P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Meeting Summary
Wednesday, December 9, 2009Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County, extended exceptional hospitality and coordination for the December 2009 P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) meeting. It was truly the best way to end the community development networking year of 2009. From the refreshments to the high-tech meeting tools used by each presenter, this two-hour session was completely an informative and comfortable networking exchange. LaVonté Jackson, Employment Services Coordinator for the Goodwill Health Care Training Program did a commendable job with hosting and coordinating the agenda for this meeting. In addition, the PCN members wish to also thank Ben Espitia, Janaya Thomas, Dennis Stovall, Deloris Frisby, and Kenneth Guertin for their vital participation.
Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County is a nonprofit corporation serving 22 cities and communities in Southern Los Angeles County, operating skills training, education, job preparation and placement programs that help to build lives, families and communities—one job at a time. The December PCN meeting was held at their main facility (800 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach CA) that includes administrative offices, training programs, Shred-4-Good® (secure document destruction services), processing operations, transportation fleet, LiNKS Sign Language & Interpreting Services, a retail store, and an e-commerce store.
Darick Simpson, Executive Director, Long Beach Community Action Partnership provided a noteworthy overview on how his nonprofit agency is involved with the American Recovery Re-Investment Act Strategy. Mr. Simpson’s agency is a beach community action partnership working to empower individuals and foster their personal development through education, training and cultural awareness. The partnership targets low-income individuals and families with educational, social or economical barriers providing many programs designed to help people of all ages learn the skills needed to fight poverty and become self sufficient. In attendance and also working with the Long Beach Community Action Partnership as a case manager was Ms. Dana Elliot. Mr. Simpson’s email is dsimpson@lbcap.org, and Ms. Elliot’s email is delliot@lbcap.org
Robert De Santiago, Human Resources Manager for Vons/Safeway presented an exciting outline on the employment opportunities in retail food industry. The Vons/Safeway Corporation offers a range of career opportunities as one of the most innovative Fortune 50 Companies across the U.S. and Canada. Also present with Mr. De Santiago was Lisa Stritof, District Employment Representative for Vons/Safeway.
Mr. De Santiago shared how the company is experiencing exciting times and how each employee is encouraged to professionally succeed. A large variety of positions are offered that ranged from warehousing, transportation, marketing, finance, IT, operations, real estate and construction. Vons/Safeway provides their staff opportunities, stability, diversity, training, and benefits and is strongly committed to the communities it serves supporting education, health and human services, hunger relief and people with disabilities. Mr. De Santiago, can be reached at (626) 821-3849, and by email: Robert.DeSantiago@safeway.com and MS. Stritof can be reached at (951) 533-6598, and by email: Lisa.Stritof@safeway.com.
Andrea Estrada, Business Development Manager, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County, Shred-4-Good® program, provided indispensable details on the importance of critical document destruction. Shred-4-Good® makes use of secured and GPS monitored vehicles, where all employees are neatly uniformed, background checked, bonded and fully insured. Ms. Estrada provided the PCN members a tour of the Shred-4-Good® facility, which is fully protected with the latest in security, alarm, video monitoring and state-of-the-art shredding equipment that meets Federal Government requirements and stringent in-transit and facility procedures.
There is no third party activity as the chain of custody of all documents are protected from pickup through shredding and issuance of a Certificate of Destruction, with the entire shredding process recorded and available for customer verification. The Shred-4-Good® operation is environmentally conscious as shredded paper is pulped and recycled, thereby reducing the amount of trash sent to our landfills. Ms. Estrada can be reached at (562) 216-5256.
Dean Jones, CEO, Southland Partnership Corporation, provided an impromptu presentation using Goodwill’s’ high-tech meeting tools to demonstrate the latest community web site features on www.IStartOnMonday.com. All PCN members can now post their respective job, training, and social service announcements from their own computer. This special web site has been upgraded with a simple to use posting process that allows PCN members to have access with private personal user name and password. Logos, images, and attachments coincide with posted user messages for all site visitors to quickly learn about the large opportunities throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
This is another advanced Internet tool free of charge for all PCN members to have and to receive an invitation code simply call or email the Southland Partnership Corporation office. This is the most universal outreach business tool available for socioeconomic opportunities and development via the Internet. . Www.IStartOnMonday.com is a free service to all PCN members for community activity announcements, human service programs, training services, outreach processes and more. This community service program is part of the non-profit public benefits provided by the Southland Partnership Corporation, [Federal I.D. #91-2167324], which through promotional outreach efforts 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. Mr. Jones’ office number is (310) 637-7248, or email POWERSOLA@aol.com.
~~~
The next PCN meeting is Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 10 AM – Noon, sponsored by Loyola Marymount University (LMU). 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045. Our host is Fay Crayton, Fay.Crayton@lmu.edu, (310) 338-2812.
Meeting Attendees for December 2009
Andrea Estrada, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Angel Del Villar, South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Angelica Leyva, Gateway Frontline Academy
Barbara Lynn, Personal Involvement Center - Healthy Marriage
Ben Espitia, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Beverly Butler, L.A. County Senior Services – Title V
Bob Penn, Long Beach Job Corps
Carolyn Christian Hines, Hines Hospitality Group
Cecile Walters, Pacific Gateway Workforce
Cheryl Lumpkin, Los Angeles Career Network
Clarence Espinosa, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
Dana Elliot, Long Beach Community Action Partnership
Darick Simpson, Long Beach Community Action Partnership
Dean Jones, Southland Partnership Corporation / P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network
Deloris Frisby, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Dennis Stovall, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Devona Gardner, U.S. Pretrial Services
Diana Kapadia, Gateway Frontline Academy
Dora Aquino, Personal Involvement Center – Healthy Marriage
Duffy Leahy, Volunteers of America
Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League
Emily Ausbrook, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH)
Erick Cerda, Los Angeles County Department of Probation
Fay Crayton, Loyola Marymount University
Fernando Godinez, U.S. Vets
Georgi Gastonguay, ABC Adult CTEC
Gin Andrews, Key of Hope
James Yeargin, Westview Services, Inc.
Jamile Clure, U.S. Pretrial Services
Janaya Thomas, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Janet McCarthy, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Jason Sakamoto, Employment Training Panel
Joseph Rouzan, City of Los Angeles – Community Development Department
Josie Starling, Wings of Refuge
Julie Givens, Los Angeles County Department of Education
Kacherion Grant, CA Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation - South Central Parole
Katrena Carruthers, California Employment Development Department
Kenneth Guertin, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Kenneth Lewis, El Camino College Compton Education Center
Kidedda Curtis, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County
Lisa Hoffmaster, Food Finders
Lisa Stritof, Vons/Safeway
Margot Jackson, PFS
Maria Mata, L. A. County Senior Services – Title V
Mark Deese, Human Potential Consultants
Marsha Cole, NAAAHR
Niki Williams, California Employment Development Department
Officer Kirk Madison, Los Angeles Police Department
Onica Ross, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Patricia Calloway, Calloway & Associates
Portia Love, Westview Services, Inc.
Renee Davidson, CA Department of Rehabilitation
Robert De Santiago, Vons/Safeway
Sharon Beard, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Susan Love Loughmiller, Loyola Marymount University
Tamarra Conner, Beyond Shelter
Valencia Ramos, Community Development Commission
Vernell Taylor, Union Bank
~~~
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. - Promoting Opportunities With Essential Resources