The following resources were developed through the Job Creation and Green Jobs project at the Partnership. Case studies, videos, listening sessions and articles describe in detail selected Community Action Agencies and other affinity organizations operating job creation and green job projects and programs. The information outlined in each resource can be applied and/or modeled to fit the needs of the population CAA’s serve.
COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP LISTENING SESSION
The Community Action Partnership convened a diverse group of professionals involved in serving low-income individuals in the green economy on August 10 -11, 2010 to discuss this question: How can Community Action Partnership and similar organizations assist low-income individuals to participate in the green economy? The purpose of this report is to be a resource to be utilized in future efforts to leverage the growing green sector for all people. Click here to read the full report.
CASE STUDIES
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA - Fledging Farmers Create Jobs and Preserve the Environment
The focus of this case study is to outline exemplary practices found in ALBA’s three farmer support programs which create job opportunities, environmental benefits and help fledging farmers in Salinas California overcome the barriers to market through providing them with education, resources and support. The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association generates opportunities for farm workers and limited-resource, aspiring farmers to grow and sell crops from two organic farms in the agriculturally rich area of Monterey County California.
Click here to read the ALBA Case Study
Clear Energy Works Oregon
Clean Energy Works Oregon is a public-private alliance with Energy Trust of Oregon, utilities, financial institutions, local communities and contractors. Its primary goal is to reduce energy waste by encouraging homeowners to take direct action. This case study is about lessons learned during the Portland city-wide pilot, which retrofitted 500 homes, specifically, it answers the question. How to design a comprehensive framework that would seamlessly generate demand for energy retrofits, be user-friendly, and create good jobs at the same time?
Click here to read the Clean Energy Works Oregorn Case Study
Community Action Organization of Erie County (CAOEC), Buffalo, NY - Eliminating Food Deserts and Sustaining Program Funds
Low-income people often lack access to healthy, fresh food in many of America’s underserved neighborhoods. The Community Action Organization of Erie County in Buffalo New York created their Green Entrepreneur Center to eliminate the food deserts created by the limited number of grocery stores selling fresh food in low-income neighborhoods. This case study discusses the innovative ways CAOEC implemented to resolve this issue, such as creating urban gardens, a fresh food pantry, community greenhouses, an urban fresh fish hatchery and generate revenue by becoming a fresh produce supplier to twelve of Buffalo’s higher-end restaurants.
Click here to read the CAOEC Case Study
GTECH Strategies, Pittsburg, PA - Growth Through Energy and Community Health
GTECH Strategies is a nonprofit social enterprise investing in community revitalization through green economic development initiatives. This case study reflects the organization’s dedication to fostering economic growth and growing the green economy through eliminating vacant land and urban waste streams in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This case study shows how the revitalization of vacant land, community collaboration and green innovation can be instrumental in cultivating the natural resources of an area and create jobs.
Click here to read the GTECH Case Study
The Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnerships(LACAP
LACAP operates a state-of-the-art Weatherization Training Center, which trains its students in "real world" Weatherization disciplines. This case study is a full overview of how the association, along with its consortium of 42 CAA's, aquired its 17,000 square foot facility and trained 197 students. The training has equipped its trainees with the necessary certifications to provide home energy retrofits for the nearly 5,000 low-income homeowners it has provided services to since it recieved ARRA funds to open the Center in 2009.
Click here to read the LACAP Case Study
Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA - YouthBuild: Challenges and Successes
The Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County (CAP Sonoma) operates the Santa Rosa YouthBuild program, in partnership with the John Muir School. The program provides GED education, job skills training, and leadership development for at-risk youth ages 17-24 in Santa Rosa California. CAP Sonoma used ARRA funds to create the Green Training Center which is the focus of this case study. This case study answers the question-How do you develop curriculum for inner-city youth who have dropped out of high school that allows them to grasp the highly technical training involved in photovoltaic (solar panel) installation and find employers willing to hire them? It outlines examples of how agencies that face youth program challenges can use community resources and collaboration to turn set-backs into successes.
Click here to read the CAP Sonoma Case Study
United Planning Organization, Washington, DC - Training Innovation and Social Enterprise Management
The United Planning Organization (UPO) in Washington, DC used ARRA funds as seed money to create a state-of-the-art weatherization facility. Located in the heart of the District of Columbia’s densely populated urban landscape, UPO acquired and renovated its Green Weatherization Training Center which trains both low-income students and unskilled individuals in green home renovation disciplines. This case study outlines exemplary practices in green job skills training and the successful development of a social enterprise.
Click here to read the United Planning Organization Case Study
Solar Richmond, Richmond, CA- Solar Energy Training 101-Moving the Interview from the Desk Top to the Roof Top
Solar Richmond was founded to provide training in the solar installation field to those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. With the agencies social mission to catalyze transformative change that deepens the connection between people, place, and planet, it has installed more than 2,473 kW of solar power, which is the equivalent of 618 residential home energy usage. This case study discussess how a small for profit solar energy training company used innovation and determination to provide job training and placement services to help some of the most disadvantaged participants learn the trade and obtain living wage jobs.
Click here to ready the Solar Richmond Case Study
Welfare Reform Liason Project, Greensboro, NC- Recycling Waste: Recycling Lives
Welfare Reform used its ARRA funds to create an eco-friendly social enterprise venture. Welfare Reform partners with Mattress-Go-Round, The HF Group, The Greensboro Department of Humans Services and Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, who own the Platinum LEED hotel, Proximity. These partnerships provide green job training and placement, as well as, perserve environmental resources, by recycling mattresses, books, retail company waste items and clothing. Its partnership with Quaintance-Weaver trains and places low-income people in the hospitality industry. This case study outlines best practices in partnering with major fo- profit corporations and leveraging organizational facilities to earn revenue and provide job opportunies.
Click here to read the Welfare Reform Case Study
WSOS Community Action Agency, Fremont, OH - Diversifying Green Industry Initiatives to Create Broad Job Opportunities
This case study is an exemplary example of how agencies can collaborate within the Community Action network and within their local city service agencies to maximize program impact. This case study is about the six green job training and job placement services WSOS operates in rural counties in northern Ohio. From their reuse and recycling program which teaches at-risk youth to make eco-friendly signs for sale to city government, nonprofit agencies and large corporations, to its high-demand Weatherization program; this case study outlines a multifaceted approach to create innovative environmentally beneficial programs for youth and young adults.
Click here to read the WSOS Case Study
VIDEOS
The Green Economy- An Overview Part 1.
Narrated by Tim Aldinger, who served as The Community Action Partnership's Green Jobs Consultant on this project, this video provides an overview of opportunities available in the green economy. It provides thought provoking ideas and information for agencies and individuals looking to venture into the green economy.
The Green Economy-An Overview Part 2.
This video, narrated by Tim Aldinger, is a two part video on an overview of the green economy from a Community Action perspective. It provides promising practices of green job initiatives that will help agencies who assist disadvantaged people examine new ways to create job opportunities in the green economy.
The Green Entrepreneur Center, CAOEC- Developing an Urban Farm Social Enterprise Venture
Nathan Hare, Executive Director of Community Action Organization of Erie County discusses how his angency solved the problem of limited access to healthy food options in East Buffalo, while providing business opportunities, jobs and supplying fresh produce for restaurants and grocery stores.
The United Planning Organization is one of the few Building Performance Institute(BPI) certified companies in the District of Columbia. Dana Jones, Executive Director of the agency provides a thorough discussion on how his comprehensive research resulted in a state-of-the-art Weatherization Training Center which has trained over 240 underserved students and became the outgrowth of a successful green home improvement social enterprise venture.
CAP Sonoma County-Making Green Job Skills Training Relevant to Disadvantaged Populations
Oscar Chavez, Executive Director of CAP Sonoma County, provides a candid overview of how to make green job training relevant to disadvantaged youth and young adults. The agency's Santa Rosa YouthBuild and the John Muir Charter School provides solar installation training along with other training geared toward teaching job skills and soft skill development.
Community Action Partnership 2011 Annual Conference-Green Job Creation Workshop Highlights
Each year the Community Action Partnership hosts an annual conference for the members within the Network and those who embrace The Promise of Community Action. This video shows highlights from our Green Job workshops: Green Jobs Program Clinic and Connecting People to the Green Economy. These workshops, included lively panel discussion from Executive Directors: Neil McCabe of WSOS Community Action, Oscar Chavez of CAP Sonoma County and Michele McGeoy of Solar Richmond. Each has led their agencies to success in implementing promising practices that have created jobs for low-income people, while preserving the environment . Click here to view videos
TOOLKITS
WSOS 2011 Americorps Conservation Corps Toolkit
WSOS Community Action created a comprehensive toolkit for its Americorps members participating in the agency's various programs focused on improving the environment . This resource serves as a valuable tool to help agencies develop policies, procedures and guidelines for its youth and young adult programs.
CAP Sonoma County-Santa Rosa 2011 YouthBuild Toolkit Manual
From welcoming the students to writing infractions, this manual, used by CAP Sonoma's Santa Rosa Youthbuild, provides step by step policies, procedures and program operation information for YouthBuild and similiar programs.
Welfare Reform Liason Project Simulated Job Training Toolkit
Welfare Reform's Simulated Job Training Toolkit is a comprehensive tool to help agencies looking to start or enhance on-the-job training programs. It provides basic operations procedures, code of conduct guidelines for trainees, customer service modules on conflict management, simulated distributions processes and much more.
2011 Helping-Hands Tooklit- New York State Association of Community Action Agencies(NYSACAA)
The Tool Kit outlines and explains the benefits,eligibility guidelines and points of contact for a host of programs that help households meet the expenses of necessities such as health care, child care, utilities, and food.
The products of this project were created by the National Association of Community Action Agencies - Community Action Partnership in the performance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, expansion supplement to Grant Number 90ET0424. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.