We are pleased to announce that we have received $144,000 from the City of Portland’s Social Equity & Educational Development (SEED) Grant Fund!
Read the full story in the Skanner!
Worksystems is one of six local organizations receiving SEED funding from revenues generated from Portland’s recreational marijuana sales tax.
The funds will be used to serve an additional 30 people in the Justice Involved Portlanders Initiative (Initiative), which provides occupational training to prepare for middle-skill jobs, rent assistance to help training participants retain housing, and job placement assistance to help formerly incarcerated get back on their feet and on a path to self-sufficiency. An estimated 75% of those who will be served will likely be African American and/or Native American.
Stable housing makes it 38% more likely that a participant will complete training
The Initiative is a collaboration between Worksystems and several community partners including A Home for Everyone, Central City Concern, Constructing Hope, Human Solutions, IRCO, Latino Network, Multnomah County Department of Community Justice, Oregon Tradeswomen, POIC and SE Works. We are working together to align workforce development and housing services to break the cycle of release from incarceration and immediate homelessness due to lack of employment.
