Lee County Homeless Coalition Agency Spotlight Presentation. September 20, 2012

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1 Lee County Homeless Coalition Agency Spotlight Presentation September 20, 2012

2 Our Mission Building lives, families, and communities one job at a time by helping people with disabilities and barriers to employment discover and develop their full potential through work and career development services. In 2011, we provided services to more than 23,000 people in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, & Glades Counties.

3 How does Goodwill help? Job-Link & Family Strengthening Centers Community Outreach SWFL MicroEnterprise Project Homeless Veteran s VISTA Employment Coalitions Four Wheels for Work HUD Housing Florida Sled Hockey supporter Youth Services Contract Services

4 Who can use Job-Link Centers? People with disabilities People with barriers to employment Any Goodwill employee Any program participants People with disadvantages, which includes: Wounded warriors and veterans Single parents Homeless individuals Unemployed and Dislocated Workers Working Poor/Incumbent Workers/Underemployed Welfare Recipients At-Risk Youth Older Workers Lack of Literacy Non-English Speaking/English as a Second Language Lack of GED/High School Equivalency Persons with criminal backgrounds People with other disadvantaging conditions People of various cultures, socio-economic status, religions, and linguistic profiles

5 Job-Link & Family Resource Centers Our goal is to help people become as self-sufficient as possible by finding meaningful employment and connecting with community resources. Here are some of the things we do: Resume assistance Interviewing skills Help with online job searches Help target job searches Help people advance in their careers Free access to printers, copy machines, scanners, phones, & faxes Connect with further education opportunities to enhance skills (High Tech Centers, Edison State College, FGCU, ) SafeLink phone applications Assistance with ACCESS Florida applications (SNAP Food Stamps, Medicaid, FL Kid Care, TANF, ) Help filing unemployment benefits online Link to free community resources (Family Strengthening Referrals) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation services Supported Employment & On-the-Job Training

6 Family Strengthening Services Job-Link centers provide referrals to Family Strengthening Services in the community. We partner with agencies across Southwest Florida to help people become more independent. Together, we provide the following services: Money management Housing and rental assistance Adaptive medical equipment loan program English and Spanish courses Income tax preparation Effective parenting courses Nutrition education Housing counseling Mental health services Addiction and dependency services Emergency food assistance and food stamps GED and adult education Transportation assistance Utility payment assistance Medicaid and health insurance for children ACCESS Florida Discounted/free cell phone

7 10 out of 15 Job-Link Centers are co-located with other local non-profits to create ease of access for our participants. Most are near bus facilities.

8 Community Outreach Neighborhood Stabilization Projects with Lee County Harlem Heights Page Park Palmona Park Suncoast Estates Charleston Park Pine Manor Food pantries Community support/referrals Computer access Employment assistance Youth services & Asperger s Support Group Haitian Outreach Culinary training (coming soon)

9 SWFL MicroEnterprise Project Helping aspiring entrepreneurs start own business Classroom style learning 12 sessions, 6 weeks Experienced business coaches & mentors Micro-loan pool Creating jobs locally 87 graduates, 45 businesses, 27 new start-ups, 69 employees Types of businesses started: Pest control and home services Photography studio A pool, skating ring, and playhouse Lawyer/law office Handyman/decorative concrete coatings Serenity garden and antique craft art specialty shop Label designs and design labels Grant writing for non-profits Electrical contractor services Wigs for cancer patients Ecuador & South American tours Provide sanitation certification and supplies for spas A virtual business assistant Internet retail Beauty spa and salon Etiquette training Daycare/preschool Local convenience store Group home for persons with mental disabilities Bakery

10 Homeless Veteran s VISTA Through National Coalition on Homelessness Summer term completed New term to begin by March Suncoast Community Veteran shelter program Community resources Building partnerships

11 Employment Coalitions Goal: To learn about the services of other organizations, how to refer clients to one another, determine niches, and identify gaps. Employment Coalition of Lee, Hendry, & Glades Meets quarterly at United Way Agency presentation each meeting Discussion & networking opportunities Identify potential grant opportunities Charlotte County Affinity Group Collier County Continuum of Care To find out more or to register, contact Fred Richards: x 2224 or FredRichards@GoodwillSWFL.org

12 More Programs Four Wheels for Work Individuals with low incomes & no car in household are eligible for program Call Don or Lupe at: to get on the waiting list HUD Housing & Senior Housing Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, LaBelle, Lehigh Acres, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte Housing for Seniors & people with disabilities & people with low incomes 14 HUD Housing buildings, 1 Senior Housing building, over 200 units Call to get on the waiting list Florida Sled Hockey Hockey for people of all abilities All players use sleds Sticks have spikes on ends to propel sleds

13 Youth Services High School/High Tech Career exploration program 90 students in 9 high schools Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, & Glades Students with disabilities Internships 29 in 2012 Service learning Workplace & college campus tours 100% graduation rate in % post-secondary education or employment LIFE Academy Charter school (free tuition) in Fort Myers Students with intellectual disabilities Students ages Internships Guaranteed employment following graduation

14 Contract Services Low-cost services to local non-profits. Often hiring people with disabilities and other barriers to employment: Accounting Information Technology (IT) Human Resources Secure Shred Document Destruction Facilities Management Janitorial (with eco-friendly products)

15 Any Questions? Todd Ryan, Director of Career Development Services x 2285 Amy Singer, Employment Services Program Manager AmySinger@GoodwillSWFL.org Shannon Maitland, Grant Writer ShannonMaitland@GoodwillSWFL.org

16 THANK YOU for your time