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Leadership students create program to help homeless find jobs, housing
Prior to attending the University, Lauren Johanson of Camarillo, Calif., and Jill Fasching of Mount Joy, Pa., never seriously thought about social justice issues. Now the two seniors are responsible for developing a program that has measurably reduced homelessness in Richmond. Their creation, titled Project Strive, has so far helped nearly 100 homeless men and women develop job readiness skills, obtain jobs and, for many of them, move into permanent shelter. It began with a class, "Analyzing and Making Policy," which the two students took as sophomores in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. "The focus of that class and of the leadership school that year was on homelessness," explained Johanson. As a project, they looked at the inherent problems of day labor pools, traditional sources of employment for the homeless. When the leadership school hosted a summit on homelessness later in the year, they presented their plan. Peter Prizzio, executive director of The Daily Planet, a service provider for the homeless, was in the audience and approached them afterward, beginning a dialog that resulted in The Daily Planet scrapping its existing vocational program and replacing it with Project Strive. "We really had people willing to work with us and consider us peers in the project," said Fasching, who added that they also had to meet with the board of The Daily Planet, as well as members of Homeward, a coordinating body for homeless services in Richmond, and business leaders "to convince them of the merits of the program." Project Strive combines education with job training to give the homeless the skills needed to obtain employment. Participants can earn a GED; learn how to fill out employment applications, interview and dress appropriately for work; complete a paid internship at The Daily Planet; and obtain a job. They are required to save part of any money they earn during the program to go toward a down payment on a room or apartment. The success of Project Strive became apparent when The Daily Planet received a $226,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement the program on a permanent basis. In a trial period, Prizzio said, 90 of 97 people who started the program became employed. After 30 days, 68 percent were still working and of those, he said, 70 percent had moved into permanent housing. One Project Strive graduate is Joseph Henry, a house painter who moved to Richmond from Baltimore. After becoming homeless in Richmond, he tried working, but ended up angry, hungry and cold most of the time. "When you think you don't have nothing to offer, you're kinda lost before you get started," he said. He heard about The Daily Planet and came for help. His case manager recommended that he try Project Strive, and after completing the program, he obtained employment with a painting contractor, moved into a townhouse and bought a car. Henry's goal is to maintain being self-supportive. "There's nothing like making it on your own," he said. Penny Dortch agrees. She is still in the program, and has set her sights on being manager of a fast-food restaurant. A convicted felon and recovering addict, she has had many obstacles to overcome. "When I first became homeless, I didn't know which way to go," she said. "I have little to no education. I thought the doors were shut for me. Now I have my goals in order. Project Strive let me know that there are still opportunities out there for me." She would like to meet Johanson and Fasching to thank them. "They let me know that it's not over." That is the kind of comment that makes the long hours of work worthwhile for the students. "Having been involved in the Jepson School and specifically having worked with an amazing group of people on Project Strive, I will graduate with an entirely different perspective on the world around me," said Johanson. Fasching also learned valuable lessons from Project Strive. "I was given the unique opportunity to experience a piece of the public policy process that students usually only read about in textbooks," she said. "In the future, I hope to pursue a career that encourages creative problem solving and that allows me to participate actively in the community." Their professor, Dr. Thomas Shields, is justifiably proud of their work. "The real application of leadership studies begins when the students get their hands dirty in helping our local community," he said. "In terms of academic learning, Lauren and Jill were excellent students, but they also learned that the ideal of moral leadership occurs through action. Project Strive embodied the mission of Jepson--to educate people for and about leadership." -- Linda Evans |
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