New Perspectives. New Opportunities. from the Community. for the Community
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New perspectives. New opportunities. From the community. For the community. Chicago Jobs Council Annual Report 2002-2003 Greetings CJC Board of Directors Membership Committee About CJC To all of you working to enhance the Locally, CJC brought into focus the 1 quality of life for unemployed and low- skills and professional needs of job devel- Joseph A. Antolin, Heartland Alliance for Trish DeJean The Chicago Jobs Council (CJC) is an Human Needs and Human Rights (Treasurer) income people and their families, con- opment staff. After many conversations Cheryl Francis organization that works with its mem- gratulations on a year’s worth of very with job developers and program man- Sue Augustus, Corporation for Supportive Sheryl Holman bers to ensure access to employment important work. To say it has been a agers, we launched a training series that Housing and career advancement opportunities Sheila Perkins Ttough year for us is an understatement. provided hundreds of frontline staff with Evelyn Brodkin, University of Chicago/School for people in poverty. Founded in 1981 We have all witnessed the impact of ris- industry information and new insights of Social Service Administration Kathleen Petefish (Chair) with 18 original members, CJC has ing poverty and unemployment rates, for working with disadvantaged jobseek- Edith Crigler, Chicago Area Project (President) Norma Polanco grown to include 100 community-based regressing federal policies and eroding ers, employers and one another. Our Helen Fosheé, Bethel New Life Sandra Watson-Smith organizations, civic groups, businesses funding sources. Yet we all realize that vision is to continue helping advance the and individuals committed to helping Cheryl Francis, Safer Foundation Laurel Wimpffen now more than ever community resi- skills and careers of the professionals disadvantaged Chicagoans gain access Mimi Gilpin, League of Women Voters dents need the services of community- whose work is critical to improving the Nominating Committee to the education and training they need based organizations. The Chicago Jobs livelihoods of the unemployed, their fam- Margie Gonwa, LEED Council, Inc. to enter the labor market, secure stable Sue Augustus Council responded by taking another ilies and their employers. (Secretary) employment at a living wage, and pur- Helen Fosheé look at our environment and began With an eye on the future, CJC has Dr. Kirk Harris, Family Support America sue sustainable careers. re-visioning—a process of re-assessing been engaged in a re-visioning process (Vice-President) Margie Gonwa CJC pursues its mission through threats, challenges and opportunities, with its members and other stakehold- Nonprofit organizations provide Sheryl Holman, Community Assistance Dr. Kirk Harris advocacy, applied research, public edu- and renewing our work through differ- ers about cultural and racial diversity in accessible employment and supportive Programs Wendy Pollack (Chair) cation and capacity-building initiatives ent responses and new strategies. the workforce. Next year, CJC will services that community residents need G. Sequane Lawrence, Youth Service Project focused on influencing the development Gregory Washington As of this writing, the debates shap- launch and participate in a Cultural to move out of poverty. To survive these J. William McVey, OAI, Inc. or reform of public policies and pro- ing the reauthorization of Temporary Competency and Employment Initiative challenging times and remain a viable Debra Walker Johnson grams. Our work is grounded in the Sheila Perkins, Project JOBS Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to assess organizational practices that link to the workforce delivery system, Kapila Wewegama perspectives of our members, who con- and the Workforce Investment Act either promote or hinder cultural and we encourage them to re-vision their Kathleen Petefish, Unicus Development Marta White tribute their expertise as direct service (WIA) continue to be mired in racial understanding among nonprofits’ programmatic and administrative strate- Services practitioners, advocates and researchers. Betty Willhoite Washington’s partisan politics. Over the own staff. This assessment will help CJC gies. We look forward to continuing our John Plunkett, Suburban Job Link Our efforts are also guided by the last year, we strengthened our advocacy maximize its advocacy role in respond- work with all of you. Corporation Staff results of demonstration projects that efforts on behalf of the poor and work- ing to policy issues related to occupa- Norma Polanco, Humboldt Park Economic Evelyn Diaz test innovative solutions to pressing ing poor by bringing our perspectives to tional segregation in the workplace. All the best, Development Corporation Director of Operations employment problems. By organizing the editorial pages of Chicago newspa- Administratively, CJC—with guidance members and other interested parties Wendy Pollack, National Center on Poverty Lisa Hampton pers, and in meetings on Capitol Hill from our Board—has tightened the Law Policy Associate around workforce development, welfare with our fellow advocates. proverbial belt and has begun reform, economic and community Shannon Stewart, The Employment Project Rose Karasti In Illinois, however, we are poised to re-visioning a financial infrastructure development issues, CJC fosters dia- Debra Walker Johnson, CTCNet Chicago Senior Policy Associate take on the new challenges and oppor- that will enhance CJC’s economic stabil- logue and cooperative strategies that tunities being afforded us with the elec- ity. CJC’s goal is to be a model of fiscal Gregory Washington, Grand Boulevard Vicky Nurre effect change. Federation Director of Marketing & Membership tion of a new Governor. CJC has always management and responsibility for our Robert E. Wordlaw had reasonable success in working with members and others struggling to stay Executive Director Sandra Watson-Smith, SWS & Associates Whitney Smith On the Cover Director of Policy past administrations, but Governor afloat as public and private funders bat- Kapila Wewegama, Management & Training CJC convenes its working group participants Blagojevich and his administrative lead- tle huge budget deficits and dwindling Consultant and Facilitator Robert E. Wordlaw and colleagues to discuss policy issues and Executive Director ers have raised our expectations. In con- returns on investments. Marta White, Marta White and Associates to develop strategies. Pictured here are (from front to back): Ernestine Derden, Kapila junction with our members and others, Wewegama, Anita Flores, Margaret Motes, we began re-visioning policies and pro- Emeritus Shamus Misek, Betty Willhoite, Andrew grams that could improve our welfare Anne Ladky, Women Employed Cusick, Marcia Medema, Tony Martin, and workforce delivery systems. Wendy Pollack, Lisa Hampton, Mimi Gilpin, Betty Willhoite, League of Women Voters Already, we have shared some of those John Plunkett, Meegan Bassett, Rod Wilson, recommendations with key members of Lois Synder, Reginold Jones, Sheryl Finance & Development Committee Holman, Robert Barnett, Luis Angomas, the Governor’s staff and cabinet. Joseph A. Antolin (Chair) Byron Hoppe and Greg Sills. Edith Crigler G. Sequane Lawrence J. William McVey John Plunkett FEDERAL POLICY 2 Challenges Our Vision ~ 3 We’ve Seen Prioritize the needs of • Investing in skills training; The number of poor • Rewarding efforts that move people to disadvantaged job seekers and self sufficiency; Americans grew for the local economies for Washington first time since the • Aligning the goals of the nation’s 1990s because of wages decision makers workforce programs; and lost in the latest economic downturn, • Increasing investments in building according to a Welfare reform. the workforce and creating new jobs. September 2002 U.S. CJC and other advocates hoped Congress would We leveraged these WIA recommen- Census Bureau report. reauthorize Temporary Assistance for Needy dations in testimony before the U.S. And the number of the Families (TANF) as a poverty reduction strategy Department of Labor. And through our nation’s unemployed before the legislation expired last September. As helped complete her career transition. advocacy around the House’s WIA reau- Marsha now is a nursing assistant on exceeded 8 million of late May, Congress extended but has not reau- thorization bill—HR 1261—we: Americans, many who thorized current law. Thanks to dedicated advo- the surgical floor. remained jobless for cates, the most detrimental proposals have not • Developed with Congressman Danny Most important, Marsha held on to record time periods. become law. Through advocacy and media rela- Davis an amendment that requires the ideals she held since she was young: At the same time, the tions, CJC, its members and friends helped call states to include in WIA implementa- keeping family close and being a care- Administration and legislators’ attention to the real issues facing their tion plans a strategy for addressing ex- giver, a dream sparked by her mother’s Congress placed poorest constituents, and; offenders’ employment needs. The sudden death when Marsha was 12. significant limits on amendment was one of the few that As an entry-level assistant, Marsha struggling families’ • Urged legislators to demand increased childcare passed. works the overnight shift—oftentimes 8 access to cash assis- pm to 8 am—while her brother James funding, expanded definitions of work activities, • Responded to major flaws in the tance, food stamps and stays