GlobalGiving.org: Job training for 17 at-risk girls in San Francisco

Marlene's Journey Through Motherhood

Shannon Farley — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:37:02 GMT

Raising two boys under harsh circumstances was only possible with the help of her sisters.--This is Marlene's story.

_______________________________________________

The Up and Down Journey of Motherhood: Let's Lift As They Climb

By MARLENE SHANCHEZ, Executive Director, The Center for Young Women's Development

I had my first child at nineteen and I still don’t know how I made it. I worked two jobs, with the first one starting at five in the morning and the second one finishing at nine at night. I couldn’t afford full-time childcare, so I moved my son Danny between two part-time centers that weren’t as good as I hoped for but better than I could afford.

One of my most vivid memories from that time was going down to an alley in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco to buy my formula. Because I had two jobs, I didn’t qualify for WIC, and because I worked so much, I wasn’t around enough to breastfeed my baby. A can of formula at my local Safeway was $24, which it took me about 4 hours to earn. Instead, I would go to this little spot downtown that sold the formula for half price. I don’t know where they were getting it, but it was the real stuff and thankfully, despite the many stresses in our lives, Danny was a happy baby and thrived.

What got me through that time were the other young, single moms I knew; we took care of each other in so many ways. We would watch each other's kids, and I never came back from the alley with just one can of formula. We were always teaming up to get things done: grab food and diapers for each other, make dinner, and help our seemingly impossible schedules work somehow.

I am now 31, Daniel will be 12 years old soon and my son Elijah is 4. My life is not as hard, but it still isn’t easy. Rent eats half of my salary and I still can’t afford daycare for Elijah, so he spends his days at work with friends, his auntie or grandma. When all that falls through, he comes with me to work. I am the director of the Center for Young Women’s Development where we support young moms like I used to be. We have parenting classes, job training, support groups, programs for incarcerated women and girls, and amazing opportunities for training, learning and becoming leaders.

Many success stories have walked in and out of the doors of the Center. For each one of the women who has worked hard to beat the odds, there are many we work with who continue to scrape by. I know from my own experience and from seeing them hard at work that it isn’t for lack of trying. Piecing it together in this city is hard at any age, but it is almost impossible to get ahead for young families. It often feels like the amazing views, sparkling buildings and thumping nightlife are mocking our foggy existence.

When I was pregnant with Danny I was semi-homeless, sleeping on couches and just getting by, and the strain of those early years feels like yesterday. But back then, in many ways there was more help for young moms like me. WIC, food stamps, and childcare subsidies were easier to come by. And help like that got many of us through. As we continue to face budget cuts that shred the fraying safety net, I truly worry that the mountain out of poverty is getting too steep to climb. That the young women I see coming through the Center are fighting an impossible battle to finish their educations, get jobs, keep the roof over their heads and feed their families.

Just like we have found in the California budget battles, there are no belts left to tighten. That’s true for these young women, who are balancing rent, formula, diapers, books and bus fare. I know from my own story that the hands to lift me as I climbed made the difference between a life of minimum-wage work and what I have now: a truly rewarding and inspiring career and a happy, thriving family.

Full Text: http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2011/05/06/down-journey-motherhood-lets-lift-they-climb

_______________________________________________

Your contributions supported Sisters Rising, a job training program serving young women pulling themselves and their families out of poverty. Your support has ensured that 17 young women like Marlene have a safe place to learn and thrive. To learn more about this program and other vital services provided by the Center, please visit www.cwyd.org.

Sisters Rising Participants on Mock Interview Day

Shannon Farley — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:14:58 GMT

Sisters Rising Mock Interview Day 2010

Employment AND Training

Sisters Rising provides low-income young women with both a livable income and an environment that is supportive and personally transformative. Young women who have endured multiple traumas including long periods of incarceration, loss of their children while they were in the system, poverty, violence, drug addiction and the incarceration of a parent do not just need a job — they need to believe that they can make it in the "above ground" economy.

The 17 Sisters Rising interns work four hours a day, four days a week — during the hours that have the highest incidence of arrest of female sex workers and drug dealers. Sisters Rising effectively competes with the street economy by providing respectable wages and benefits, job training, child care, peer support, housing assistance and leadership opportunities. The part-time nature of the job and its regular income allow the young women in Sisters Rising to return to or stay in school. Sisters Rising demonstrates to young women and girls from the streets and the juvenile justice system that another way is, in fact, possible!

These young women develop practical workplace and leadership skills, while building their resumes and lists of references. They learn about self-care, healthy lifestyles and sisterhood along with basic computer and writing skills. Our Mock Interview Day is just one example of job training that is practical as well as transformative. Included in this report you will find photos of our most recent Mock Interview Day. Enjoy!

Our mission is to empower and inspire young women who have been involved with the juvenile justice system and/or the underg

Gaining the Courage to Try

Annual Highlights from CYWD

Shannon Farley — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:31:37 GMT

In the past year, The Center for Young Women's Development, with your support, achieved the following accomplishments:

- They hired 17 young women for the Sisters Rising 9-month internship. 12 were hired directly out of lock up. 13 graduated from the program in June. - They provided young women in lock-up with 150 hours of self-advocacy training. - They provided case management to 50 young women exiting juvenile hall and adult jail. - They collaborated with local partner Youth Justice Institute to provide 180 hours of onsite Mental Health Therapy to young women in the Sisters Rising program. - They were award funding from the City and County of San Francisco from The Department of Children, Youth & Families to support their core programming. - Sisters Rising alumni testified at a Congressional hearing on Girls in the Juvenile Justice System advocating to increase federal funding for gender-specific programing.

These accomplishments would not be possible without your support. Thank you!

Overcoming Barriers

Shannon Farley — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:38:53 GMT

Of the 17 young women in Sisters Rising 14 are on track to graduate from the internship at the end of June 2010. Of the 14, 5 completed their probation, 3 graduated from high school, 13 young women self-reported that they now know how to write a cover letter and resume, how to articulate their strengths to a potential employer and how to use the Internet to conduct research and use Microsoft Office programs. Additionally, 14 reported that she now has a close relationship with another female – an outcome that we believe is important to building community through sisterhood. All 17 young women helped plan, facilitate our Annual Know Justice Conference that brought together 250 young people to learn about their rights in the system and connect with community resources.

Links:

Spark's Approach to Grantmaking

Attachments:

CYWD's Spring Progress Report (DOC)

Quite A Year!

Shannon Farley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:50:22 GMT

2009 was filled with successes, challenges and amazing opportunities. Although the economic downturn posed some difficulties, the young women in CYWD’s programs remained committed to their collective and personal journeys of transformation.

2009 Highlights:

Nadiyah Sherref, a graduate of the Sister’s Rising Internship and now CYWD’s youngest board member, testified at the judiciary committee’s congressional hearing on Girls in the Juvenile Justice System: Strategies to Help Girls Achieve Their Full Potential.

Young women from CYWD sat on panels and provided keynotes and workshops on various topics ranging from Young Mothers in the System to Women Led Policy Change in Atlanta, Tennessee, Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Of the 17 initial Sisters Rising participants, 13 young women graduated from the program. Of those 13 young women, 4 completed their probation and 4 graduated from high school and went on to pursue higher education.

All 17 young women helped plan, facilitate and participated in CYWD’s Know Justice Conference that brought together 250 young people to learn about their rights in the system and connect with community resources.

A Challenge of Note:

Many of CYWD’s corporate job placement partners suffered in the economic downturn. With reorganization, some key contacts were laid off and some companies eliminated their placement programs all together. In response, CYWD is actively cultivating new relationships with local companies. They also provided financial planning workshops to program participants to help young women cope with extended job seeking timelines.

2009 Program Overview: Job Preparedness Outcomes: 13 set clear educational and vocational goals. 13 reported that they now know how to write a cover letter and resume. 13 reported that they now feel comfortable articulating their strengths to a potential employer. 13 reported that they now know how to use the Internet for research and Microsoft Office programs. 6 were able to gain and sustain meaningful employment and/or engage in an educational or vocational program. 13 reported increased understanding and application of work-ethic accountability. 13 disengaged from the underground street economy, completed probation and did not recidivate.

Health and Wellness Outcomes: 36 reported an increase ability to develop healthy and supportive relationships with their peers. 62 reported an increased understanding of how their health impacts their lives. 5 young mothers gained/retained custody of their children and report creating a healthy environment for their families.

It has been quite a year. We couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you for your support. We look forward to what we can achieve together in 2010.

Graduation is Upon Us!

Shannon Farley — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:29:14 GMT

The Center for Young Women Development works with young women of color who were formerly incarcerated, who worked in the street economies, who may have been or may not have been in school. Their programs help these young women transform into the leaders, policy-makers, researchers, employers and activists that they were born to be. These young women moved up through our programs into leadership roles. Together, they healed from past experiences. Together, they dreamed and achieved their own visions for the future.

This is one of the scholarship recipient’s story.

Kenisha, 17 Kenisha is from Bay View Hunters Point and has been a program participant at the Center for Young Women’s Development for two years now. She is currently a senior Sisters Rising organizer. We are proud to announce that she will be graduating with the class of 2009. After working hard on college applications she has now been accepted to San Francisco State University, where she plans to attend in the fall.

“The Center has taught me how to use skills I already have to achieve my goals at work and home. CYWD has been a place I can come to get support in all areas of my life including, home, school and my personal life. I don’t think I would have been able to do all the fun stuff we have done without the Center, like going to New York City.”

Help us fully fund this program for Kenisha and 33 other young women.

Kenisha and 16 incredible young women will graduate from the Sisters Rising Program at the end of the summer. We only have $1,740 left to raise to send them off into their new lives with the skills they need to grown into their promise. Fully funding this year’s group of women will allow us to support 17 more women in 2010. That’s 34 young women. 34 young women will get the chance they so desperately need.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support the lives and dreams of these young women.

Applied Knowledge

Shannon Farley — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:45:55 GMT

Dawn, Age 23

“CYWD has changed my life. They have shown me how to be myself and take leadership. I have made sisters here that will be my friends for the rest of my life.”

Dawn came to the Center for Young Women’s Development straight from jail. She was introduced to the program by a CYWD’s wellness coordinator who works inside San Francisco’s juvenile hall. When Dawn was released she was put on house arrest in Oakland but she did not let that stop her from working and going to school. She was determined from day one to stay out of the system and take care of her 3 year old son. Most recently she has completed a carpentry class at Asian Neighborhood Design and now has a Union card.

CYWD hired Dawn as a community organizer with the Sisters Rising project. In this role she has led certified workshops with Alameda County Probation Department regarding issues that impact women during incarceration.

Please view the application young women like Dawn filled out to participate in CYWD's 2008/2009 Sisters Rising Program.

Attachments:

Sisters Rising Project Application (PDF)

In their her words--Denise (Age 17)

Shannon Farley — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:20:51 GMT

“The Center is the only place I feel comfortable being myself. They have taught me how to be a better person and a better mother. The support I receive from CYWD staff is priceless. I want to stay in Sisters Rising as long as I can.” Denise, 17

Denise was introduced to our program through a parenting class offered by the Center for Young Women’s Development. She was 17, pregnant and looking for something positive in her life. She also needed some financial support. When she came to the Center, everyone quickly got to know her. Denise is a doer. She immediately stepped in to volunteer whenever the opportunity arose.

When she saw that there was an opening in Sisters Rising she applied and was accepted. Her supervisor can still remember her walking up to her, 8 months pregnant to ask for a job. Denise got that job and has been a great asset to the Center as well as mother of her 1 month old son Sincere.

Graduations and New Applicants!

Shannon Farley — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:47:26 GMT

In 2008, The Center for Young Women’s Development hired 17 young women who would have difficulty getting jobs elsewhere. These young women experience a number of barriers to employment such as a lack of childcare, unstable housing, or criminal records. We are proud to say that 12 successfully graduated!

The 2009 job training program received over 100 applications -- a new record! Thanks to your donations we will have the capacity at this time to hire 7 young women. Our goal is to serve 17. We are confident that we can raise the funds before orientation.

With the current economic conditions, the number of young women coming to San Francisco looking to earn money in the underground economy will increase. With this reality, the demand for our services will also rise while public and foundation funds slow to a trickle.

Thank you for ensuring that these young women will have the opportunity to start anew.

Please let us know what you think of this update by providing feedback on our comments section!