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

Meeting Summary

JUNE 2005

Thank you very much PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) for hosting the June 2005 P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) Meeting.  It is very gratifying to see organizations like PATH join in with the intent and mission of the PCN.  A special thank you goes to Janet Denise Ganaway, PATH’s Chief Operating Officer for allowing PCN the privilege to meet and tour the facilities. PATH is doing great work with great vision for preventing the challenges that face so many homeless.

Brad Kemp, Labor Economist and Market Consultant for the State of California Employment Development Department was truly an outstanding presenter.  Mr. Kemp provided an excellent overview on the County of Los Angeles’ future labor market industrial trends. We are now better informed that employers are moving away from specific job titles and moving more toward a span of skills.  Workers are doing less single task functions and titles are sometimes limiting the expected skills needed to do the job. The largest job growth by industries rests clearly with the Service industry.  Retail manufacturing, and government industry positions fall half way to the service industry as reported in 2001 and projected to 2008.  Mr.Kemp reminded us through his presentation that employers want people who have attention for detail, can recognize problems and report them, deliver good judgment and customer service, use critical thinking and employ operational analysis on the job   Mr.Kemp can be reached at 213) 744-2569, or email: lmid.bkemp@edd.ca.gov

Paul Freese, director of Litigation and Advocacy for Public Counsel gave an immense overview of his organization’s direct relationship with PATH and how they work to eliminate the legal issues that plague most homeless clients.  Mr. Freese shared vital statistics about the social unbalance related to educating versus incarceration processes.  For example, a woman that is homeless on the street for 30 days runs a 38% chance of being a victim of a sexual assault crime and that probability increases significantly each day that she remains on the street.  Public Counsel help clients with Consumer Laws, Children’s Rights, Homelessness Prevention, Community Development, Child Care Law and Immigrants’ Rights.  Mr. Freese distributed a guide to ‘expungement’ of criminal conviction that eliminates this common barrier toward gaining employment.  We want to also thank Liz Bluestein, Director Attorney Community Development for sharing the processes available to many of the homeless clients register with PATH.  Mr. Freese can be reached at (213) 385-2977, ext. 109.  Liz Bluestein can be reached at (213) 385-2977, ext. 131.  Or, for more information feel free to visit Public Counsel’s website: http://www.publiccounsel.org/

Connie Brown, with Prepaid Legal shared some important background information about ‘identify theft’ and how it is a growing crime America.  Personal data is being sold and traded by large criminal groups each day.  Few people are being caught due to the sophistication of the identity theft process.  The losses are in the billions annually and Ms. Brown wants to share in more detail with any PCN member or human resource representative how people can help prevent or minimize the pain of being a victim of identity theft.  Ms. Brown can be reached at (323) 752-8938, or email: conniebrown58@hotmail.com

The next PCN meeting is set for 10 AM, Monday, July 11, 2005, at Progress Park, 15500 Downey Avenue, Paramount, CA 90723.  Our meeting hosts are the Paramount Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA) and Business Training Schools, Inc. (562) 634-2020.

 

For specific PCN member announcements go to: http://bizpartnership.biz/events.htm

JUNE PCN meeting attendees:

Al Washington, Africa/USA International Chamber of Commerce

Allyson Lavalais, Los Angeles World Airports

Anita Wallace, Los Angeles Urban League

Billy Williams, Business Training Schools, Inc.

Brad Kemp, EDD

Carlos E. Ruvalcada, Community Centers, Inc.

Carolyn Hines, Hines Hospitality Group

Christine Fisher, Computer Access Center

Connie Brown, PPL-Identity Theft

Cynthia Tollette, Fremont-Washington CAS

Dean Jones, Southland Business Development Partnership

Dinah White, State of CA, Employment Development Department

Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League

Ernesto Cantas, DPSS GAIN Region IV

Frank Garcia, Century Community Training Program

Gilbert Buchanan, Los Angeles Unified School District

Hein Vu, GROW-Pasadena District

James Jones, Gangsters for Christ

Janet Canaway, PATH

Jean Franklin, City of Refuge – Anchor of Hope Ministries

Kenisha Humphrey, Goodwill Long Beach

LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill Industries-Long Beach

Liz Bluestein, Public Counsel

Lucille Spence, God’s Helping Hand

Maria Garcia, Jobstarts

Marta Rodriguez, Charo Community Development Corporation

Michael Bennett, Los Angeles Urban League

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District

Patricia Pascua, Harbor-UCLA Ami/Able Program

Paul Freese, Public Counsel

Phyllis Jasso, VA-Veterans Industries

Phyllis Mack, Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE)

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

Sandy Annino, Long Beach Job Corps Center

Sharon Rochelle, DPSS GROW

Taft Robinson, County of Los Angeles

Whitney Daniel, Meaning & Purpose, Inc.

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