Volume 35 — Issue 6 ~ June 2018 Workforce Development Center Mayor Baraka Becomes First Newark 2020 Hub Deserves Our Support Editorial By Monsignor William J. Linder ewark Mayor Ras Baraka was successful in his bid for re-election May 8, defeating Central Ward CouncilwomanN Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins by receiving about 77 percent of the vote. I congratulate Baraka on his victory and I’m glad it was a clear cut win. We must support Baraka going forward in his second term. The mayor is very involved with the youth in our city and he has been for a good number of years. He was principal of Central High School from 2007 until 2013 when he decided to run for mayor the first time. He was responsible for many reforms there. The kids know him and they identify with him. Baraka is a Newark native and a product of the Newark Public Schools. He was a teacher when the district was first placed under state Newark 2020 Project Director Travis Reid explains the initiative to participants during the orientation at New control in 1995 after allegations of severe Community Workforce Development Center May 14. mismanagement. He ran for his first term in 2014 campaigning to take back local control of the public schools. ew Community Workforce Audible, Prudential, RWJBarnabas Health, NJIT, Development Center has become the Rutgers-Newark, Panasonic, United Airlines and After getting elected to his first term, Baraka first community hub of the Newark New Community Corporation. The employers worked with then Gov. Chris Christie on the N city’s education system. In June of 2015, Baraka 2020 initiative, which aims to connect 2,020 have agreed to hire a certain number of Newark and Christie jointly announced that the Newark Newark residents to employment that provides residents. public school system would transition back to family sustainable wages by the end of 2020. New Community Workforce Development city residents’ control through the creation of the As a hub, New Community Workforce Center is in a good position to prepare applicants Newark Educational Success Board, which was Development Center is responsible for reaching for jobs because as an accredited post-secondary tasked with setting benchmarks and developing out to individuals who signed up and submitted career and technical school, it offers programs a clear pathway to return of local authority. information through the Newark 2020 website, that help students receive certifications in their The Newark School Board regained full assessing their educational and professional field of study. local control of the school district Feb. 1 of this backgrounds and connecting them to employment “If a Newark 2020 applicant isn’t qualified year, more than two decades after the state first opportunities. for a job but is interested in training, we’ll be took over. Now city residents can feel like they “We are serving as the liaison between able to help them,” Brutton said. have a voice in the education of their children. Newark 2020 applicants and employers,” said Newark 2020 Project Director Travis Reid Baraka also expanded the city’s youth New Community Workforce Development said New Community Workforce Development employment program after taking office. Last Center Director Rodney Brutton. Center was chosen as the first community hub year, more than 2,700 young people participated Another part of being a community hub is based on the results of a competitive bidding in the program that sends youth to job sites providing employability skills training, helping process and subsequent follow-up interviews throughout Newark for about a month during the summer. That’s compared to 1,000 who candidates with resumes, practicing interviews with staff. Community hubs will help candidates were involved in 2014. and offering assistance in preparation for develop resumes, provide best-in-practice case employment opportunities. management to clients and facilitate effective Exposing young people to jobs and responsibilities early is a good thing. It keeps “We’re happy to have been selected as a matches between job seekers and employers. them busy and gets them thinking about their community hub,” Brutton said. “It’s exciting.” “New Community Corporation’s existing future. It also helps them learn about money Mayor Ras Baraka announced the Newark infrastructure and deep experience in workforce management in a practical way. 2020 initiative last year. It has support from a development led to their number one ranking in Mayor Baraka is a positive influence on the number of city employers, including Horizon a very competitive pool of respondents to our young people in Newark. The youth of our city Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, PSE&G, RFP,” Reid said. Continued on page 4 need that. 2 CLARION Volume 35 — Issue 6 ~ June 2018 The New Community Clarion Around The Network The New Community Clarion is published as a community service. The editor reserves the Thanking CHELC Teachers right to withhold articles and photographs once eachers at Community Hills Early Learning Center, 85 Irvine Turner Boulevard, Newark, were they are submitted. Opinions expressed in columns are those of the author and do not neces- celebrated May 8 for Teacher Appreciation Day with a lunch in their honor and certificates sarily represent the view of the newspaper. Trecognizing the good work they do. Publisher New Community Corporation 233 West Market Street, Newark, NJ 07103 973-623-2800 Editor, Writer and Photographer Michelle Lang Graphic Design and Layout RayZo Marketing, Inc. Sign-up for the e-clarion. Visit www.newcommunity.org Celebrating The Haitian Flag OUR MISSION range Senior, 132 William St., Orange, hosted Oa Haitian Flag Celebration May 18 in the To help residents of inner cities improve the Community Room. Residents enjoyed music, quality of their lives to reflect individual, dancing, food and prayer during the event. God-given dignity and personal achievement. New Community is recognized as: • The largest and most comprehensive community development organization in the United States • A large-scale deliverer of comprehensive programs and services • A leader in affordable housing and economic development • A model among non-profit, social entrepreneurship, and CDC communities • Having beneficial partnerships on the local, national, and global level. Honoring Volunteers Learning About ew Community Extended Care Facility held a dinner for its volunteers April 18 at the nursing Buying A Home home, located at 266 South Orange Ave., Newark. Extended Care Administrator Veronica NOnwunaka spoke at the event. Volunteers received certificates from Director of Activities Elizabeth Brookins and Director of Social Services Avril Cunningham. Photos courtesy of Sister Elizabeth Lima. Financial Access Educator Crystal Moon-Boulware speaks with employees of New Community Workforce Development Center about the home-buying process. ew Community Workforce NDevelopment Center employees got some insight into the process of obtaining a mortgage to purchase a home. Crystal Moon-Boulware, who works for Capital One Bank as a financial access educator, discussed what goes into getting a mortgage and being able to buy a home Extended Care Administrator Veronica Onwunaka welcomes when she visited the school May 4. the volunteers to the nursing home during the dinner held in their honor. Volume 35 — Issue 6 ~ June 2018 CLARION 3 EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH: Migdalia Serrano me stronger and more dedicated in my job.” Family Service Bureau Executive Director Manuela Garcia says Serrano is an asset to the organization. “She runs the office and she does a great job at it,” Garcia said. “She really cares for the patients and advocates for them.” Serrano was born in the Bronx, N.Y., and moved to Puerto Rico when she was 7 or 8 years old. She came to New Jersey when she was 19, settling in the north side of Newark. Five years ago, she moved to Kearny. She lives just a few blocks from her office and walks to and from work each day. Serrano had 17 years of food service experience under her belt before coming to work for FSB. She spent 12 years at Hoffmann-La Roche and worked in food service at the federal building in Newark as well. She decided to attend Essex County College to get her associate degree and certificates. She had always wanted to be a secretary and achieved that goal after graduating from Essex County College. She started working at the Family Service Bureau in Newark working from 1 to 9 p.m. and later transferred to the Kearny Migdalia Serrano has worked for the Family Service Bureau for 11 years. location, where she works 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Serrano is responsible for a variety of tasks, including answering phones, t’s easy to see that Migdalia Serrano enjoys her job as the administrative managing charts and doctor files, scheduling appointments and generating reports assistant at the Family Service Bureau office in Kearny. She greets those for the state and the agency. Iwho walk through the door with a smile and knows all 300 clients by name. “Every day can be something different,” she said. “It can be overwhelming but “I love my people here,” Serrano said. “I always give them a warm welcome. I love what I do.” I care.” When Serrano isn’t at work, she likes to cook and clean and loves watching TV Serrano has an understanding of mental illness, which she honed after starting at night. She also attends church on Sundays. work at the Family Service Bureau 11 years ago. After interacting with many of the She’s grateful for the experiences she’s had working at the Family Service agency’s clients, she was able to recognize the symptoms of mental illness in her Bureau, particularly being able to recognize her mother’s condition.