Resignation or Aspiration?
We have all been hearing about the “Great Resignation”. This is the narrative that people do not want work because they are lazy freeloaders. I do not agree with this biased and offensive spin on the state of the job market today. The people I speak with are anxious to work. They are looking for careers and are excited about their potential future. They are looking for the right job at the right pay. They are finally, for the first time in their lives, able to be picky and wait for the “right” job. They do not need to work 60 hours a week at minimum wage, just to pay rent and still rely on food stamps to eat. People are no longer forced to choose between a terrible job or going hungry.
I believe in the free market economy. For too many years, it has been rigged against the working-class. People from wealthy families have a support network that covers their food, housing, and other expenses while they take their time finding the perfect career move. Working-class people did not have this luxury. If a person is forced to work 40 hours a week at a dead-end job with very little pay just to survive, it is hard to get an education and then spend a year or two sifting through potential career opportunities. Today, the playing field is being leveled and now everyone has the opportunity to think about their long-term goals.
An article by Whitney Johnson in the Harvard Business Review describes this new Great Aspiration as similar to the Industrial Revolution. She predicts that this change will result in cottage industries from people following their passion. She also encourages employers to embrace this change, and to encourage employees to explore their talents. Employers who are agile and able to embrace change will survive and flourish.
At Family Assistance Program, we are doing that, as we have for many years. We support, nurture, and encourage our staff to reach their goals. Sometimes, this results in training and helping people who move on to other work. Most of the time, it results in people who flourish and grow to become more than they dreamed possible. We currently have 13 job openings with 12 more coming out next month. I appreciate that people can be picky. This helps us find the best person for each job, rather than someone just looking for a paycheck. It may make hiring people more difficult, but I believe it is better for the long term.
I hope the Great Aspiration will be the beginning of a new age where every person is able to reach their full potential.
Darryl Evey
Executive Director
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Open Door received a wonderful donation from Outreach Leader, Teresa Kelly-Harris and Danielle McGee Belton, Founder of “Promise, Purpose and Destiny Ministries”: brand new purses full of hygiene, hair products, and other goodies that our participants can use. Once again thank you to Promise Purpose and Destiny Ministries for their lovely donations.
Open Door is proud to be a part of the continued collaboration and community partnership with the Sheriff’s Academy and now the Gang Unit Special Teams. Advocate Myeesha Arranaga has trained over 200 law enforcement officers and Sheriff deputy trainees from the San Bernardino, Highland, Redlands, Riverside, and Pomona area within the last 45 days. We are looking forward to this continued partnership with the hopes of identifying, educating, and providing more resources to other HT victims.
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Open Door has been spreading the word about human trafficking by doing table events, trainings and We were at Taco and Taxes hosted by Assembly Member Ramos at San Bernardino Valley College. Not only was this a huge success but the event was informational for the community. It was great collaborating with all the other agencies there and look forward to many more events in collaboration with our partners and politicians. |
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HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!
Hope House is excited to bring in a new fresh season. Especially because it's probably the BEST season EVER, Spring! Hope House has begun attending more events in the community.
Hope House staff Lori, Angel, and Laura attended Rockin' Our Disabilities Foundation's Easter event on April 2nd. There were so many children and vendors gathered for the event. All the children received candy and toys from each vendor. Michele and Angel with Hope House will attend High Desert Second Chance's Easter Event on April 16th. Please come visit us at 16666 Smoke Tree Hesperia, CA 92345 from 11am - 2pm.
Hope House will be having some fun here at home with our families, as well. We will have a potluck, games, and Easter egg hunts! We are accepting donations so we can help the mothers in our program make Easter baskets for their children.
We are accepting donations to help create the Easter baskets for our participants. If you can donate candy, eggs, toys, baskets, or any other Easter items please contact Sylvia at 760-223-7787 or sylvia@familyassist.org
We hope everyone has an amazing Spring and a beautiful Easter!
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This month has been very successful for several of our participants. On the housing side, due to the hard work and perseverance of both the housing team and participants, two of our participants have been approved for self-pay housing. One, a probation participant has recently graduated from our program, and with the help of his case manager, he has found self-pay housing.
Another participant on the parole side hit the ground running when she entered our program. Although she has been with us less than 60 days, she has already found employment with two different employers and has been approved for self-pay housing in an apartment of her own. We will be using our Parole Rental Assistance Program to help pay her rent. During her assessment, the participant indicated a need for non-emergency medical services and eyeglasses. We were more than happy to link her to our Health Navigator, to find a local doctor and to our community partner America’s Best Eyeglasses to take advantage of their gracious offer for free eye exams and glasses. In a conversation with her case manager, the participant said “every time I talk to you, I mention something I need and you say you know someone that could help. Then you make a phone call and I have an appointment. I love this program!” It’s a wonderful thing to hear from a participant, to hear that they feel their needs are being met and that we are helping to accomplish that.
On the Parole Rental Assistance side, the PRA team continues to make great strides toward becoming a well-oiled machine. We continue to help many homecoming parolees in need of support that they would not receive anywhere else. Recently, one of our PRA team members met a homeless man that had nowhere to go, he turned out to be on parole. Thanks to her empathy and consideration for the man, we were able to link the man to one of our community housing partners, Hernandez House. They were able to let the man into housing that night, despite the 2 to 3-week delay in receiving a rent check. Great job team Next Step, keep it up!
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The C Street Community Center is ready to spring into SPRING! The weather has been so beautiful allowing staff to shake off those winter coats and embrace the natural vitamin D! The Community Center staff has been taking turns walking our block throughout the day. Along the walks, we will talk with clients we see, pick up trash if need be, and greet other businesses or community members. It’s a new healthy habit for the staff here!
The Community Center along with Fam Spot, R.O.O.T., the United Steel Workers Union, and High Def Entertainment cleaned up Old Town Victorville on Saturday, April 2nd. It was such a great day! We even had Victorville City Councilmember, Liz Becerra, assisting with clean-up and taking loads to the dumpsite. When we come together we can make great changes in our community!
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We at Fam Spot have been working hard to get our outreach up and going. We are excited to announce that we are out in the streets meeting new young people 3 - 4 days a week. We have met a lot of new faces and have been able to connect them with many of the resources we offer. Several of them even started coming to Fam Spot for groups. Fam Spot asked and has listened to the youth about what groups/workshops they are wanting. We have groups in mindfulness, communication, financial literacy, and anger management. Fam Spot and No Drugs America will be hosting a youth resource fair in May. Date TBD. We host an LGBTQ+ support group once a month, along with a monthly BBQ and more.
Fam Spot enjoyed a beautiful and educational hike with our youth learning about our local Mojave desert plants.
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This month at My Place we are still growing stronger as a team, as we welcome new team members to help us support our at-risk youth. We continue to see a rise in youth attending school, group participation in groups like life skills. A big support for our at-risk youth has been one of our staff bringing her Husky that goes by the name “Ellie” to visit our youth. Ellie has been such a good support for our youth, she lets the youth cuddle her and she’s there as their comfort as you can see in the picture.
We are in the process of having another youth complete our program successfully. With the help of our staff, she was able to enroll in school and is excited to graduate this school year. The youth is soon to be 18 and with the proper resources My Place staff have provided, she is confident of achieving her goals. We, at My Place are so excited to see what the future has in store for this amazing young lady.
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Mark, a landlord, contacted our office in regards to the rental assistance for several of his tenants in Dec 2021. We were able to schedule an in-person appointment to assist him with the application and documents. As of April, the state has been able to pay the back rent for some of his tenants that were affected by COVID-19. Through the months we have been able to talk to Mark about the emergency housing voucher from the housing authority for survivors of domestic violence. We explained the program and he is willing to accept the voucher. This will help our residents who are in transitional housing and our shelters. In May he will have two apartments available for some of our residents who have been approved for their emergency vouchers. We are happy we can work with local landlords and make a difference together. |
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Tax season is in full swing, don’t forget Monday, April 18, 2022 is the deadline to file your taxes! Jobi at the Community Center has assisted over 40 individuals with self-preparation of their 2021 taxes, and we have given out 407 informational flyers to the community to educate them on the Cal EITC credit!
Do you have everything you need to prepare your taxes? Check below to see if you’re ready! If you have everything needed, and want to self-prepare, call or email Jobi for more assistance at 760-843-0701 or jobi@familyassist.org
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There’s A LOT happening at YAB in San Bernardino County! We’re doing:
- Social Media Planning,
- Legislative Research,
- Practice Telling Your Story to help your advocacy
- Prepping for a Virtual Hill Day educating Legislators in DC!
Not much homework, but a LOT of opportunities to get involved!! Tell your friends to register and join us!
Come check it out!
SB County Youth Advisory Board:
Wednesday afternoons at 4:30p (Get paid $15/meeting)
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We are currently hiring full and part time for this and other open positions.
Click here to see all of the open positions at Family Assistance Program:
If you are interested in applying for any of our open positions, email your resume to hr@familyassist.org
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Join over 40 local non-profits that are hiring in your area!
Do you want to work somewhere that is making a difference in your community? Your local no-profits are hiring!
Join us on Tuesday, May 3rd from 1-6pm at Courtyard by Marriott in Hesperia to meet with and apply for open positions!
Free entry! Large exhibit hall
Bring lots of resumes!
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COVID-19 VACCINE CONVERSATION |
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Why did you get vaccinated? People have many different reasons why they got the shot. Share your story on your social media and get paid for it. We are looking for volunteers to start the conversation about COVID-19 Vaccine. Earn up to $400 when people engage with your post.
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If you want to help the most at-risk members of your community, you can donate to Family Assistance Program:
If you are interested in donating items or anything other than a monetary donation you can email angela@familyassist.org
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THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS |
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