P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Meeting Summary
December 11, 2008Your P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) meeting for December 2008 was received with great perfection. Goodwill is genuinely servicing all of the people of southern Los Angeles County and beyond. The meeting location at The California Endowment helped to bring together both familiar and new professionals representing a large range job placement, training and related resource providers.
The PCN members want to thank everyone involved with making our last networking program of the year just right, beginning with Goodwill’s Ben Espitia Director of Workforce Development and LaVonté Jackson, Employment Services Coordinator. Also to the co-supporters of Goodwill’s staff in attendance we extend our special appreciation to Monique Lynch, Deloris Frisby, Janaya Thomas, and Salvador Barajas for their coordination and networking that added tremendous value to this wonderful meeting.
Marguerite Womack, Director of Economic/Workforce Development for United Way of Greater Los Angeles shared an exceptional overview about some the workforce services available. United Way is working to help other nonprofit organizations keep their lights on and to be more financially stable in the process. United Way services include family savings, education, and home ownership programs through a unique matching process of applying two dollars to every one dollar in each of these areas. Another area that United Way supports is the Earned Income Tax Credit for low to moderate income earning families who may qualify for receiving a rebate from their annual federal tax filings.
In addition, United Way is part of ten major organizations that make up the Los Angeles Workforce Funders Collaborative (LAWFC web site address - http://laworkforcefunders.org/), and share a common vision – to create a thriving workforce system which meets the needs of all in Greater Los Angeles. The LAWFC is accepting proposals for funding other collaborative initiative and outcomes. Ms. Womack’s email address is mwomack@unitedwayla.org
Alicia Dixon, Program Officer with The California Endowment (web address-http://www.calendow.org/) added some extremely priceless advice for approaching foundations in pursuit of funding opportunities. The California Endowment is a private foundation that awards grants to organizations that work to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and serve to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Community health disparities have been the hallmark of the most recent work by The California Endowment, where these initiatives are slightly shifting with global change and becoming more place-based, preventive, poverty and poor health improvement toward targeted populations.
In general, those processes that have culturally competency health strategies and address workforce diversity and language access are more readily prepared programs of interest to The California Endowment. It is important that nonprofits look to be strong in four areas including, but not limited to (1) Be Realistic and Budget Appropriate; (2) Network with Funding Organizations; (3) Be Strategic; (4) Be Entrepreneurial. The California Endowment reviews grant applications year-round. Ms. Dixon’s email address is adixon@calendow.org
LaVonte Jackson and Ben Espitia of Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County showed how their organization is much more than just a retail store. Goodwill has developed employment training programs such as Project M.O.V.E. (customer service training program), Supported employment, Allied Health Care Training Program (Certified Nurse Assistant/Certified Home Health Aide Training program), Goodwill at the Multi-Service Center (Job readiness, Like Skills, Financial Literacy, Job Development/Placement).
Goodwill also conducts an ‘e-waste drive’ with partnering agencies. There are 17 Goodwill retail stores in the Southern Los Angeles County, and in the process have become efficiently eco-friendly. Feel free to visit Goodwill’s new look & website: thinkgood.org.
In addition, Goodwill has developed a business of document destruction called “Shred-4-Good”. Shred-4-Good’s certified and secure document destruction services meet all statutory requirements for the protection and destruction of sensitive information. Shred-4-Good meets the needs and satisfies government requirements for information security for the Health Care, Financial, Banking, Real Estate and Legal sectors, as well as many other government and business entities.
Shred-4-Good Services
All shredded material is co-mingled in multiple bales to be recycled and reused, meaning less paper in our land fills and less use of our precious resources. Goodwill’s Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting will take place early February 2009. For more information call Shred-4-Good 800 W Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach, CA 90806 (562)216-5256 Andrea Estrada aestrada@goodwillsolac.org.
The Allied Health Care Training Program has partnered up with the Los Angeles Urban League to provide Allied Health Care Training Program. The next classes begin 1/27/09; applications are being accepted until 12/31/08. Goodwill was awarded $165k from the California Endowment to continue and expand its program. Ms. Jackson’s email address is LJackson@goodwillsolac.org and Mr. Espitia’s email address is BEspitia@goodwillsolac.org.
Dean Jones, CEO, Southland Partnership Corporation, extended an invitation to all PCN members to utilize the no-cost community job announcement web site, www.ISartOnMonday.com to share training and job programs. This community service program is part of the non-profit public benefits provided by the Southland Partnership, which enhances the PCN member’s ability to extend opportunities to a much broader base of job seekers and employers, in order to better reach and meet the needs of all southern California organizations and businesses.
It is more important than ever that work force agencies act in harmony to make the best effort possible to place all applicants into the most appropriate livable wage position. The unemployment rate is higher than it has ever been for many of our young job-seekers than any time in their entire life. Realizing that most work placement professionals get paid solely by the number of applicants that they personally place makes it difficult to share opportunities. But, these are difficult times for way too many people and sharing is the most effective method that we have available to help raise us above this atrocious economic period. Minimally, we ask that you participate in the monthly PCN meetings to stay abreast of the variety of opportunities that can make a difference in someone life today. Mr. Jones’ office number is (310) 637-7248, or email POWERSOLA@aol.com
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The next PCN meeting is Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 10 AM – Noon, hosted by the Compton CareerLink Worksource Center, 700 N. Bullis Road, Compton, CA 90221. Our meeting hosts are Kim McKenzie, Collee Fields, (mailto:cfields@comptoncity.org), Henry Smith, and Jo Tenner.
PCN Meeting Attendees for December 2008
Alicia Dixon, The California Endowment
Arecelia Sandoval, Personal Involvement Center, Inc. – Healthy Marriage
Barbara Lynn, Personal Involvement Center, Inc. – Healthy Marriage
Ben Espitia, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Bruce Mason, whynothiremenow@aol.com
Cassandra Cheng, Chinatown WorkSource
Clarence Espinosa, Los Angeles World Airports
Cliff Gardner, JVS
Coledias Wilson, Human Potential Consultants
Darneld Kimble, Jr., NSEA
Daryl Brooks, Pure Water Science
David Dirks, Harbor Interfaith Services
Dean Jones, Southland Partnership Corporation / P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Delores Frisby, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Desrine Estrada, Los Angeles Unified School District – Classified Recruitment
Duffy Leahy, Volunteers of America
Dwayne Price, Los Angeles Urban League
Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League
Erwin Sarnz, Para Los Ninos
Fernando Godinez, Los Angeles Unified School District
Franco Vega, The Midnight Mission
Gail Coyne, East Los Angeles College
Gail Delgado, Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth
Janaya Thomas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Jane Alcala, US Probation Department
Jennifer Franks, Mentor International
Joan Samuels, WorkSource Hollywood
Jorge Orozco, Para Los Ninos
Joy McKenzie, United First Financial
Karen Robinson, Allstate Workplace
Karina Henriquez, City of Los Angeles - Youth Opportunity Movement
Katie Wong, Los Angeles Unified School District – Classified Recruitment
Kenneth Kamara, Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation
Kenneth Tyler, LA County Dept. of Public Social Services
LaTasha Hawthorne, Los Angeles Unified School District, ECC Mid-Wilshire
LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Lez Ross, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services – GROW Region 7
Maguerite Womack, United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Manuel Leon, Villages At Cabrillo
Marsha Cole, Workplace Hollywood
Martina Gladney, First National Security
MaryD Miller, City of Los Angeles - Youth Opportunity Movement
Megan Harless, Working Wardrobes
Michael Bennett, Los Angeles Urban League
Michael Booker, VIP
Miyoki Chan, Chinatown Service Center
Mo Jackson, Villages at Cabrillo
Monique Lynch, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Noemi Soto, Coalition for Responsible Community Development
Pat Atitesi, Lutheran Social Services
Patricia Simpson, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services
Raul Gonzalez, Los Angeles Unified School District
Rennae Brewer, BodyClenz Holistic Health Center
Robert Hamm, Los Angeles Unified School District
Ruben Valenzuela, Asian Rehabilitation Service
Sal Barajas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Sandy Greenstein, Workforce Development
Shaun Pruett, People Assisting the Homeless, (PATH)
Sheila Wiley, Jobing.com
Stephen Thompson, Los Angeles OIC
Tom Joyner, Workplace Hollywood
Tonya Haynes, Phoenix Business Development Group
Valerie Davis, Office Connection Job Placement
Veronica Martin, Allstate Insurance
Wendy Wang, Chinatown WorkSource
William Marks, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services- GAIN
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PCN started in January 2001, focused on job coordination for community residents in order to assist in public & private sector work placement. The PCN members are community builders serving to identify, nurture, & mobilize local assets by enhanced networking to rejuvenate economies, strengthen business investments, & ultimately build up civil society. The PCN meets monthly sharing job recruitment, funding, training, workforce projects, & other related topics at various member locations.
P.O.W.E.R. - Partnership Opportunities With Economic/Educational Resources