The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has supported innovation and resilience for more than 30 years. With its powerful vision to “create permanent positive change in people’s lives,” CFSEM is providing a grant designed to support Neighborhood House’s Career Opportunities Validating Individual Development (COVID program).
The funding for this $16,000 employment initiative grant assists clients who are looking to enhance their career development or gain additional training to pursue meaningful employment. Dianne Bette, Sustainability Programs Manager at Neighborhood House says, “As the pandemic recedes and businesses begin to open up in full, we anticipate the need for our Employment Initiative program to rise sharply in the next few months. Now, with this grant, we are prepared to assist our neighbors-in-need with essential job skills and much more. Additionally, reliable transportation is an immense need in our area and this grant will allow Neighborhood House to pay for car repairs to ensure that our clients can get to job interviews and self-sustaining jobs.”
A portion of the grant will be used for client assessment. Participants are first identified and screened, given a questionnaire encompassing 20 different life skill domains, and then referred to services that help them reach self-sustainability. Katie Lamb, Neighborhood House Director of Fund Development, says, “the program’s importance is not strictly on income, but successfully matching clients with skills and personal interest.” Many times, available jobs require a certificate or specialty license. Funding from this grant will allow clients to pursue educational opportunities that will qualify them for higher-paid employment.
For more information about the specific services that Neighborhood House offers to support their clients on the path to self-sustainability visit their website; or contact Dianne Bette at dianne@ranh.org or call 248-651-5836 Ex. 16.