Make It Work, Savannah Step Up Savannah 2014 Annual Report in 2014 2,495 individuals served to date in 2014 through 164 financial capability activities 427 individuals assisted in applying for SNAP since 2009 5,895 Bank On accounts opened since 2009 $1,951,681 Funds brought to Savannah to fight poverty since 2009 Make It Work, Savannah $23,850 annual income for a family of four considered to be living in poverty 2014 $34,888 median household income in Savannah Because In Savannah 26.6% poverty rate
Transcript
Make It Work, SavannahStep Up Savannah 2014 Annual Report
in2014
2,495individuals served to date in 2014 through
164 financial capability activities
427individuals assisted in applying for SNAP
since2009
5,895Bank On accounts opened since 2009
$1,951,681Funds brought to Savannah to fight
poverty since 2009
Make It Work, Savannah
$23,850annual income for a family of four considered to be living in poverty 2014
$34,888median household income in Savannah
Because In Savannah
26.6%poverty rate
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 21 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
Change: Without it we’d wither and expire. But it sure can be uncomfortable. Step Up Savannah has been going through its share of change, and discomfort, this year.
Early in 2014 we learned from our founding director, Daniel Dodd-Ramirez, that he’d accepted a
new position and would be leaving in March. His announcement set into motion a chain of events that we’re honestly still working to accommodate. But after a national search for a new director that produced more than 130 applications, the board’s search committee landed on yours truly. And while I’ve had the great fortune to be employed for seven years with Step Up, to say it’s different in the leadership position is an understatement.
Still, our small staff along with Step Up’s stellar board of directors and partner organizations has not missed a beat and continues to make great strides in our community. Here are just a few:
• 2,495 individuals participated in financial literacy events, workshops and/or were coached, just through June;
• Almost 700 bank accounts were opened under the steady hand of Holden Hayes, Banking Taskforce chairman, through the Bank On Savannah effort;
• Our Chatham Apprentice Program re-shaped itself into the E3: Educate, Empower, Employ job-readiness training that’s on its way to serving 100 adult men and women with a nearly 50 percent employment rate. (This, despite losing our former CAP Manager this spring to the City, searching for a new manager, and hiring Isaac Felton, who was CAP Coordinator, followed by yet another search for a new coordinator. Talisha Crooks accepted that position in Sept.);
• Step Up and its partners, St. Mary’s Community Center, Centro Hispano de Savannah (an emerging non-profit serving Span-ish-language clients), Savannah Technical Center and the United Way, and MedBank Foundation, screened 942 individuals for public benefits such as SNAP (known as food stamps), and assisted 427 who applied for SNAP and 345 with renewals, through June.
Along the way, Step Up and Consumer Credit Counseling Service have been widely recognized at the Clinton Global Initiative held in June in Denver for our public commitment to enhance the provision of workplace-based financial education and to develop and pilot a workplace-based small dollar loan. Our financial ed workshops and one-on-one coaching model, funded by the FINRA Investor Ed-ucation Foundation, are also leading to the creation of a toolkit that other organizations could use with employers willing to assist their lower-wage workers in this important area.
Even more delightful was the $10,000 prize this work was awarded by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) at its na-tional conference in Washington, D.C. in Sept. Step Up and CCCS split the prize money and we intend to use its portion to jumpstart the small-dollar loan idea.
Step Up even ventured into a new arena of work this summer. With our government partners and the Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council, we submitted a compelling business plan to increase the numbers of children and families by Dec. 2015 who are enrolled in the public health insurance programs, Right from the Start Medicaid and PeachCare. Savannah is honored to be one of just 8 cities around the U.S. who received a grant from the National League of Cities. You can read more about the initiative in this annual report.
Going forward, Step Up’s board and partners will be engaged in strategic planning to focus our poverty reduction efforts in the next one to three years. While our local economy is strengthening, job growth has been primarily in lower-wage hospitality and service organizations, plus business services. Pay is stagnant nationally and Georgia is no exception in that area. Meanwhile, a workforce study issued this spring by SEDA, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and the United Way highlighted ongoing concerns of area em-ployers about the quality of our local workforce. Addressing some of these issues in such a way that keeps our low-income adults top of mind is a key challenge in our community.
Reflecting on Step Up Savannah’s agenda and efforts over the last year I’m humbled and amazed at what we’ve been able to accom-plish, and even where we’ve stumbled. The city’s Advisory Committee has not managed to find a meaningful source of public revenue to fund our city’s Affordable Housing Fund, and we have not yet discovered a viable alternative loan product to compete with car title loans, though not for lack of trying. Despite the slow progress on these fronts, I’m encouraged by our community’s ongoing commit-ment to keep chipping away. Partners such as Georgia Legal Services Program regularly inspire me.
We are an organization in transition and while I find myself getting caught in the weeds more than I’d like some days, I feel privileged to play a role in our organization’s transition and in making change in our community.
Suzanne Donovan
The Director’s Perspective
In 2014, Step Up Savannah with the City of Savannah and the Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council and its partners embarked on an ambitious project: to reduce by half the number of children in our county who are not covered by health insurance. With a major grant from the Nation-al League of Cities, we are now on our way.
The $250,000 grant funds the Campaign for Healthy Children and Families, an innovative new program whose goal is to boost the number of eligible children and families enrolled in Right from the Start Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids by the end of 2015. Our strategy is to assist
families with enrolling, and staying enrolled in public health insurance programs, by reaching them at schools, clinics and public events. Enrollment assistance is now being provided at five
key community centers, the federally qualified health clinics, and to the homeless through a mobile enroller. The program also supports Saturday wellness programs at public schools and outreach via social media.
Of Chatham County’s roughly 60,000 children 18 and under, more than 30% live below the poverty line. At the time the grant was awarded in July, as many as 5,493 children in the county had no health insurance, though the vast majority of them, 4,559, were eligible under these existing public programs. This puts these children at risk for preventable diseases, burdens families fi-nancially and increases costs to hospitals and taxpayers as families depend on emergency room visits for routine care. The outreach focuses on families with older children and on Hispanic families, two groups with particularly low enrollment in public insurance programs.
Savannah was one of eight cities selected by the National League of Cities. Step Up along with the Safety Net Planning Council produced the successful proposal, which relies on the 3-1-1 call center as the central referral source as well as key city departments working hand-in-hand with community organi-zations to provide a single on-going focal point for enrollment, something the city has lacked.
Laurie Flynn
Our Kids Health: What Matters MostNew Grant offers Help to Uninsured Youth
In 2014 the CWF Network gained momentum and its partners built capacity: • Active network members now include 11 organizations in addition to Step
Up: Centro Hispano de Savannah, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS), Eastside Concern Citizens, Inc., Heads-Up Guidance Service (HUGS), Harambee House, Moses Jackson Advancement Center, St. Mary’s Community Center, Savannah Technical College Adult Education and Special Populations programs, United Way e-CONNECT program (Effingham County), Wesley Community Centers, and West Broad Street YMCA.
• Eight of these partner organizations have received capacity-building grants from Step Up (Kresge Foundation funds) in 2013 and 2014, with impressive results in each case. A total of $92,500 has been provided to date in grants.
• Our partners also have increased their collaborative efforts. Two examples of ongoing partnerships are: (i) Step Up/Chatham Apprentice Program work with West Broad Street YMCA, the Moses Jackson Family Advancement Center, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, the Housing Authority of Savannah, and Savannah Tech to offer workforce training programs at these locations; and (ii) CCCS and HUGS are providing financial education and counseling (respectively) to workforce training programs of other partners.
Centers for Working Families strengthened by Kresge funds
About 5,493 children in Chatham Co. do not have health insurance
Supporting Organizations
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 43 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
E3 The Chatham Apprentice Program/E3 is a job readiness training that focuses on employability skills. E3, which stands for “Educate, Empower, Employ,” is a redesign of the Chatham Apprentice Program. The refreshed program teaches “soft” or employability skills, financial literacy, behavioral counseling, and basic reading, writing, and math skills. The counseling is offered by Heads up Guidance Service (HUGS), which plays a critical role in the training; many participants that CAP serves need some guidance and support in addressing issues that keep them from succeeding in the workplace.
The financial literacy workshops add real value to the training. CAP serves individuals who are often struggling to meet their financial goals. Consumer Credit Counseling Service financial educators teach CAP participants how to create a budget, check their credit, understand the credit score and correct errors on their reports. It can seem overwhelming to maintain a budget
when finances are limited, so the focus is on creating SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) for each individual. CAP has served over 600 participants since its inception and has served over 100 participants from 2013 to Sept. 2014.
CAP would not be possible without the support of the following: Chatham County Commissioners, the United Way of the Coastal Empire, Bank of America Foundation, Gulfstream, and these partners, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, The City of Savannah, The Polote Corporation, Krogers, Thunderbolt Marine Inc., Waffle House, Savannah Technical College, West Broad Street YMCA, Moses Jackson Family Advancement Center, IKEA Distribution Center, and the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.
Isaac Felton
On January 15, 2014, Octavian Moore stepped out of the Sumter County Correctional Institute in Americus, having just served a 10-month sentence for aggravated assault. At 27 years old, his life lay ahead of him, yet he had no idea what to do with it.
“After my release I could not find a job anywhere and thought that I had ruined my chance of having a successful future or being able to take care of myself,” Moore said, who moved back to his hometown of Savannah after his release.
His mother told him about the Chatham Apprenticeship Pro-gram/E3, offered by Step Up. When he was accepted he felt like he’d been given a second chance.
“I needed some guidance on what to do and how to get my life back in order,” Moore said.
He found that and more in CAP/E3, which stands for Educate, Empower and Employ. Launched in late 2013, the program is the latest version of the CAP job skills training program that was first rolled out in 2006. The newly redesigned program focuses on making participants fully job-ready by adding a counseling component, a thorough assessment process and even financial literacy counseling, according to Isaac Felton, Chatham Appren-tice Program manager.
CAP/E3 has held five two-week-long classes since the be-ginning of the year and has seen 56 participants complete the program. Of those, 28 have found employment, and Step Up is continuing to work with those graduates who have not. Since its inception eight years ago, CAP has helped more than 600 employed or underemployed residents, Isaac said.
The program helped Octavian apply for jobs, enrolled him in an 8-week accelerated job training program at Savannah Tech and even taught him how to present himself in a job interview. Of all
the pieces of the program, Octavian points to the day of practic-ing going to job interviews as particularly helpful. Most impor-tantly, he said, the instructors in CAP helped him understand what he was doing wrong in his job search.
Two months after completing the CAP/E3 training, Octavian was working as a fry cook at a popular seafood restaurant, a job he enjoys that also gives him the opportunity to continue taking
classes at Savannah Technical College. He has his own apartment. Eventually, he says, he’d like to have a job cutting hair, something he has been doing for friends and family for nearly 18 years, and plans to get his GED. None of this, he said, would have been possible without the skills and confidence he gained through CAP/E3.
Laurie Flynn
For six years, Sarah Phillips worked as a customer service repre-sentative for an international medical supply company, a job she enjoyed. Her managers gave her glowing reviews, describing her as hardworking and dedicated. They said they liked her attitude.
But in March she returned from vacation to discover she had been demoted without any warning. Neither her supervisor nor the owner of the company would give her an explanation, nor were they willing to give her the training she needed to succeed in the new job. She’d seen this happen to colleagues in the past when the company needed to downsize. Still, she forged ahead, quickly earning high marks at her first review. That very same day, she was fired.
Sarah was devastated. With a 9-year old at home, her family depended on her income, and Sarah had liked the work. Not having a job quickly made her feel isolated, like she was “floating around,” she said. Soon her family started to get behind on bills. She spent every day searching job boards but found little she was qualified to do.
During a visit to Goodwill’s Job Connection Center she heard about Step Up’s Chatham Apprenticeship Program/E3. Before long she was admitted to the class, where she was exposed to employment experts, consultants and community leaders. Sarah
felt she was finally moving forward.“You have to surround yourself with positive people, and that’s
what I did through CAP,” Sarah said. “Before that I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
For Sarah, the most valuable part of CAP/E3 training was learning how to deal with conflict at work, including the kind of situation she’d encountered at her last job. She also brushed up on her office skills, which would expand her options. And she set long-term goals for herself, including going back to school. Through CAP/E3 she learned about various ways to finance her education.
But the most important thing that came out of Sarah’s CAP/E3 experience was a job she loves. Within a few weeks of finishing the program, she was offered a position as operations assistant at the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, an organization she learned about from one of the many speakers at her CAP/E3 training. Thanks to CAP/E3, Sarah says, she had the right skills and attitude for the job.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for CAP,” she said. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it on my own. I probably would still be looking for work.”
Laurie Flynn
CAP creates second chances The right skills and attitude for the job
Chatham Apprentice Program
E3 zeroes in on job-readiness skillsWorkforce Development
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 65 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) By The Numbers
Total Savings to Taxpayers using VITA Services
$1,486,200*
*the number of returns prepared, at the average cost of a paid preparer ($300)
Total Number of Returns Prepared
4,954Number of VITA Sites:
11 community sites 8 mobile sites
Total Dollar Amount of EITC Refund
$3,747,241
Total Dollar Amount of Federal Refund
$7,840,444
Number of community volunteers: 87
Savannah Coastal Empire Asset Development Association (SCEADA)
The Savannah Coastal Empire Asset Development Coalition unites every year, led by Neighborhood Improvement Association , which runs the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. These free tax preparation services are for families with incomes of $58,000 or less. Volunteers are IRS trained and certified to prepare and e-file state and federal tax returns. The program seeks to serve low- and moderate-income taxpayers to ensure they are accessing all of the tax credits they qualify for, such as the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This year in Savannah the coalition operated 11 VITA sites, one facilitated self-service site, 8 mobile sites and myfree-taxes.com, where individuals were able to prepare their own tax returns online. The data presented here represents taxes filed January to April 2014.
Free tax prep services brings more dollars into local economy
The City of Savannah was selected by the Na-tional League of Cities as one of five cities to pilot an innovative intervention to assist residents with debt to municipal water utili-ties, called the “LIFT Up” program. LIFT Up stands for “Local Interventions for Financial Empowerment Through Utility Payments”. Step Up is working with the City’s Utility Services Department and Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Savannah Area, Inc. (CCCS) to design and test a program that allows residents with $150-$500 over-due water/sewer balances to enter into a three-month payment arrangement to pay their debt down and prevent shut-off of their water service. Participants also must attend a budgeting session with CCCS in order to remain on the program. As an incentive, a $50 credit is placed on participants’ accounts if they complete their payment plan and attend the budgeting session. In addi-
tional, participants are given water conservation kits from the City’s Water Resources Bureau.
The pilot program launched in March of this year and will continue enrolling participants until October 31. The goal is for each city to enroll 100 participants, who will be monitored over time by the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin to test the effects of the intervention. This program is still only in pilot phase and thus has only been offered to selected residents meeting certain criteria. Thus far, 20 individuals have successfully completed the program, but results are still prelimi-nary. Step Up and partners look forward to reporting on the final results of this pilot in 2015.
Piloting interventions to address consumers’ utility debt
The beginning of 2014 marked the start of implementing a sec-ond workplace-based financial education project in partnership with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Savannah Area, Inc. (CCCS). This project, funded again by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, focuses on providing a comprehensive array of services for lower-wage workers and participants of workforce development programs. Step Up and CCCS have been providing on-site financial education with local employer part-ners for a number of years, and have begun to enhance this work by adding on-site individual financial counseling and developing a financial coaching program. Additionally, Step Up is work-ing with the Filene Research Institute to develop and pilot an employer-based small-dollar loan. Employers involved include: DIRTT Environmental Solutions, IKEA Distribution Center, the City of Savannah, Chatham County, Coastal Health District, Strength of Nature, Goodwill Industries, Senior Citizens, Inc. and Chatham County DFCS.
This project also has received national attention recently. In February, Robyn Wainner, Step Up’s Asset Building & Financial Empowerment Director, was invited by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to speak on a panel at a field hearing focused specifically on workplace-based financial education. In June, Robyn and John Wills, President of CCCS, were invited to par-ticipate in the Clinton Global Initiative’s “CGI America” meeting in Denver, Colorado. This involved making a “Commitment to Action” as part of a national working group on “Financial Oppor-tunity”, and Robyn and John both got to meet President Clin-ton. Robyn and Richard Reeve, CCCS’ Director of Financial Education, were also invited to participate in a special workgroup with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and United Way Worldwide to help develop a toolkit that will assist other com-
munities to implement workplace-based financial education. Finally, in September Step Up and CCCS were honored by
the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) when they won its Platforms for Prosperity contest in the “Where We Work” category. The honor earned the organizations a $10,000 prize, which Robyn and Richard Reeve, CCCS’ Director of Financial Education, accepted at CFED’s Assets Learning Conference in Washington, DC. Step Up and CCCS will use the prize money to challenge employers and local financial institutions to take the next step in creating a low-interest employer-based loan that allows employees in need to access emergency funds instead of turning to high-interest loans.
Robyn Wainner
Bank On Savannah was launched in 2009 by Step Up’s Banking Taskforce, partnering with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve and the City of Savannah, and now counts nine participating banks. Chaired for the last two years by Holden Hayes, South State Bank, Bank On Savannah has exceeded its goals to open no or low-cost accounts and works to connect consumers with financial literacy resources. In 2013 1,136 Bank On Savannah accounts were opened; as of the second quarter of 2014, almost 700 accounts had been opened.
You’ve been selected by the City of Savannah to participate in LIFT-UP, a program designed to help you get back on track with your water bill.
Utility Services DepartmentBroughton Municipal Building, 132 E. Broughton StreetSavannah, GAHours: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm, M-F(912) 651-6460
Don’t lose out on your $50 credit. Only a limited number can participate - bring this postcard down to the Utility Services Dept. to SIgn UP now! Questions? Call Customer Service (912) 651-6460 and ask about the LIFT-UP Program.
How to participate:1. Visit the Utility Services Department at the Broughton Municipal Building to sign up2. Pay only 1/4 of your outstanding debt upon enrollment
Benefits of the program:• on your bill • Keep your water service on• Easy reduced payment plan for overdue balance• Free one-on-one financial advice
$50credit =
A big year for financial capability at the workplacebuilding Wealth
SAVANNAHSAVANNAH
Bank on Savannah
Bank On accounts opened in 2013
1,136 accounts opened as of 3rd Quarter 2014
673
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 87 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
The Step Up Board charges its Policy Committee with recom-mending the organization’s policy agenda, as well as educating the full board on the issues, and actions it can take. The committee has been working in three main issue areas: (1) identifying and re-moving obstacles to eligible families applying for and maintaining public benefits; (2) reviewing small-dollar loan products available to low- to moderate-income consumers and the products’ effects on individuals’ ability to escape poverty; and (3) enhancing the availability of affordable housing in Savannah.
Each of these issues is complex and requires understanding the systems and markets they operate in order to propose reasonable recommendations and ideas that have a chance for consideration. This year, progress has been made on all fronts, although, as the expression goes, the wheels of change are slow--particularly since Step Up lacks staff specifically dedicated to its policy education and advocacy efforts.
Step Up is engaged statewide and locally in both SNAP (the food stamp program) and public health insurance programs for children. Step Up staff and partners participate regularly in work-groups that include local advocates, Department of Family & Children Services (DFCS) caseworkers, and Department of Hu-man Services (DHS) policymakers. Participants meet bi-monthly with Savannah area advocates and caseworkers to review statewide policy changes and gauge their impact on local applicants. Staff and partners also conference with statewide food stamp groups that focus independently on 1) communications between DFCS and its customers, 2) state policy issues, 3) issues that directly affect customers whose first language is not English, and 4) se-nior-specific issues. Monitoring of major state changes in the food stamps program, including the implementation of Georgia One (DHS’s new business model for DFCS offices), the roll-out of the Employment and Training Program for able-bodied food stamp recipients, fraud monitoring, and customer service issues is also being conducted.
Committee members also are regularly informed about devel-opments in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s adverse action contemplated against Georgia’s SNAP program and the lawsuit against DHS pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Melanie K. v. Horton, filed by the National Center for Law & Economic Justice.
A grant received by the City of Savannah, Step Up and its partner, Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council, to engage organizations in dramatically increasing the numbers of children and families enrolled in Right fromt the Start Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids, two public health insurance programs, has pushed staff to learn another system of public benefits. In addition to boosting the numbers of children enrolled in these public health insurance programs, the Campaign for Healthy Kids will help staff better understand the procedural and policy barriers that have kept these valuable benefits so under-utilized in Georiga.
During the last 12-18 months, staff has undertaken in-depth review of title pawn products offered in Georgia with an eye toward giving consumers less onerous options. Too many indi-viduals wind up in serious debt using car title loans, which are sold as a form of credit by private companies. Consideration has been given to how municipal regulation may be utilized to make
these loans more consumer-friendly. Staff also has worked hard to develop alternative products, including small-dollar loans that could be offered by employers.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is proposing to issue a rule to allow it to regulate non-bank com-panies that make automobile loans. The proposal specifically says the Bureau is not proposing to include automobile title lending. However the proposal makes clear that the CFPB sees this pro-posal as “only one in a series of “rulemakings.”
The city’s Affordable Housing Fund Advisory Committee has established a revenue goal of at least $500,000 a year to invest in affordable housing, just to halt the expansion of Savannah fam-ilies that have to pay more than 30% of their annual income on housing costs. While the City of Savannah has not yet agreed to that level of funding, Council members recognize the Affordable Housing Fund as a valuable tool that is leveraging new investment in affordable housing. At a workshop last year, Council took an important step in recognizing the SAHF as a recurring program and agreed to continue drawing at least $150,000 in General Revenues to allocate to the Fund. The fund has now received an infusion of $450,000 over three years from Council. Advisory Committee members are researching the following revenue sourc-es that have been used in other communities: Linkage fees, ded-ication of a percentage of the hotel-motel tax, or property taxes (based on public investment in neighborhoods where residential property values have increased), and the issuance of bonds.
Despite slow going the SAHF, the only fund of its kind in the state, is now seen as a meaningful tool that is raising new invest-ment to positively affect the availability of affordable housing in the City.
Staff has also participated in an effort to start a state-wide hous-ing group to build political support for a Georgia State Housing Trust Fund. A State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless already exists but has not been seen as a source of funds for affordable housing. The group has discussed using that that mechanism as a way to draw affordable housing monies from the state budget.
Step Up offers sincere thanks to the following volunteers who served on the Policy Committee this year offering thoughtful insights, ideas, and creative input: Mohsen Badran (chairman, until he left Savannah), Lee Beckman, Sean Brandon, Ruth Duran-Deffley, Tarry Hodges, John Neely, Sr. Pauline O’Brien, Richard Reeve, Teri Schell, Marian Teuton, and Diane Weems; plus GLSP staff members Bill Broker, Nancy DeVetter, Murphy Cooper, and Step Up staff members Robyn Wainner and VISTA Associate Erica Tremble.
Policy CornerAffordable housing, public benefits and safe lending products on the 2014 agenda
For the second year in a row, Step Up Savannah has taken ad-vantage of a grant from the Kresge Foundation to provide small, capacity-building grants to local nonprofits in Savannah. The impact of two of the eight grants provided thus, to the Eastside Concerned Citizens, Inc. (ECCI) and the Centro Hispano de Savannah, is summarized below. Overall, these grants have had a noticeable impact on ability of organizations to fight poverty with more resources and a sustained commitment.
ECCI is a neighborhood non-profit that offers its residents as-sistance through multiple means: it connects people to resources and benefits, helps its youth through job and leadership train-ing, and fights hunger through its “Brown Bag” campaign, and
provides a career development program to residents interested in becoming certified nursing assistants (CNA).
The Kresge funds enabled ECCI to supplement its career train-ing with something essential: a financial asset-building program. According to Freddie Patrick, ECCI’s director, many people with jobs still remain in poverty because they lack the knowledge and tools to ensure they stay out of it. To provide its residents with this knowledge, ECCI used its capacity-building grant to partner with Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) to educate citizens about money management. Even individuals on the waiting list for job training were able to attend the financial workshops. Participants learned about credit reports and how to correct them, as well as banking, home ownership, and budget-ing. This financial education enhances their ability to out of poverty once they find employment. In the first six months of 2014, twenty-six people attended these financial education class-es, where they also received information about accessing public benefits, such as food stamps, Medicaid, and TANF.
ECCI staff works with participants to connect them to addi-tional resources, public benefits, or services when necessary. The capacity-building grant provided funding for CCCS to train ECCI staff so that they can continue helping their residents with asset-building after the funding ends.
For the Centro Hispano, Kresge funds provide the newly certified 501(c)(3) with its first major financial support beyond volunteer and in-kind donations. Approximately 15 years ago, the First Hispanic Baptist Church of Savannah began outreach services. The Centro Hispano de Savannah, Inc., was then formed in 2013 in order to better offer services to the whole community in five areas: education, health, social services, including public benefits enrollment, employment, including job training and workforce development, and immigration. Ruth Duran Deffley, of St. Mary’s Community Center, describes the Centro Hispano as a “liaison between the Hispanic people and the community” where “people can get real, unbiased information.” The Centro provides the community with a much-needed free alternative to organizations that charge sometimes exorbitant rates for similar services, often in a predatory fashion, for help with translation, public benefits enrollment, or immigration services.
The grant immediately made a significant difference: in June, it allowed the Centro Hispano to hire a part-time staff member, which has greatly increased the organization’s capacity to provide regular, consistent services to the Hispanic community. The Centro Hispano’s new, part-time staff member, Andrea Huisa, spends her time assisting with public benefits enrollment, keeping accurate and updated records, arranging for ESL and computer classes, and organizing volunteers for services, such as translation documents or doctors’ visits. From June to August 2014, the Centro served fifty-one clients with public benefits assistance and recruited nine volunteers to teach fifteen students in ESL classes and two students in computer classes. These classes teach skills that many of us take for granted, such as how to inquire about a job or use email, knowledge that is essential in today’s business environment. The Centro teaches these basic Internet skills and also provides a place with computers and a broadband connec-tion.
The Centro Hispano hopes to continue to offer GED classes, workforce development, and benefits enrollment, and would like to expand its health services to include a regular visit from a pri-mary care doctor as well as classes about eating healthy on a low income. To accomplish such goals, the Centro Hispano will need to retain a permanent, part-time staff member.
The uphill battle to alleviate poverty in Savannah may seem insurmountable at times, but the Kresge grant enables organiza-tions like ECCI and the Centro Hispano to do the difficult, day-to-day work on the frontlines: education, job training, healthcare, and asset building. Done smartly, strategically, and consistently, these efforts provide essential skills, services, and knowledge to reduce poverty in our community.
Chad Newsom
Kresge Foundation Funds at Work: Eastside Concerned Citizens and the Centro Hispano de Savannah
Advocacy and Education
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 109 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
After waiting tables and road-tripping for over a year, this question began to consume me. I had fulfilled my post-college fantasy of travelling the country, and I finally felt ready to begin the dreaded, yet inevitable process of finding my “career path.” In March 2014, I packed up my little Honda Civic and left the state I’d called home for 23 years. Eager for new experiences, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to both serve my country and to live in one of her most beautiful cities.
My first day with Step Up also happened to be the first day of an E3 class. I immediately related to the participants—we shared anxiety about how the Chatham Apprentice Program would impact our futures. Thankfully, my nervousness (and theirs) quickly turned into excitement and inspiration. Because the E3 program is new, the opportunities for capacity build-
ing are endless. Never did I think that creating a filing system and figuring out the
intricacies of the Microsoft Office Suite could bring me such personal satisfaction. But while I do think
custom footers are pretty neat, my real gratifica-
tion comes from knowing that through my service, I am helping to establish a lasting, organizational structure for CAP.
Going into this year of service, I didn’t have many expectations. I find life to be easier that way—no expectations—no disappoint-ments. I knew I would gain some “professional development,” but I had no idea what that would entail. Step Up has provided me with a variety of opportunities to develop, both professionally and personally. From working with the other VISTAs in an effort to plan fundraising activities, to learning the basics of grant-writ-ing, Step Up never delivered a dull moment.
I’m only halfway through my service, yet my understanding of poverty has evolved more than I ever imagined. I’ve always been a “hands on learner,” and although I took college classes where I learned conceptually about the varying causes and effects of poverty, being immersed in its realities has allowed me to truly appreciate its complexities.
As I continue to work with CAP and witness the incredible resilience and determination that so many participants have, I am constantly humbled. Thank you, Savannah, for allowing me to learn so very much from you.
Anna Morgan
Last tax season, during the first two months of my VISTA service, I was put in
the role of volunteer coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, overseen by the Savannah/Coast-
al Empire Asset Development Coalition. I was responsible for recruiting volunteers, keeping them updated on training
dates, and acting as point of contact for community members who planned to volunteer. I even got the chance to be trained and certified to prepare income taxes, and worked to coordinate mobile VITA sites at employers such as DIRTT Environmental Solutions and the Westin Savannah Harbor. Employees with incomes of $58,000 or less were given the opportunity to have their taxes prepared for free during work hours. Working with VITA provided a great opportunity to learn new skills while giving back to the community at the same time.
After obtaining my business degree, I decided that I wanted to do something different from my peers, many of whom were eager to join the corporate sector after graduation. There are many differences between working for a nonprofit organization and working in the for-profit sector. The biggest difference is the
bottom line. In business, the ultimate goal is to make a profit. For nonprof-
its, the goal is to have a positive impact in society, and in Step Up’s case specifically, to reduce and eliminate poverty in Savan-nah. A year spent as Wealth Building Associate and a national service member gave me a wide breadth of knowledge of how organizations work. Step Up has made and will undoubtedly con-tinue to make great efforts to cut poverty through its hard work and devoted staff. My time spent at Step Up has granted me the opportunity to fill multiple roles, meet people of different back-grounds and allowed me to have a greater impact than I would have in any other field. I also learned that through subsequent work, there are many different ways to give back.
Serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA, doing meaningful work to help low- to moderate-income individuals build wealth, was my way of giving back, and I am happy I made this commitment. I know this experience will play a significant role in my work later on in life. So I end with this quote that I will keep in mind as I continue to find my place and passion: “Happiness is not so much in having or sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” –Norman MacEwan
Cierra Selby
Before moving to Savannah, I read everything I could about the area and happenings in the city. I wanted to know what to expect and what it might be like to live here. What I read paled in comparison to what I’ve been able to experience in my year of service as a VISTA; I was able to get a sense of the ‘real’ Savan-nah.
The tourism websites offered images of sights to see and food to eat, but didn’t prepare me for the surprisingly tight-knit commu-nity in Savannah. No tourist gets to experience this exceptional aspect of the city.
Of course when I first arrived I saw the surface layer of Savan-nah-- just like any visitor--but my work with Step Up Savannah introduced me to the city on a deeper level. Step Up allowed me to see the city that lives with a 25% poverty rate, and to appreciate the people that are working continuously to change that. The unusual role that Step Up plays in working to reduce poverty became apparent shortly after moving here in November 2013 and working with such a powerful convener of players has
been an important part of my experience in Savannah. Had I not been given the opportunity, I may have missed the struggling families and individuals, the criticisms and thanks of residents, and the many organizations dedicated to promoting self-sufficiency.
My experience in this city also has been shaped by the fact that I’ve been living at the poverty level for the last year. Making $800 a month was challenging. I wouldn’t have made it through without help from those around me. My experience has put into perspective the real challenges that individuals in poverty experi-ence. Although my experience was finite most of those living at or under the poverty line will stay there for longer than a year. I plan to continue working with and advocating for those that have been marginalized in our communities around the U.S.
Erica Tremble
Twenty years ago I spent my summer vacation in Savannah. I left with memories of sunny beaches and tables covered with sea-food surrounded by laughter; these memories brought me back to Savannah to serve as a VISTA. There have been times in my life when I have been poor, so I thought I understood what living in poverty truly meant. I thought that with proper management of funds it would be a breeze to live on minimum wage. I discovered I was mistaken.
I have always been of the mindset that if one has strong drive and determination, one can always change one’s circum-stances.
During my first four months at Step Up, I met participants in the Chatham Apprentice Program who lacked education and technical skills and as a result had no real means to support their families. Most of these individuals grew up in families that lived in poverty. As I worked with them I came to understand the challenges of generational poverty, which can present significant and unique obstacles in a community’s effort to reduce poverty. For instance, if an individual hasn’t been exposed to another lifestyle and lacks a strong, positive support group, or even one
meaningful role model urging him or her to accomplish greater things, it’s hard not to follow in the more familar footsteps of those closest to them who grew up in poverty.
The Center for Working Families (CWF) Network is com-posed of 15 organizations that are united in providing financial, educational, counseling and workforce development assistance to residents of Chatham County. Through that network, over the past several months I was able to meet quite a number of individuals who, in spite of their challenges, went back to school to work toward earning a GED and/or enrolled in programs through which they will be able to gain employment and now have brighter futures.
Serving at Step up Savannah opened my eyes in some ways and has strengthened my resolve to continue to help others. We can make a difference and work to stop the cycle of generational poverty in our community.
Diana Oladokun
A VISTA believes that generational poverty can be conquered! “Are you ever going to use that degree?”
VITA and my experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA
The ‘real’ Savannah
“My VISTA service at Georgia Legal Services has reinforced a valuable lesson that when you give your time and
talents to an organization you believe in, the benefits are immeasurable.” Jamie Rush
“My most valuable lesson learned so far in my VISTA service at CCCS has been that it is never too early to get a jump on financial literacy. It’s good to have a basic understanding of personal finance. It’s not about how much money you have; it’s about how you manage it. CCCS helps people gain that basic understanding.”
Shelby Newsome
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 1211 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
African American Male AchievementAll Walks of LifeAMAAmerican Red CrossAmerica’s Second Harvest of Coastal GAArmstrong Atlantic State UniversityBaldwin Park Neighborhood AssociationBB&TBig Brothers, Big Sisters of the Coastal EmpireBoys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal EmpireCapitol City Bank & TrustCarver State BankChatham Area TransitChatham County CommissionChatham County Cooperative ExtensionChatham County Health DepartmentCity of SavannahThe Coastal BankCoastal Center for Developmental ServicesCoastal Empire Habitat for HumanityCoastal Regional CommissionCoastal Workforce Services Community Health MissionCommunity Housing Services Agency, Inc. Consumer Credit Counseling ServiceCurtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care CenterCuyler Brownsville Neighborhood AssociationDepartment of Family & Children Services Eastside Concerned CitizensEOAFirst Hispanic Baptist ChurchForsyth Farmers’ MarketGeorgia Department of LaborGeorgia Legal Services Program, Savannah OfficeGeorgia Power Coastal RegionGeorgia WatchGet SkillsGoodwill of the Coastal EmpireGreenbriar Children’s CenterHelping Hands of SavannahHoly Spirit Lutheran ChurchHomeless AuthorityHousing Authority of SavannahHudson Hill Neighborhood AssociationHunterMaclean
Hyatt Regency Savannah IKEA Distribution CenterInterfaith Hospitality NetworkJCB, Inc.Live Oak Public LibrariesMedBankMemorial HealthMetropolitan Community OrganizationMetropolitan Planning CommissionNeighborhood Improvement AssociationParent UniversityRoyal Church of ChristRoyce Learning CenterThe Salvation ArmySavannah Area Chamber of CommerceSavannah Baptist CenterSavannah Chatham County Public SchoolsSavannah Economic Development AuthoritySavannah Impact ProgramSavannah Morning NewsSavannah State UniversitySavannah Technical CollegeSea Island BankSeacrest Partners, Inc.Senior Citizen’s Inc.South State BankSt. Joseph’s CandlerSt. Mary’s Community CenterSunset Neighborhood AssociationSunTrust BankUGA Cooperative Extension – Chatham CountyUnion MissionUnited Community BankUnited Ministries of Savannah, Inc.United Way of the Coastal EmpireWells FargoWesley Community Centers of Savannah, Inc.Wesley Monumental UMCWest Broad YMCAWest Savannah Neighborhood WatchWestinWilshire/Ventura Neighborhood WatchWoodville Neighborhood AssociationYoung Men of HonorYouth Futures Authority
Step Up Savannah Inc. Board of Directors, 2014Mohsen Badran, President, Goodwill Industries of the Coastal EmpireArthur Best, Workforce Development Director, Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc.Scott Center, President, National Office Systems Inc.Victor Cooper, President, Cloverdale Neighborhood AssociationTabatha Crawford Roberts, Right Track Consulting Services and NLA graduateStephanie Cutter, City Manager, City of SavannahEarline Davis, Director, Housing Authority of SavannahCheryl Davenport Dozier, Ph.D., President, Savannah State UniversityBishop Willie Ferrell, Pastor, Royal Church of ChristErma Fulcher, President, Hudson Hill Association and NLA graduateAlethea Frazier Raynor, Principal Associate, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown UniversityHolden Hayes, President, The Savannah BankCathy Hill, Vice President, Georgia Power Coastal RegionThe Honorable Edna Branch Jackson, Mayor, City of SavannahWilliam Jackson, Manager, IKEA Distribution CenterOtis Johnson, Ph.D., former Mayor, City of SavannahBetty Jones, Feiler Park Neighborhood Association and NLA graduateThomas Lockamy, Ph.D., Superintendent, Savannah Chatham County Public SchoolsKathy Love, Ph.D., President, Savannah Technical CollegePatricia Lyons, President, Senior Citizens, Inc.Frank Macgill, managing partner, HunterMacleanMaureen McFadden, Director, Chatham County Department of Family and Children ServicesJohn Neely, Principal/Savannah, Colliers InternationalReverend James Nelson, Pastor, Holy Spirit Lutheran ChurchSister Pauline O’Brien, Pastoral Assistant, Sacred Heart Catholic ChurchDiane Pinckney, Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department and NLA graduatePastor Samuel Rodriguez, First Hispanic Baptist ChurchThe Honorable Al Scott, Chairman, Chatham County Board of CommissionersPat Shay, President, Gunn Meyerhoff ShayJim Stevenson, Civic VolunteerTrip Tollison, President & CEO, Savannah Economic Development AuthorityMichael Traynor, Publisher, Savannah Morning NewsFrances Tukes, Eastside Concerned Citizens and NLA graduateDr. Diane Weems, Coastal Health Director, Coastal Health DistrictGloria Williams, President, Cuyler Brownsville Neighborhood Association and NLA graduateJohn Wills, President, Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Ameris Bank Bank of America FoundationBranch Banking & Trust CompanyCapitol City Bank & TrustCarver State BankChatham CountyCity of SavannahCharles A Frueauff FoundationColony Bank FINRA Investor Education Foundation Georgia PowerGulfstream
IKEA Distribution CenterKresge FoundationMary Reynolds Babcock Foundation Inc.National League of Cities/Atlantic PhilanthroicsSavannah Economic Development AuthoritySea Island BankSouth State BankSt. James Catholic ChurchSunTrust FoundationUnited Way of the Coastal EmpireWells Fargo Foundation
The following organizations have generously contributed $500 or more to Step Up Savannah, Inc. in 2014.
2014 Collaborative Partners
Step Up Savannah | 2014 Annual Report 1413 Step Up Savannah | Make it Work, Savannah
Step Up Savannah staffSuzanne Donovan, Executive DirectorTalisha Crooks, Coordinator, Chatham Apprentice ProgramIsaac Felton, Program Manager, Chatham Apprentice ProgramJaneene Johnson, Office AdministratorNate Saraceno, Graphic Designer, IT supportAndrea Silverman, Non Profit Capacity Building ManagerRobyn Wainner, Asset Building/Financial Empowerment DirectorCierra Selby, Wealth Building Associate – AmeriCorps VISTAErica Tremble, Policy and Communications Associate – AmeriCorps VISTADiana Oladokun, Workforce Development Associate – AmeriCorps VISTAAnna Morgan, Chatham Apprentice Program Associate – AmeriCorps VISTA
Step Up Savannah would like to give a special thank you to the following organizations for their generous support of the 2014 annual meeting and breakfast.
IKEA Distribution CenterGeorgia Power Company
Memorial University Medical CenterSavannah Morning News
South State BankSavannah State University
John Wills president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service, and 2014 chairman of the board of directors, Step Up Savannah, Inc
