Waneka Johnson is over our Career Training and Ready to Work Lab. She has been working with the Dannon Project for 2 years. It is very interesting how she joined our team. After completing her bachelor's degree with the University of Alabama at Huntsville, she moved back to Birmingham. She was looking for a job where she could continue to serve those who are under served as she did while she was in college. She was a friend of a current employee and came to TDP's office to use our computer lab services and was introduced to Kerri Pruitt, our Executive Director. Kerri, after speaking with her for a few moments, asked for Waneka's resume and immediately interviewed her for an opportunity with the Dannon Project. Waneka has been an asset to the team since. She is a team player, dedicated and reaches out a helping hand to anyone who needs it. 

 

She was hired as the Career Management Specialist to provide education, career counseling, job readiness and life skills training at our Success Lab where participants are able to obtain job readiness/training and educational skills and certifications to enable them to seek and gain employment. Much of the Dannon Project's employment and educational success comes from this lab. We have served over 400 participants in our lab thus far.

 

This organization has made a dynamic impact on not only the participants in the program, but the community as well. Waneka says, "This program has given individuals the opportunity at life again, while allowing them to also rebuild confidence in themselves. The Dannon Project is blessed beyond measure and it will continue to bless anyone who seeks to take part in it."

We are excited to welcome Pat Collier, the newest addition to our team. As the Job Placement Specialist, Pat works along side TDP team to implement strategies and activities that will support our achievement of 100% employment for all of our participants in 2011. Pat's efforts allow us to expand the individualized services we provide all participants. As a professional in the staffing industry, Pat will assist us in enhancing the career and employment services provided to our youth and adult participants.  Not only will she continue to build relationships with the business community to assist them in understanding the benefits and incentives for hiring our participants but also assist them in screening, hiring and retaining participants who are ready to work. Pat will also work with participants in the Success Opportunities Lab to assess skills and teach interviewing skills and provide ongoing one on one coaching to increase their confidence to sell their skills and abilities to employers. She will also assist participants with their job search and link them to companies who are currently hiring in areas where they have the skills to succeed on the job. Pat stated, "Watching the love and commitment that TDP staff have for the participants leaves me with no doubt that the sky is the limit for TDP and GREAT things are to come."

El McDonald joined our team in 2010 and instantly began making positive efficiency changes to increase our overall agency effectiveness. El's many years of management and customer service experience makes him excellent as Housing Coordinator and Office Manager. One of the programs he oversees is the HPRP program that provides housing, case management and support for community residents to prevent homelessness and provide rapid re-housing. For participants who move from transitional housing they are often able to receive services through the program. The housing services assists individuals who may have been impacted by job loss to get back in the workforce thereby reinforcing and supporting the community by avoiding the immediate and long-term effects and impact of homelessness by ensuring residents can continue to afford their basic housing need. El stated, "Ultimately, TDP's focus and priority on serving the community has a positive generational impact on it's citizens by preventing violence and at-risk behaviors leading to unemployment, incarceration, and recidivism as well as eliminating the devastating generational effects of cyclical poverty and economic exclusion."

Vanessa served as a volunteer before coming on board with the Dannon Project in 2009 as the reentry coordinator/senior case manager.  She acknowledges that the simplicity and sincerity of The Dannon Project 's mission statement attracted her to get involved with The Dannon Project. She volunteered to assist the agency with its second Party for A Purpose fundraiser in 2008.  Shortly afterward she got her first taste of the reentry program when she helped find housing for an inmate that needed a housing plan before he could be released from prison. In 2009, Vanessa joined the Dannon Project full time to serve as the Reentry Coordinator/Senior Case Manager after TDP received its first major grant from The Department of Labor.

 

Vanessa has worked over 30 years in educational and community-based programs to help youth and adults reach their potential. She views her work with The Dannon Project as more than a job.  "When God allows us to become involved in someone's life, it's for a purpose. It has moved beyond a job and has become a mission.  Her overall life goal is to be an instrument in which God will use to bring others to a full understanding of their purpose. The Dannon Project is the conduit to help restore hope in many people that for whatever reasons may have lost their way. She sees the Dannon Project as a world-class social service center that is service oriented and vision focused and results bound to give hope that ultimately leads to lifestyle changes that will spur individuals to become truly self-sufficient. 

 

The Dannon Project offers the most fundamental approach in changing lives --- that is, first treating everyone with dignity and respect and taking the time to listen to each person's story and concerns. Then, making a commitment to walk alongside an individual to put practical tools such as enrichment, education and training and supportive services in place that address some basic needs to help the person find their way to self-sufficiency. This is the very essence of the Dannon Project's mission statement: "One mission, One Life at A Time". Vanessa is recognized as the "Reentry Lady".
 

Rhonda Wood

My name is Lisa Cole. I began working for the Dannon Project as a case manager for our first re-entry program over three years ago. In 2009, I was hired full time as a case manager for the DOLETA PRI program. In January 2010, I transferred from the re-entry program to become the Program Coordinator for the Dannon Project's Youth Allied Health Training program. This is a vital program to the mission of the Dannon Project. The Youth Allied Health Care Training program funded in part by the Jefferson County WIA grant offers career alternatives to help deter youth crime and give youth, males and females, ages 18-21, options and opportunities for achieving a rewarding career. 
 

My experience as a re-entry case manager helped me become more determined to help participants, who are enrolled in the Career Training program, receive the training and skills they need to become employed, in hopes of steering them away from crime. While serving as a re-entry case manger, I heard many participants say after they were released from prison "If they had only had help when they were younger, they would have made different choices." The youth training program offers job readiness, life skills training, financial literacy training, community service, occupational training opportunities and much more to help focus participants to plan for success. Training is key to success and we offer certification training with our partners whereby participants can receive state certifications in 1) Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.), 2) Phlebotomy Tech, 3) EKG Tech, and 4) Pharmacy Tech, coupled with effective case management which is essential in helping students to overcome barriers and implement their success plans. I am able to assist in shaping and changing the lives of our participants and that is the most rewarding aspect of my job. The Dannon Project is making dreams come true for so many youth and I am excited to be a part of the solution - it is a rewarding place to be.

Dr. Kimberly Leslie Patton, owner of Leslie Patton and Associates is a TA Consultant to TDP and she also teaches in the Success Lab RTW program and the JC-WIA Pathways Out of Poverty class. She enjoys working with the participants to challenge them to achieve their divine appointments with destiny, which includes identifying, their hopes, dreams, and challenges and creating pathways to overcome barriers to achieve the desired future. She has provided Technical Assistance and facilitation services to numerous federal programs over the past 20 years and has a national reputation for assisting clients to overcome crisis, challenges and issues that would prevent them from achieving their goals and objectives within time line and budget restrictions. She also facilitates focus groups and presents at local, state and national conferences receiving compliments for her impactful, inspirational style making information easy to understand, motivating for immediate change for those who truly want to achieve success.

 

Mary Flanagan is our Job Development Specialist. She has experience in sales and a degree in Human Resource Management. She was looking to get back into the workforce after being at home with her daughter. She spoke with the executive director, Kerri Pruitt, about the Job Development position and felt it would allow her the opportunity to not only utilize the education and experience that she had, but at the same time be a part of a growing organization with a mission of helping to serve the people in our community. Her primary responsibility is to engage businesses and organizations to provide our participants with employment opportunities. She also schedules monthly mock interviews to assist participants to gain the feedback needed to successfully prepare for job interviews where they have the confidence to sell their skills and experience. She also coordinates bi-monthly job fairs where businesses and staffing agencies interview participants for available jobs. She said, "I believe God's hand is all over The Dannon Project. I believe that the over-all approach of the organization is to help lift up our brothers and sisters and show the love and mercy of God to all of His children. I believe that there is no greater revelation of God than His forgiveness to us for our wrongs. He shows this to us by supporting us daily despite our past, by giving us His promise in Jeremiah 29:11, saying, 'For I know the thoughts I think towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future'...And this is in turn what The Dannon Project offers to it's participants."