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The POWR Post is a bi-monthly e-newsletter sharing success stories of the USCCB/MRS Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees program. If you have any news items, stories or pictures relating to your parish program to share, please contact Daniel Sturm at [email protected]. ~Daniel Sturm, MRS Special Projects Manager
Funding for POWR in CY 2014
Please note that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services will continue to build on the successes of the Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees (POWR) Program. Details about the CY 2014 POWR Request for Proposal will be circulated by Oct. 18th, 2013.
POWR-ful Volunteer Video Now on YouTube (Jacksonville, Fl.) An excellent example of the empowering effects the Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees (POWR) program has recently been posted to YouTube. In 2012, Catholic Charities in Jacksonville produced a documentary film with support of the POWR program to intensify its volunteer recruitment efforts. The documentary does an excellent job showcasing the significance of volunteer work for nonprofits as well as refugee clients. The enthusiasm of the volunteers in the video is evident, and the mix of volunteers, from University of North Florida students, to former refugees, to parish community members, is wonderful. The production of the video itself is also of very high quality. Please take a look at this terrific example of “positive storytelling” – at a relatively low cost.
http://youtu.be/ntXYiy6IRMc
Outreach
Camp Simulation Curriculum Goes to Press (Louisville, Kentucky) We are finalizing a Refugee Camp Simulation Guide, Seeking Refuge: Forced To Flee. The POWR team has collaborated with educators in the archdiocese to develop this curriculum guide around this successful program. The local Catholic newspaper, The Record, ran a story about our new initiatives that include the camp simulation. The POWR team is excited about the programs planned for the coming months, which include presentations and camp simulations in local Catholic schools.
Christopher Martini, [email protected] First Refugee Camp Immersion Scheduled (Atlanta, Georgia) We have partnered with Pinecrest Academy to hold the first Refugee Camp Immersion Project on Nov. 8-9. We will present information about refugees, refugee camps, and refugee resettlement services to 12 classes and assign each class the task of gathering materials for and creating one structure inside the mock refugee camp. Students will bring supplies and assemble their structure on the morning of Nov. 8. Students and staff will then have the opportunity to walk through the mock refugee camp on Friday afternoon and it will be open to the public on Nov. 9 from 10am-3pm.
Kimberly Longshore, [email protected] Focus on Parish Luncheon (Las Vegas, Nev.) The partnerships that we have formed with local businesses and parishes will continue beyond the end of the POWR program cycle. In addition, we have been working on a Parish Luncheon for the month of October. This event will focus on current parish appreciation and double as an opportunity to showcase our work with refugees, and recruit for new parish partners.
Whitney L. Eich, [email protected]
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Parish Connections Beginning to Pay Off (Orlando, Florida) We will be partnering with our local Knights of Columbus to do a “Breakfast with Santa” event for refugee families in December. In October, a parish agreed to organize a “Mission in the Kitchen” drive for us to gather kitchen items for refugees. Another parish published an announcement in its bulletin about our program, to encourage parishioners to donate welcome packets for our clients. Through parish connections, we are partnering with our local university to plan a Thanksgiving event for refugees.
[email protected] Social and Other Media in Full Swing (Atlanta, Georgia) Information about furniture donations and volunteer opportunities like the Refugee Family Friend Program and the Refugee Youth Mentoring Program continue to be posted on the agency Facebook and Twitter accounts and in our monthly newsletter. All of these requests are well received and we continue to see an increase in calls about donations and volunteer opportunities. Pictures and info about the bicycle safety classes and donations were posted on our Facebook account. It received many “likes” and “shares.”
Kimberly Longshore, [email protected]
Donations
Significant Increase of Donations (Atlanta, Georgia) Our total resettlement services in-kind donations for January-August 2013 is $68,318, which is a 35% increase in in-kind as compared to the same timeframe in 2012. Volunteers donated 977.5 hours of their time to serving refugee clients, which is a 45% increase from 674.45 hours during the same time frame in 2012.
Kimberly Longshore, [email protected]
Parish Partnerships Improve (Las Vegas, Nevada) The development coordinator continues her work with local parishes and grocery stores to gain in-kind resources for refugee clients. Partnerships with grocery stores allow us to gain ethnically appropriate foods. In addition, through a parish partnership we were able to secure approximately $500 worth of school supplies to ensure refugees are ready for the new school year. During this reporting period we have secured approximately $1,200 in in-kind donations.
Whitney L. Eich, [email protected] Furniture Store Makes Major Donation (Houston, Texas) Catholic Charities’ staff continued to pick-up approximately $40,000 worth of furniture from Gallery Furniture. These donations were delivered to refugee and Cuban parolee clients.
Claire Poff, [email protected] Police Officers Donating Money (Dayton, Ohio) The community is becoming more aware of refugees and thus creating more avenues for donations. We are very excited that the City of Dayton Police Department will organize a donation drive for us in October.
Amy Hart, [email protected] Hospital Foundation Donates (Winona, Minn.) Mayo Foundation Charter House, a retirement center, has a yearly sidewalk sale with proceeds benefiting worthy non-profit organizations in our community. We submitted a proposal and were awarded $1,000 to benefit refugee families.
Mary Alessio, [email protected] POWR of Youth in Action (Winona, Minn.) Two local teens, who realized that refugee kids had no access to computers, put their compassion into action. They organized a fundraiser to establish a computer fund for refugee families. Initially we had roughly $2,000 in that fund. After Winona State University students added $1,500, I sent a proposal to Knights of Columbus to sustain this computer fund for another year. We can now buy refurbished computers from a networker that serves the disabled and pay for Internet service for 125 per refugee case. In 2013, 43 refugee families benefited from this fund, using computers to increase their ESL and budgeting knowledge. If anyone ever questioned the POWR of our youth in action – this demonstration of compassion in action will answer it with a definite yes!
Mary Alessio, [email protected]
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Employment
Tackling Refugee Employment (Louisville, Kentucky) POWR staff continues to work toward increasing refugee employment opportunities. The POWR coordinator is continuing to move forward with the Social Marketing Plan related to employment. We have now reached the third stage of this new employment plan, which involves creating interest and contacts within the parishes (Editor’s note: Details of this new refugee employment initiative were discussed during the Sept. 17 POWR webinar – please see below web link for more).
Chris Martini, [email protected]
http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/etrainings.shtml
Volunteers Offer Speed Interviewing Classes (Atlanta, Georgia) Our agency’s Leadership Class Alumni volunteers conducted a “speed interviewing session” for 10 refugee clients. They worked in groups and asked newly arrived refugees typical interview questions to prepare them for their first job interviews and jobs in the U.S. In addition to their time, volunteers brought interview appropriate shirts to give to each participating client.
Kimberly Longshore, [email protected]
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Volunteerism
Arrival of the Refugee Shoppers (Anchorage, Alaska) As soon as clients arrive to Alaska they are taken to free clothing banks to receive appropriate winter clothing. We have trained four new volunteers for the Warm Welcome Teams, who take care of personal shopping for refugees. These volunteers have logged in 16 hours and helped outfit 18 clients with hats, gloves, boots and coats. This new process gives our clients some independence in choosing their own winter clothing compared with our past process of handing them donated items.
Olga Neborak, [email protected] Utilizing University Partnerships for Volunteerism (Las Vegas, Nevada) We have partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada to recruit for volunteers. In addition, social media websites such as Facebook, a volunteer match website and the Catholic Charities agency website are all being utilized to recruit for volunteers.
Whitney L. Eich, [email protected] Medical Mentors on a Roll (Anchorage, Alaska) Our Medical Mentor volunteer logged 13 hours providing health care assistance to six clients during July and August. The Medical Mentor accompanied clients to four health clinics and one specialist. The AmeriCorps volunteer completed 19 health care orientations with 19 clients. This process continues to be effective in reducing emergency room visits and allows our small number of health care staff to attend to the needs of clients with more complicated medical needs.
Olga Neborak, [email protected] Class Attendance Triggers Volunteerism (Anchorage, Alaska) Our volunteer coordinator and program director attended the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Community Engagement and Learning’s Civics Class. They had both been invited to speak about volunteer opportunities for UAA students. One volunteer was recruited through this process and two students indicated future interest.
Olga Neborak, [email protected]
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Future Funding
Rotary Donating Funds to POWR (Anchorage, Alaska) We have asked the local rotary club to provide partial funding to maintain the POWR volunteer position in 2014. Rotary decided to award $5,000 but specified that it needed to be used for direct refugee assistance rather than wages. Leveraging community funds for a staff position has been challenging. Most groups seem much more invested in funding direct assistance projects.
Olga Neborak, [email protected] Catholic Volunteers Reporting to Work (Cleveland, Ohio) We have successfully recruited a full-time Franciscan Cap Corps, and Humility of Mary Volunteer in addition to a Walsh University Intern and six students from John Caroll University, who will work with refugees once a week on employment classes. We will also continue our relationship with St. Ignatius High School and have volunteers work for us three days a week. All of these efforts will continue past Dec. 31, 2013.
Stacy Dever, [email protected] Receiving a Check Over $10,000 (Atlanta, Georgia) We are happy to report that we were awarded a Nissan Foundation Grant for $10,000 to supplement the Refugee Camp Immersion Project and film a short, informational video about refugees in Georgia. Funds are available through July 2014. In addition, this grant is renewable, and if the Refugee Immersion Camp event is successful, additional funding requests can be made for this effort.
Kimberly Longshore, [email protected]
POWR Webinars 2012-13
Utilizing Volunteer Power I: Healthcare
Date: May 14, 2013
Introduction and Communication Resources by Daniel Sturm, MRS Special Projects Manager.
Using Healthcare Volunteers – Stacy Dever of Catholic Charities in Cleveland has used POWR to organize a health care initiative. We will also reflect on other successes and lessons learned from the POWR program.
Utilizing Volunteer Power II: Employment Date: Sept. 17, 2013
Introducing a Social Marketing Plan for Refugee Employment by Christopher Martini, POWR Coordinator at Catholic Charities of Louisville.
Benchmarking Refugee Employment Services by Daniel Sturm, USCBB/MRS Special Projects Manager.
Effective Communication Date: Sept. 26, 2012
Introduction and Communication Resources by Daniel Sturm, MRS Special Projects Manager.
The Power Behind POWR – Promising Practices by Mary Alessio, Director of Refugee Resettlement at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Winona.
Parish Volunteers
Date: Aug. 29, 2012
What is POWR? Introduction and Resources by Daniel Sturm, MRS Special Projects Manager.
Parish Volunteers – Promising Practices Presentation by Chris Clements and Mark Bouchard of Catholic Charities of Louisville, Kentucky.
Archive: http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/etrainings.shtml
POWR Post July-August 2013 (Vol. 4, Issue 4)
Daniel Sturm, Special Projects Manager, USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services Phone: (202) 541-3226
E-Mail: [email protected] Archive: http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
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Schools update curriculum and technology The Louisville Record August 21, 2013 By Marnie McAllister, Record Assistant Editor
As nearly 20,000 students flock to Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic schools for a new year, a few changes are greeting them. More and more schools have adopted “one-to-one initiatives,” meaning each students is paired with an electronic device, such as a tablet computer or laptop. In addition, Catholic Charities of Louisville’s popular refugee camp simulation is going to be offered more widely and the curriculum has been fine-tuned. The Archdiocese of Louisville also has adopted a new safe environment program for students and the archdiocese will implement a new assessment to gauge its religious education curriculum. Catholic Charities’ refugee simulation has been around for years and many students have already played the part of people seeking refuge in a simulated camp. But Catholic Charities’ staff and archdiocesan educators gathered over the summer to fine-tune that program and give it a new name. The “Seeking refuge: Forced to flee” curriculum is now being compiled into a manual that can be used in schools around the archdiocese and in other dioceses. The program’s basics won’t change though. The simulation groups students into refugee “families” and gives them a scenario — a family of five with medical needs, for example. Then the children visit different stations, usually set up in the school gym, where they receive food, medical attention and other basic necessities. Leisa Schulz, superintendent of Catholic schools, said the program highlights Catholic social teaching and “cultivates the gift of empathy” in the students. She said it also offers them a “call to action.” “I think it’s a wonderful thing,” she said, noting that more schools will have the opportunity to use the program this year. “It’s certainly valuable for students to read about what’s going on, watch on television and the Internet. However, if you can put them in a situation that replicates to a degree what individuals are experiencing, I think they have a
much better understanding, a greater insight into what’s going on. “I think that can serve as a catalyst for children and adults to say, ‘OK. What’s the next step? What can I do to assist that situation?’ “she said. Children in some Archdiocese of Louisville schools, especially the high schools, look a little different these days as they walk down the halls. They’re shedding their backpacks and replacing them with small tablets, such as iPads and Windows-based devices. All of the high schools now either provide tablets to at least some students while others allow students to bring their own devices. Holy Cross High School adopted tablets this year for its freshmen and sophomore classes and has fully incorporated them into classroom curriculum. All of the students’ textbooks are now in digital format and their school work is virtually paperless. “There’s definitely a different vibe here,” said principal Danielle Wiegandt. “It makes the school feel more innovative. There are no notebooks, pencils, paper” for the freshmen and sophomores. “They really have nothing in their lockers.” Wiegandt noted that teachers can monitor the screen of every student’s device in real time during class. DeSales High School has been using electronic devices in the classroom the longest — its one-to-one program began years ago with laptops. All of the other high schools and many elementary schools have also adopted one-to-one initiatives to varying degrees since then. The archdiocese is updating its safe environment program in elementary schools this year. In the past, the archdiocese used the “Good Touch, Bad Touch” curriculum. This year, the archdiocese will be using “Speak Up Be Safe,” a program that includes lessons about online safety and cyber bullying. Schulz said those lessons are becoming more important as younger children are using the Internet. She said that some schools may wait until next year to adopt the new program because there wasn’t much time to prepare. “Speak Up Be Safe” will be delivered and updated online rather than in paper format, Schulz said. A testing instrument called ACRE, that’s used by the archdiocese to assess its religious education program, has been updated and will be offered this winter in local schools and parish programs. The instrument, produced by the National Catholic Education Association, is given to students in fifth, eighth and 11th grades.
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POWR Post E-Newsletter Directory
2013 POWR Funding Cycle
Issue Month Theme Link Vol. 4, Issue 1 January-February 2013 Volunteer Orientation http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 4, Issue 2 March-April 2013 Resource Development http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 4, Issue 3 May-June 2013 Employment Resources http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 4, Issue 4 July-August 2013 Refugee Employment Quiz http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
2012 POWR Funding Cycle
Issue Month Theme Link Vol. 3, Issue 1 January-February 2012 Best of 2011 Resource Guide http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 3, Issue 2 March-April 2012 Fundraising http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 3, Issue 3 May-June 2012 Parish Outreach & Communication http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 3, Issue 4 July-August 2012 English Literacy http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 3, Issue 5 September-October 2012 Best of POWR Resources 2012 http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 3, Issue 6 November-December 2012 Best of POWR Resources 2012 http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
2010-11 POWR Funding Cycle
Issue Month Theme Link Vol. 1, Issue 1 October 2010 Program Development Resources http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 1, Issue 2 November 2010 Volunteer Management Resources http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 1, Issue 3 December 2010 Marketing Your Success Stories http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 1 January 2011 Locating Funding Opportunities http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 2 February 2011 Writing Grant Proposals http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 3 March 2011 Employment Services http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 4 April 2011 Social Media http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 5 May 2011 Volunteer Guide Books http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 6 June 2011 http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 7 July-August 2011 Events Planning http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 8 September-October 2011 Refugee Career Guide http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
Vol. 2, Issue 9 November-December 2011 Best of 2011 Resource Guide http://old.usccb.org/mrs/diows/powr.shtml
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Refugee Employment Quiz
The enclosed Refugee Employment Quiz was developed as a tool to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your agency’s employment program. Since many POWR programs focus on involving volunteers with job search and employment mentoring projects, I would encourage you to complete the quiz and think about new strategies to helping refugees find meaningful employment. ~Daniel Sturm, POWR Program Manager
Quiz Instruction: If you think you cannot answer a question with a wholehearted “yes,” subtract points accordingly.
I. Management & Training 1. Personnel Management In this section, you can reach a maximum of 15 points
Do staff members feel comfortable with the workload? (3 pts.) Are job developers able to concentrate on employer outreach, or are other duties keeping them from this work? (4 pts.) Have you hired one full-time person for employer outreach? (3 pts.) Do you have weekly meetings dedicated to dealing with “difficult” cases? (2 pts.) Do job developers have the right set of skills, including persistence and networking? (3 pts.)
In this section, you can reach a maximum of 13 points 2. Staff Development
Do you offer incentives for employment specialists to attend trainings, to network and obtain a certificate? (4 pts.)
Do you encourage staff members to join professional associations, or the network of refugee professionals? (3 pts.)
Have your employment specialist taken any course in Business English, Workforce Development or Communications? (4 pts.)
Have employment specialist participated in other training opportunities to improve their communications skills? (2 pts.) 3. Agency Involvement In this section, you can reach a maximum of 11 points
Do you involve the entire agency with job development? (4 pts.) Do you currently have a career counseling staff member who specializes on helping refugees with high skills? (3 pts.) Are job development staff members invited to participate in inter-agency planning activities? (2 pts.) Do you have an information sharing tool in place (wiki or otherwise) that allows for professional knowledge management? (2 pts.)
II. Employment Services In this section, you can reach a maximum of 14 points 1. Communications
Can agency spokespersons quote recent job placements statistics? (2 pts.) Do your employment case workers participate in job fairs? (4 pts.) Do you have marketing materials for your employment services? (4 pts.) Do you highlight employers in marketing materials, and on the website? (2 pts.) Do you reach out to universities to maximize your mentorship and employer networks? (2 pts.)
In this section, you can reach a maximum of 15 points 2. Job Development Strategies
Do your employment specialists utilize an effective elevator pitch? (4 pts.) Do you target immigrants in company leadership positions to increase refugee hiring? (2 pts.) Do you use current employers to connect with new employers? (3 pts.) Have you developed a systematic approach of tracking your clients’ career development? (3 pts.) Do you utilize new mapping technology and industry analysis to find “hidden jobs”? (3 pts.)
In this section, you can reach a maximum of 15 points 3. Employer Relations
Does your agency host any employer recognition events? (3 pts.) Have you inquired with area corporations about their commitment to diversity and appeal to their community image concerns? (2 pts.) Do you maintain an employer database? (3 pts.) Do you follow-up with employers after meetings? (3 pts.) Do you network with your local Human Resources Association, or attend Chamber of Commerce meetings? (2 pts.) Have you formed a volunteer board of employer advisors, who will assist with improving pre-employment services? (2 pts.)
4. Program Development In this section, you can reach a maximum of 17 points
Do your case workers research training, recertification and job transit solutions? (3 pts.) Have you designated one employment staff (or hired a volunteer coordinator) to recruit and train volunteers? (4 pts.) Have you reviewed promising practices from the POWR network, including high school volunteers, parish employment teams and refugee
camp simulation programs? (3 pts.) Have you established a network of “refugee alumni,” i.e. clients who have entered successful careers and wish to give back to the
community? (3 pts.) Do you offer specialized courses on interviewing skills, vocational ESL and financial literacy? (4 pts.)
