$10 for the Hospitality Certification Program.

Here are 10 Reasons to give $10 to help homeless individuals with disabilities gain employment:

10. Most homeless individuals with disabilities are veterans – a great way to remember the 10^th Anniversary of 9/11.

9. Employment is a huge step toward gaining housing – your $10 will go to staff to properly train individuals in job search skills.

8. It takes 3 clicks!

7. There are MANY individuals who will benefit – the Homeless Initiative Program serves over 3,200 men, women, and children per year.

6. A lot of times all these people need is ONE person – that one person to show support can give them the courage to push through these barriers.

5. It takes 3 clicks!

4.  You will be a part of a group who gives a care – 57 sponsors have shown their support already!

3. It will get us to our goal by deadline – those 57 have gotten us to $2746.33!  The marathon is Wednesday September 14^th!

2. It takes 3 clicks!

1. Federal funding will be wiped away for this program on September 30^th! You can be a part of the solution to help this program continue providing quality service to those who need it most!

To learn more about the Hospitality Certification Program you can read any of our three previous posts – here, here and here.

We appreciate your support for our Homeless Initiative Program and one important piece of it – the Hospitality Certification Program!

In both posts as well, we mentioned that funding for the program ends on September 30^th.  There is one week until our 100-Frame Bowling Marathon, and we have yet to receive 10% of our fundraising goal.

photo by DJ-Dwayne

Total Raised: $2338.33

Total Goal Amount: $30,000

Money raised will go toward three areas to help the HCP continue to serve homeless individuals who have one more barrier keeping them from becoming employed.  The three areas are:

• Support – structured environment, clothing, food, medical treatment, hygiene products, etc.
• Training – aimed at gaining sustainable employment
• Tools – skills to help them continue to make positive choices leading them to become self-sufficient

 Help us knock down 10 pins at a time!

A $10 donation to sponsor our HIP team at next week’s 100-Frame Bowling Marathon can go a long way to knocking down barriers.  You can help us strike out homelessness by helping the Hospitality Certification Program continue to provide support, training, and tools for homeless individuals with disabilities seeking to gain employment as the first step to becoming self-sufficient!

Your support will go along way!

Here is the story about the Hospitality Certification Program through her words…

“Working for the Hospitality Certification Program (HCP) has been the most rewarding experience of my career.  HCP not only helps our clients improve their lives; I feel it has helped me improve mine as well!  We work with people who have experienced homelessness (some who are homeless even as I write this) and who have disabilities that make it difficult to find and/or keep a job.  To be a part of the learning process, to see someone go from being too afraid to make eye contact with another person to speaking voluntarily in front of a large audience, seeing the pride on a person’s face (and sometimes tears, too) who just received a job offer, is inspiring and the ultimate reward.  Sometimes this journey takes a few months; sometimes longer; each person comes with different needs and abilities.  One individual may simply need supporters to “cheer them on” while another may need individualized attention every step of the way.  I think the success stories really speak for themselves – here are two of my favorites:”

“to see someone go from being too afraid to make eye contact with another person to speaking voluntarily in front of a large audience… is INSPIRING and the ultimate reward”

“Joe” had an 8th grade education, was unable to read, and had recently lost his job of almost 30 years.

Having no concept of how to search, apply, and interview for a job or how to interact professionally, he was lost.  Understandably, he also had very low self-esteem. After working together for several months, (including winter months where he trudged to job interviews in the snow), and helping link him with additional supports and resources, he gained successful, long-term employment and a new lease on life.  He celebrated one year of employment last June and is still loving his job!
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“Jane” joined HCP having survived being a victim of domestic violence for nearly 25 years.

She had 2 battery felonies resulting from defending herself against her abuser. She was clinically depressed, suffered from anxiety, and had no self-esteem.  Somehow, though, she always managed to keep a positive outlook.  After several rejections from employers due to her criminal history, she continued to persevere and obtained a job she now loves!   She is nearing her one-year anniversary of employment and we are still amazed by her positive outlook and the transformation she’s made.
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Mentioned in Tuesday’s post, government funding for this program has been eliminated nationwide. Here is how you can help Sarah, “Joe”, “Jane”, and the countless others who may gain success in their life through the Hospitality Certification Program:

• Sponsor the HIP team in their 100-Frame Bowling Marathon taking place Wednesday, September 14th!
  (they are only a quarter of the way to their goal, and there is less than two weeks until the marathon)
• Share this story with friends! Click any of the links below to share on Facebook, Twitter, or through email!
• Check back in in the coming weeks for more updates on Sarah and HCP!!

Sarah works at her passion through the Hospitality Certification Program (HCP), which assists Hoosiers with disabilities who have experienced homelessness in finding and keeping long-term employment.  Following the philosophy of “teach a person how to fish,” the program empowers and supports people in making positive life changes, ultimately leading to self-sufficiency.   To date Sarah and her colleagues have helped 101 people overcome barriers to become employed long-term!  However, there is a large obstacle Sarah has to overcome, and she needs your help!   Due to governmental budget cuts, funding for this program has been ELIMINATED nationwide.

A 100-Frame Bowling Marathon fundraiser is set for September 14 to benefit HCP.

Goal: to help bridge the gap between the program’s current funding, which ends September 30, and the long-term funding that the program is seeking to secure. 

Participating bowlers are now soliciting co-workers, friends and family members to sponsor them by pledging a donation per frame played or a lump sum amount. If you’d like to support HIP’s team, check out their page.

Proceeds from the event will help HCP:

• provide support, a structured environment, proper interview clothing, nutritious food, medical referrals, and basic hygiene products to those in need during their journey to long-term employment;
• offer training to individuals with disabilities, geared towards gaining and maintaining long-term employment;
• provide the tools necessary to continue to empower and support members of the community in making positive life changes, and become self-sufficient.

Sarah shared that through HCP, individuals receive training in 13 types of jobs in the customer service and hospitality industry. Over 30 employers have hired at least one program graduate. The Hospitality Certification Program was recently awarded Mayor Greg Ballard’s 2011 Advisory Council on Disability Access and Inclusion Employer Award.

It would be a sad day for Indianapolis if this program disappeared. Let’s do our part to help Sarah and HCP strike out homelessness!