Work experience is important tobuilding a successful future.The Employment ConnectionYouth Employment Summitgave youth ages 15 1/2 to 17the opportunity to interact with avariety of community resourcesand employers. The summitwas held Friday April 22, 2011at the Science Center‟s Taylor Community Resource Center.Participants from St. LouisHealth Department, St. LouisCommunity Credit Union, U.S.Navy, U.S. Army, St. Louis FireDepartment, St. Patrick Center,Teen Swag USA, Women InTrade, St. Louis CommunityCollege at Forest Park, ScottJoplin House and McDonaldswere in attendance. Topicspresented during the youthsummit ranged from profession-alism, entrepreneurship tohealth screenings.An outcome from the YouthSummit was that partnershipswith employers and collabora-tions with other agencies wereformed. The goal of the youthwho attended was to get hired,gain valuable work experience,build character and be a posi-tive force in their community.Youth are now employed andwill work throughout the sum-mer.Thank you to GIA DevelopmentCorporation and HDC for funding this project.
Building Blocks Program Youth Summit
“Empowering Our Youth”
Spring 2011
Page 1
In 2010 Employment Connection faced a major crisis with its technology infrastructure. Several computer servershad malfunctioned and most of the staff workstations were outdated by 7 years or more. The Greater St. Louis Em-powerment Zone funded
Project e3
and with this support our agency was able to install a more modern environ-ment. Staff and clients are now able to work more efficiently and success is more attainable.
The challenge was actually implementing the project. Miken Technologies did a tre-mendous job helping us with the transformation to a more service friendly environ-ment.
All staff workstations were updated and upgraded, the Client ResourceRooms were revamped with new technology (one of the classrooms now have anoverhead projector for a more modern learning environment) and all of the outdatedservers were replaced. To show their continued support for our mission, Mike Smithfrom Miken recently presented a $2,000 check to the Employment Connection staff to support our mission.
THANK YOU… MIKEN TECHNOLOGIES!!!
A message
From the CEOBrenda Mahr
VETERANS SERVED AT EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION
How much is too much? How much is too little? So often our veterans return to the States feelingalone and unappreciated. I know because I‟ve spoken to so many of them. To quote Maya Ange-lou, "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she
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roes!" It is important,to be sure, but more than that, we need to help them regain their rightful place in society.Last year over 300 veterans entered our programs, most of them either homeless or near homelessand all of them, unemployed!! Many required services including counseling and suicide prevention,healthcare, legal, transportation, housing, and other support services, prior to enrolling them in jobreadiness and placement services.The need is great, but don‟t we owe them a” hand up” to start over not a “hand out” that keeps themdependent upon programs for their very survival? Yes, it takes resources, but again, how much or how little do we owe them for helping to keep us free?
We extend our grateful appreciation to our donors who help keep our doors open. And to over 80employers who hired nearly 135 veterans. The Employment Connection and the veterans we serveremain strong and viable because of your support.
Harold is a veteran of the USArmy. He served during the De-sert Storm conflict. He was de-ployed to Iraq for (6) months. Har-old is a St. Louis native and waspreviously employed as an Envi-ronmental Specialist. His compa-ny laid him off and he was unableto secure work in his field. Due tohis unemployment, Harold be-came homeless and would remainin that situation for seven months.He was referred to EC by Mr.Eugene Fowler, Senior Manager,Career Services while attending a job service program and thus heenrolled in the Homeless VeteranReintegration Program (HVRP).In awaiting interviews and continu-ously seeking work he volunteeredat Employment Connection (EC)working in the resource room,front desk, retention work and withSteve Hoven, Manager, Career Services.
Harold, received assistance fromBack to Health/Back to Work andhis Career Specialist, PrestonVanderford. In doing so he is nowemployed with Habitat for Humani-ty full time as a Restore Associate.His very first desire was to contin-ue to give back to EC for all theassistance he received. At hiswork site he arranged for an ex-pensive donated refrigerator to bepurchased by EC at a nominalcost thus saving the agency mon-ey. He personally delivered therefrigerator to EC.
HAROLD FIELDS A HOMELESS VETERAN REINTERGRATION PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
SUCCESS!!
Thanks to a contribution from theSt. Louis Mental Health Board‟sCapital Improvement Funding Initi-ative, Employment Connection willreplace a large section of dam-aged roof covering about two
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thirds of the building. Having asafe and secure site is essentialas clients come every day to seekassistance from our agency. Thenew roof will be finished by theend of the summer and will allowmore resources to be committedto programming for clients. Wethank the St. Louis Mental HealthBoard for their investment andlook forward to serving thousandsof St. Louis City residents insideour great facility.
Page 3
In the Spring of 2010,some of our staff noticedthat very few clientswould eat lunch
despite being at theagency all day for train-ing and assistance. Asa result EmploymentConnection launched“Cooks Who Care”, anew volunteer programto engage members
of the St. Louis Commu-nity to provide a nutri-tious meal for ex
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offenders, homeless
veterans and other resi-dents looking for asecond chance to be-come self
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sufficient.Volunteers prepare asimple sack
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lunch, usu-ally for 25
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30 people,and drop the food off onTuesdays or Wednes-days before noon. Lastmonth our „caring cooks‟prepared the 500
th
lunchfor our clients! Employ-ment Connection wouldlike to say a BIG thanksto the following volun-teers who made thispossible: Catherine Da-vis, Chris Lester, ChadWelch, Kari Agnew,Margaret Young and thestaff from UMB Bank.For more information onvolunteering for this pro-gram, please visit theVolunteer section of our website:www.employmentstl.org
Cooks Who Care feeds 500 people
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Employment Connection Under a New Roof
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Employment Advocate Newesletter May 2011
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