P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network

Meeting Summary

April 2005

The April 2005 P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network Meeting was chalk full of important information and special contacts. Our hosts were Board Spectrum and Ascension Church. Donnicus Cook, Executive Director for Board Spectrum Community Development Corporation did a marvelous job coordinating such a fine team of financial education specialists.

Much appreciation goes to Father Humberto Barnabe and Ilegra Evans for serving as such gracious location hosts. We are always privileged to see a part of our community that we may not visit as often as we would like. By opening your door helps many of the P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Members see first hand the areas that we are working with assisting and making a positive difference. Thank you Ascension Church for your wonderful and consistent work over the many decades that you have serviced our community.

Donnicus Cook described a large variety of financial education services Board Spectrum Community Development Corporation is extending throughout the County of Los Angeles. Most important were the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Centers Broad Spectrum has set-up in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Clients are given free assistance with preparing and filing their respective tax returns. For more information Donnicus Cook can be reached at (310) 693-6505, ext 103, or email: dlcook@broadspectrum.org

Erika Miranda, Relationship Manager for Citibank shared a concise overview on the company’s $200 million investment for financial education throughout California. Ms. Miranda offered for a limited time her extended services to come and provide a more detailed presentation of financial literacy to help people become more whole in their bank savings and credit processes. Providing you can coordinate at least ten (10) people needing greater insight on financial education Ms. Miranda will schedule a time (two week lead time) to visit your facility and share specific information financial development programs. Erika Miranda can be reached at (818) 528-7552, email: Erika.m.Miranda@citigroup.com

Juan Alvarez, Director of Education for Mainstream has a large program for helping people who may come from welfare-to-work, domestic violence, first-time-home buyers, seniors, and/or homeless services to better their financial management. Mainstream conducts classes and counseling services in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean to reach a large population for demonstrating how to create complete baking services, and budgeting programs. Juan Alvarez emphasizes the need to develop commercial activity as a way of building communities, because without commerce communities will be unable to survive. Mr. Alvarez can be reached at (323) 4287-1872, email: financialmainstream@yahoo.com.

Jonathan Newsom, Vice President of the Long Beach Community Action Partnership (LBCAP) shared vital information for people wanting to make a first time home purchase. LBCAP works with Washington Mutual, Bank of America, Farmers Merchant Bank, and Union Bank of California to help residents save money toward a home purchase and then provide a matching grant to the accumulated savings. LBCAP partners with the Career Transition Center, City of Long Beach, US Housing of Urban Development and other community groups for client referrals. Already, LBCAP helped help ten (10) people with completing their savings and grant matching to secure homes. For more information you can reach Jonathan Newsom at (562) 437-0681, ext 610, or email: jnewsom@lbcaa.com

Deborah Cujino, Department of Rehabilitation announced exciting progress for the upcoming 7th Annual Cinco de Mayo Career Expo, Thursday, May 5, 2005, 10AM – 3:00PM at the Hollywood Park Complex, 3883 W. century Blvd., Inglewood, CA Deborah Cujino expects over 95 exhibitors (10 exhibit spaces left at $250.00 ea.), and thousands of jobs seekers. Exhibitors are awarded door prizes where Rose Cote won a round trip ticket to anywhere in the World last year, and went to Saint Thomas. On May 13, 2005, the planning committee will host a celebration for the program with a ‘Margarita Night.’ Deborah Cujino receives big kudos for taking the entire P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative attendees through a Salsa dance Life lesson knowing that we should not concern ourselves with past things, and to not worry about what’s ahead, but stand firmly in the NOW. To reach Ms. Cujino Deras you can call, (310) 348-0985, or email: dcujino@dor.ca.gov

Joseph T. Rouzan, III, Business Services Group with the City of Los Angeles’ Community Development Department shared brand new information about the expansion program with the Los Angeles International Airport. Beginning July 1, 2005 a new series of training and job programs will commence. There are three general areas of job development; Aviation, Airport Interrelated, and Construction. The multi-million dollar LAX Community Benefits Agreement/Jobs Program will first focus on low to moderate-income residents living in Los Angeles, Westchester, Lennox, West Athens, and parts of Hawthorne.

Other Business Services Group team members represented at the meeting were Nancy Pelayo and Greg Scheib who explained the that there are roughly 79 census tracks targeted for job and training outreach. Should you want to reach Joseph Rouzan he can be reached at (213) 847-3934, email jrouzan@cdd.lacity.org. Nancy Pelayo can be reached at (213) 744-7182, or email at napelayo@cdd.lacity.org. And Greg Scheib can be reached at (213) 744-7195, or email: gscheib@cdd.lacity.org

Michael Corrin, Business Director with the Los Angeles World Airports gave the P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative a chance to attend a fantastic conference coordinated by the Airport Minority Advisory Council Educational and Scholarship Program, Inc. (AMACESP) being held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, June 11-14, 2005. The master plans for a number of areas will be shared during the conference sponsored by the Los Angeles World Airports, and the City of Los Angeles. It is a sound-networking event to meet corporate executives, airport managers, elected officials, government staff, business owners, and other decision makers. For more information feel free to contact Allyson Lavalais, Rose Cote, Jessye Stafford, or Michael Corrin at (310) 417-6490.

The next meeting is set for Monday, May 9, 2005, at the Los Angeles Urban League South Los Angeles Worksource Center, beginning at 10:00 AM – Noon, 12700 South Avalon Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90061. The keynote presenter is Clifford W. Graves, General Manger for the City of Los Angeles Community Development Department, Workforce Initiative Act. Also, Marilyn Johnson with JobStarts, Michael Richardson, with “We Build” Los Angeles Unified School district will share valuable information as part of the agenda.

April PCN meeting attendees:

Albert Napoli, Metropolitan Water District

Alegra, Ascension Church

Allyson Lavalais, Los Angeles World Airports

Barbara Banck, Housing Authority, County of Los Angeles

Bernard Edwards, Let’s Take A Look Enterprises, Inc.

Betty Randell, Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services – GAIN

Billy Childs, Human Potential Consultants

Billy Williams, Business Training Schools

Brenda Stevenson, Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Center

Carla Cortez, Department of Pubic Social Services

Carlos E. Ruvalcada, Community Centers, Inc.

Carolyn Hines, Hines Hospitality Group

Connie Brown, PPL-Identity Theft

Dean Jones, Southland Business Development Partnership

Deborah Cujino Deras, Department of Rehabilitation

Donnicus Cook, Broad Spectrum

Erika Miranda, Citibank

Evelyn McKenzie, Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation

Frank Garcia, Century Community Training Program

Gilbert Buchanan, Los Angeles Unified School District

Greg Scheib, Community Development Department--LAWA Project

James Harris, Community Coalition

James Jones, Gangsters for Christ

Janet Canaway, PATH

Jaun Alvarez, Mainstream

Jessye Scott-Stafford, Los Angeles World Airports

Jonathan Newsom, Long Beach Community Action Partnership

Josie Starling, Wings of Refuge, Inc.

Joseph Rouzan, Community Development Department, LAWA Project

Kenneth Crawford, US Small Business Administration

Larry Denman, Weingart Center

LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill Industries-Long Beach

Linda Marquez JVS Worksource

Lou Rodriguez, ---

Marilyn Johnson, JobStarts

Martha Urbina, Net Tech learning Center

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District

Mindy Owes, Resources Advancing Family Transitions (RAFT)

Nancy Pelayo, Community Development Department, City of Los Angeles

Patricia Pascua, Harbor-UCLA Ami/Able Program

Phyllis Jasso, VA Veteran Industries

Portia Smith, State of CA Employment Development Department, Crenshaw Office

Randy Scott, Henkels & McCoy

Renee Moncito, Wings of Refuge

Rick Stoff, Chrysalis

Ronnie Pratts, Beyond Shelter

Rose Cote, Los Angeles World Airports

Ruben Valenzuela, ICDC College

Sharon Rochelle, Department of Public Social Services-GROW Program

Shonda Finly, US Department – Internal Revenue Service

Steven Sanders, Compton Community College, CalWorks

Susan Peterson, State of CA Employment Development Department

Taft Robinson, County of Los Angeles

Terri Bates, Business Training Schools

Vannessa Robinson, Human Potential Consultants

Vernell Taylor, Union Bank of California

Vu Hien, Pasadena GROW

Whitney Daniel, Meaning & Purpose, Inc.

Announcements/Network – P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Members:

Job Fair

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

9:00 AM - Noon

Los Angeles Trade-Technical College

400 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90015