historic, iconic Forest Theater.  Students and community folks surrounded the truck on two consecutive mornings.  Talk about a winner!  Coffee and its prospects ignited real neighborhood excitement, and connection.

Several years ago a man told me and a group of United Way volunteers that the coffee pot in the Food Pantry "saved his life."  Homeless at the time, the man recalled coming to the food pantry daily for a morning cup of coffee and some friendly conversation.  'That kept me going every day,"  he said.  Today he is employed and doing well.

I tell you, you just can't escape the power of coffee!  Come by anytime.  The aroma feels magnetic!

Great IT training options open to South Dallas-Fair Park!

Dear supporters, partners, and friends of Per Scholas:   Our first ever IT-Ready class at Per Scholas Dallas is kicking off February 23 at our new location in the CitySquare Opportunity Center.     We are seeking applicants for this exciting opportunity. Per Scholas training is offered at 100% scholarship to unemployed, under-employed, and low income adults interested in pursuing a career in IT.   What is a Per Scholas IT-Ready course? IT-Ready is an 8-week, full time, tuition-free IT training opportunity comprised of rigorous tech skills and soft-skills training essential to IT workplace success. CompTIA A+ certification prepares graduates for entry-level employment in IT in positions such as Data Center Technicians, Desktop Support Specialists, IT Support Analysts, and Network Field Technicians.. 3 out of 4 Per Scholas grads land jobs upon graduation, with an average starting salary of $30K.   Who is a good fit for Per Scholas IT-Ready? ·         someone who has a genuine interest in pursuing a career in the IT industry ·         someone who needs A+ certification to find employment ·         someone who is not afraid to work hard to accomplish a life-changing goal   To see the detailed list of requirements, see below or click here to download our flyer.      Refer today! Now is the time to apply. Interested individuals should complete our online application here. More information can be found at perscholas.org/dallas   Please forward this to anyone in your network who might be right for this program. You can also download & print the flyer below. Thank you.    Sincerely,   Billy Lane   Managing Director, Per Scholas Dallas

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FLYER

Another success story to celebrate!

Ocell Donaldson was first introduced and referred to CitySquare by another agency and accessed services through the Resource Center with Neighbor Support Services case management.  He originally came to CitySquare in need of financial assistance, employment, transportation and food assistance.

      In January 2011, at intake, Ocell was unemployed and at risk of homelessness.  He received a notice to vacate from his apartment complex, was about to get evicted, and in desperate need of financial rental assistance and assistance with meeting his other basic needs.

      CitySquare's Neighbor Support Services provided Ocell with:  medium term rental assistance (for 9 months),

Intensive Case Management--working on setting and completing goals, provided hygiene and toiletries, bus passes, clothing vouchers to the CitySquare Thrift Store, money management/life skills and employment workshop classes.  He also received food from the pantry and community resources. 

      Today, Ocell Donaldson is stably housed and able to pay his rent each month.  Ocell is also employed full time at DART and has maintained employment at DART for the last 7 months and now receives full benefits. 

     

      Ocell was referred to CitySquare by West Dallas Multipurpose Center when they could no longer provide Ocell with rental assistance.  CitySquare at that time had Homeless Prevention Rapid-Re-Housing (HPRP) funding, which allowed CitySquare to provide rental assistance to neighbors for up to 18 months, if needed. This funding was designed to provide assistance for a longer period of time, thus allowing a neighbor to get back on their feet, prevent homelessness, and have neighbors keep and maintain their housing by achieving housing stably.  Ocell is the perfect example of what HPRP funding was designed to do. When I first met Ocell in January 2011, he reported that he had been laid off his job in Feb. 2009 and had been struggling to find employment ever since.  Ocell’s unemployment had ran out in Oct. 2010.  

      Unable to find employment Ocell had not been able to pay the rent on his 2-bedroom room apartment.  Ocell is an honest, hard-working neighbor and has even had a poem he wrote published.  He currently is working on writing an entire book of poetry.  

      During the time he received case management through Neighbor Support services, CitySquare was able to provide Ocell with financial assistance with rent and utilities.  We were able to get his landlord to move him into a one-bedroom apartment lowering his rent.  Ocell was dedicated to find employment and provided job search logs, indicating he was willing to do whatever it took to get employed and he was willing to work anywhere.  

       I mailed Ocell a daily bus pass every week so he could attend life skills/employment and money management classes and every week he showed up.  

       During intake, Ocell stated he couldn’t get food stamps and assistance with food.  I referred Ocell to the food stamp representatives downstairs at CitySquare’s food pantry and Ocell began receiving food stamps (SNAP) benefits shortly after.  He also shopped in CitySquare’s pantry to meet his additional food needs.  

      During this time, Ocell had met goals and gained employment, however, he had also experienced set-backs by getting laid off again by his new employer.   When the HPRP grant ended, Ocell had gained employment again allowing him to pay his rent when CitySquare no longer could.  Ocell came in my office a couple of weeks ago and reported that he no longer had that job but has been employed at DART for the last 7 months and receives full benefits, and access to transportation (courtesy of DART).  Ocell is stably housed and pays his rent on time every month.  Ocell is able to meet all his basic needs and more without assistance.  He will frequently stop by CitySquare to say hi and to thank CitySquare for our partnership with him.  During his most recent visit earlier this week, he informed me that his daughter is now enrolled and attending college.

Krystal Lotspeich

Social worker at CitySquare

CitySquare Work Paths: Build4Success

CitySquare WorkPaths: Drive2Success

Workforce training at CitySquare

CitySquare’s WorkPaths is now enrolling for our 3 training programs. WorkPaths equips low-income adults with hard and soft skills through intensive CitySquare’s WorkPaths is now enrolling for our 3 training programs (please see attached flier for more detail) WorkPaths equips low-income adults with hard and soft skills through intensive pre-employment training programs designed to increase functional skill levels—enhancing employment ability to continue with additional training or education toward a living-wage job offering a career path and benefits.  All classes are at no out of pocket expense and DART transportation assistance is provided.

WorkPaths offers 3 training paths:

•Build4Success – 12-week program in commercial construction and environmental remediation made possible by partnership with OAI, Inc. Build4Success includes fundamentals in electrical, plumbing, welding, blueprint reading, and basic carpentry, as well as “workplace” life/soft skills such as positive communication in the workplace and how to be a great employee. OSHA 30, HAZWOWPER 40, Lead, Mold, Asbestos Worker Training and First Aid/CPR/AED are also part of coursework.

•Path2Success - a 10-week computer and business fundamentals program, is designed to equip participants with computer competencies in Microsoft Office's Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and Explorer. The training is made possible in part by a grant from Microsoft and in partnership with Bill J. Priest/El Centro College.

After graduation, WorkPaths’ staff members continue to work with program graduates to resolve outstanding "life" issues hindering individuals from getting and keeping a good job. WorkPaths’ staff interfaces with employers of program graduates to monitor their progress and works with the employer to address any issues that may arise. Post graduate training continues through CareerPaths, a post-graduate program employing job matching, until successful employment is achieved in order to continue to strengthen employability skills.

•Drive2Success - 9 month long program designed to train individuals in different aspects of the auto body industry. If you are accepted into the program you will take classes such as Basic Metal Repair, Basic Refinishing, Color Analysis and Paint Matching. There are also classes in Collision Repair Welding, Damage Repair and a host of other classes designed to help you become an auto body professional.

Please feel free to call our offices at 214-823-4409.  Please forward to your email contacts and other service providers who could benefit from what we are now offering!!! 

CitySquare Work Paths "Build 4 Success" graduation. . .a crude snippet!

The video captures, in a very unprofessional manner, just a snippet of the most encouraging graduation exercises for CitySquare's most recent Build 4 Success class, a 14-week, 310 hour course in hard skills construction training.

This spring's class was a truly great one.

These graduates will be stepping up into living wage jobs thanks to the high-level training they received and of which they took full advantage!

What a great group!

And, again, forgive my crude video.  I just had to give you a glimpse.

As we move forward, employment training will occupy more and more of our time and resources.

Opportunity Center Update!

Check out the video below to get a feel for CitySquare's new Opportunity Center!

We're on course to open in late spring 2013.

Equally important is the "feel" you'll get of the surrounding neighborhood. The second video spotlights "the Porch" at the corner and the service station whose owners have been so kind to all of us and to our homeless friends and neighbors.

 

Progress continues

Work progresses on CitySquare's new "Opportunity Center" located at the corner of Malcolm X and I-30! Completion will be in late spring 2013.

More vertical progress. . .

CitySquare's new Opportunity Center is exploding out of the ground, literally! It's fun watching the progress while visiting with neighbors who stay in the area. The new center will focus on employment. At the same time, the project has provided jobs for scores of workers.

Drop by the project at Malcolm X Blvd. and I-30 to see the progress.

Employment Training in Construction from CitySquare!

Education gap. . .corporate response

Trisha Cunningham of Texas Instruments presented what follows at the Dallas Social Venture Partners' latest "Big Bang" conference here in Dallas.

Interesting in view of current challenges across the nation.


Trisha Cunningham, Texas Instruments from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Employment and low-skilled fathers

A major and growing priority here at CitySquare involves the provision of hard and soft workforce skills for our unemployed and underemployed neighbors.  Anything that relates to job readiness and job creation attracts our attention.  The following brief focuses on increasing employment options for fathers who attempt to negotiate our economy without the necessary skills to earn a living wage. 

Pathways to Employment

Finding a good job that pays a living wage and offers opportunity for advancement is a value embedded in the American Dream. Despite this promise, many Americans are unable to receive the education and training they need to obtain stable employment with good wages, or end up in low-paying jobs that provide inadequate benefits and little opportunity for advancement. Numerous community colleges, community-based organizations and government entities have developed programs that create a pathway to employment focusing on areas such as job training, job readiness, placement, retention and advancement, and workforce supports.

For a list of key research that summarizes efforts to create a pathway to employment for low-income families click here.

Report from BECK community service with CitySquare

We received the following report from our good friends at BECK after a great group of their interns joined CitySquare's WorkPaths' participants in framing houses contracted for construction with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.  What a great partnership all around! 

Thank you, BECK

If you’re a fan of community service, affordable housing projects, nonprofit work or just sweating profusely while you dream of an air conditioned office, then I suggest you look into working with organizations like CitySquare and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.

This is exactly what BECK’s interns did the June 22, 23 and 24th as part of an intern service project which took place in at 2717 and 2711 Silkwood Drive in South Dallas. It was the result of a group from CitySquare’s WorkPaths department, who teamed up with the BECK interns to frame two houses for Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity in three days.

WorkPaths is a department at CitySquare, a local nonprofit and provides tools and resources to adults who, for various reasons, lack necessary job training and education. WorkPaths partners with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity on projects allowing them to provide further training and implement construction skills they learned in WorkPaths’ construction training program, Build4Success. As for the interns here at BECK, it was not only a chance to get to know one another, but also an opportunity to work with an impressive organization filled with dedicated individuals who are making a positive impact.

The group included Lynsee Turner, Greg O’Bryan, Molly Lyons, Caleb Pritle, Jake Maxton, Trevor Brown, Dane Soren and Dylan Dorsey. It would not have been possible without the contribution of a few notable BECK employees - Greg Powell, Holly Crowder, Jim Gettman, Gillette Berger, Tim Kuykendall, Rachel Baumann, and Beth Butler. The willingness of the people at BECK to engage in a project such as this reflects the values of this company and is a credit to its already admirable standing within the local community.

David Claros, in reference to the workers from CitySquare, noted, “To see people like that trying to get their life back together was very humbling and made me appreciate the opportunities I have been given… It really put in perspective what I have been blessed with.”

Lynnsee Turner felt that “being a part of the summer 2011 CitySquare / Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity Intern Event was an awesome experience! Not only did we get to use the knowledge that we have learned the past few years in different classes, but we were also able to give back to a community in need, while having fun.”

Lacey Helm was fortunate to observe “the effects of hard labor on the body, but also the satisfaction from seeing with your eyes the production you have physically done.”

The opportunity to work with the people from CitySquare, although difficult, was incredibly rewarding.

Participating Interns included Lynnsee Turner, Greg O’Bryan, Molly Lyons, Caleb Pritle, Jake Maxton, Trevor Brown, Dane Soren, Dylan Dorsey, David Claros, Lacey Helm, Nick Jencopale, Javier Altamirano, Andrew Winchell, Sam Gunderson, Abigail Steck, Ricky del Monte, Billy del Monte, and Sean Luke. The majority of these interns will most likely never make their living in the labor side of construction.  However, an appreciation and respect for those who do will prove to be invaluable. Apparently, scorching heat and difficult labor are ideal conditions under which to form friendships. While the purpose of the internship is to provide a glimpse into potential careers, it is also necessary to provide a sense of social responsibility. Thankfully, this responsibility is standard procedure here at BECK.

Employment training opportunities at CitySquare

The following notice came out earlier this week from Andrea Bills, WorkPaths' Director, about CitySquare's employment readiness training programs.  I thought this information was worth sharing here.  If you live in Dallas, help us spread the word!
________________________________________

Path2Success Orientations are currently being held at WorkPaths (see location below). The next orientation will be Wednesday, July 13th at 10am at the RTLC. All information regarding information is the same as below. If you have questions about Path2Success, please email Dana Morrison, Path2Success Program Manager, at dmorrison@citysquare.org and she can also get you flyers.

________________________________________

WorkPaths is happy to announce an expanded FALL session of Build4Success. Applications will be accepted beginning 2pm July 12th thru 3pm August 4th, 2011. The first orientation for Build4Success will be held Tuesday, July 12th at 1:30pm at WorkPaths:

Ransom Technology Learning Center
1824 Hall Street (corner of Hall and Munger)
Dallas, Tx 75204
Call 214-823-4409 x 300 to RSVP or x 301 for directions
Center Hours for Information: Monday – Thursday 10am – 4pm

No information will be given over the phone; all interested candidates must attend an orientation. Interested parties can call x 300 to reserve a place at upcoming orientations; there will be an additional orientation on Wednesday, July 13th at 1:30pm. More orientation times and locations will be upcoming.

The application process for this program must be completed by 3:00 pm on August 4th. If you have people who are interested in the program, encourage them to get started at once. The application process takes several steps, the first being orientation. There are limited training slots and referring partners are encouraged and welcome to attend the orientation too!

Please email Tennille Robertson, Build4Success Program Manager, if you have questions: troberston@citysquare.org – or you can email me at abills@citysquare.org.

All applications must be completed and submitted by August 4, 2011 at 3:00pm! This includes testing, documentation and paperwork.

DO NOT have candidates contact individual staff members but rather please ask them to call 214-823-4409 x 300 (also listed above) to RSVP or for information regarding orientation times and locations and we will call them back.

Everything has to be done in 4 weeks!

Thank you!

Andrea Bills
WorkPaths Director
CitySquare

Work--Part 3

This post is the final in a 3-part series on work and CitySquare's efforts to provide hard skills, construction training for participants.  The stories are encouraging and are presented here in "raw" case notes.

Cleto Villafana - Cleto was born in Mexico and came to Dallas, Texas when he was 15. He struggled initially with poor English skills but he wasn’t going to let anything as “minor as language” get in his way of achieving the success he sought. Cleto will be quick to tell you one of the reasons he has been able to do the things he has done is because of the support of his girlfriend (who became his wife), they met soon after he came to Dallas. With her help, he greatly improved his English and even though he did not graduate from high school, he did not stop learning. Cleto has his permanent resident card, a social security card and his driver’s license and hopes to eventually become a U. S. Citizen. He lost no time finding work when he married his girlfriend so he could support his “new” family. Things were going well until the economy slowed to a crawl and Cleto was laid off from his job and had been unable to find work. Cleto attended an orientation for Build4Success, thinking he probably didn’t have what it would take to get into the program because he lacked confidence in his ability to read and write English. He was very nervous about the TABE test but the WorkPaths staff, along with his wife, encouraged him to not let the test stop him, so Cleto gathered his courage and took the test. To his surprise he did well on the TABE test; he didn’t lack knowledge, he lacked the confidence in himself. He scored well and was selected to be a part of the program. Completing the coursework was not as easy for Cleto as for those whose native language is English but he worked hard, he’s smart and he was determined. After graduation, Cleto told the WorkPaths staff he was interested in working for a mechanical contractor. One of WorkPaths’ employer partners was interested in hiring Cleto but one of their requirements was new hires had to have a high school diploma or GED, he did not have either of these. During the B4S training, he told the WorkPaths Director he would like to enroll in GED classes and this information was transmitted to the employer. Due in large part to his strong performance during training, his dogged determination, and the recommendation from WorkPaths, the contractor agreed to hire him with the condition he get his GED after he was hired. WorkPaths arranged for him to start GED classes at CEF within a few weeks after graduation and on his own, Cleto also enrolled in ESL classes. He completed his GED with a score of 98 and the contractor is very pleased with him. Some people will allow perceived obstacles to stand in their way of achieving their goals while others will find a way to overcome challenges and succeed. Cleto is proof if you really want to do something and are willing to do what it takes to achieve your goal, you can accomplish it. “Can’t” is an English word he has chosen not to use.

Work--Part 2

This is the second in a 3-part series about participants in CitySquare's Build4Success hard skills, construction training program. 

Michael McCall – Michael was in the Build4Success class with Sam (see previous post on 3-25-2011). They became friends during the training and have remained good friends since then. Michael was a leader in the class and was quick to help his fellow classmates if they were struggling with any course work. He even tutored some in math. A few months after completing training, Michael went to work for Humphrey & Associates electrical contractors and is now in his second year of electrical apprenticeship at CEF. After he had been on the job for a few months, Michael had saved enough to purchase a new truck; he called me and asked me if I thought it would be ok if he gave his old car to Sam (Griffin). He said it wasn’t much of a car but it was better than none and maybe Sam could use it as a stepping stone into a better vehicle. I told him that would be between them but wanted him to make sure he transferred the title and did all the paperwork, he did. (This car helped Sam get into his truck – longer story on this than I want to write here). After Sam’s shooting, Michael has continued to prove to be the kind of friend all of us hope to be. He picks up Sam for dinner occasionally and is there to help Sam however he can. Michael also participated in tryouts as an evaluator this last time with Sam.

Britt: For-profit schools, a closer look

My partner at Central Dallas Ministries, Rev. Gerald Britt, VP of Public Policy and Community Program Development, published the following thoughtful Op-Ed piece in The Dallas Morning News last Wednesday, September 1, 2010. 

As always, Grerald's ideas deserve careful consideration. 

Gerald Britt: For-profit schools can be dead end for job seekers


Although there is truth in the maxim "education is the pathway out of poverty," all academic pathways are not equal. Working class and low-income adults are finding this out the hard way as they enroll in for-profit universities in record numbers. For-profit schools are privately owned or publicly traded academic institutions that promise career-focused curricula stripped of remediation and traditional liberal arts classes.

These schools advertise offers of licenses, certifications and degrees that can be obtained through easy admissions and flexible schedules, all paid for by government and private student loans. Many of the schools also hold out the prospect of job placement at graduation.

Many job seekers, including the unemployed and underemployed, want to increase their marketability with additional education. For-profit schools often appear to be a shorter route to this goal – with a bigger and more certain payoff than traditional post-secondary schools.

To read the entire essay click here.

"Opportunity Center" progress

Seems like time to provide a brief update on the development of our new "Opportunity Center" located on a 4-acre tract at the corner of Malcolm X Boulevard and I-30.

The new center will include a new, expanded health clinic; a large wellness center; a versatile commercial production kitchen designed to instruct neighbors in healthy food preparation and training in culinary arts; robust employment training programs delivered in partnership with Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas; an expanded food distribution center; a retail grocery store; a community garden and other training and life-improvement options.

Our initial partners in the endeavor include the Embrey Family Foundation, whose gift allowed us to assemble the property and PepsiCo whose commitment to improving the lives of urban residents has been extremely motivational for us. Numerous other philanthropists have joined the endeavor to move us to about the halfway mark in our funding efforts, including the Sowell Family Foundation, the Rees-Jones Foundation, the Halbert Family Foundation, Bank of America with others in process. Much more on this in coming days.

For today here are some images from the site.

Giving youth a chance. . .

Check out the Challenge Program here. 

Brent Brown, our partner from bcWorkshop, dreams of turning our joint venture into just such a program for Dallas inner-city youth.  Our plan would also involve an AmeriCorps component if can land a national program grant. 

Stay tuned!