Brightening up the Lives of the Underserved in Flint, Michigan

We benefit the old, the young, the poor ex-felons , medical professional trainees any one who needs work in the North End Strategic Initiative. The drop out rate in Flint, MI is 73% by the sophomore year in black males. This is alarming. We host a 19 day training program from 9-4PM Monday through Friday that is run as a business boot camp . We have an 87% first time placement rate and our retention rate is 74%. We help the severely undeserved. The ex-felons we specialize in. No other agency helps ex-offenders as well as we do. The Courts mandate clients here in lieu of jail or prison or upon return from incarceration. We received 120065 from the Ruth Mott Foundation for our North end Initiative and we pledged to assist 75. We are at 40 and received the grant May 1,2017. It is not up for renewal until June 2018. 9If you go to the Ruth Mott Foundation. Org we were featured in their archived newsletter in May 2017. You will see visually what we do. We help anyone who needs help garner employment and obtain certifications. The majority of our clients are deemed hard to serve due to age, size, criminal history , no high school diploma no drivers license or homeless . We are here to change that.
The North End Initiative is deemed the chronically unemployed and we want to break the generational curse of being on welfare three and four generations.
We case manage daily initially then in time once a week then twice a month then monthly for 24 months. This is how we keep the percentages that we do. We believe strongly in linkages and assist our clients under the auspices of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. We help identify barriers at intake , the client works with myself to obtain shelter, business clothing, food , diapers and a host of other needs such as shut off notices for water , gas and electric. We take away excuses!We remain recruiting daily as we have a recruitment specialist. The only thing the recruiter has to do is spread the word there is help available
We are going to purchase 25 additional certifications ( We are doing another additional 25) in kind because the need is so great. We need manuals, supplies for the extra classrooms we are running,(3)If awarded 125 clients will be served. Again we need more fuel to take clients to appointments, we need to purchase additional bus passes, an additional fax machine .
We respectfully request your assistance,
Shari Walter