Greg’s Story – Hitting the Ground Running

Greg came across a flyer for EMERGE while he was still incarcerated. He reached out and connected with our staff while still in prison.  Because he was so eager to get going, his case manager arranged for him to start work on the day after his release. Greg hit the ground running. 

Hired at Second Chance, one of EMERGE’s social enterprises, Greg quickly learned the job skills needed and became an asset to the team. He completed Fork Lift Training and accepted all types of on-the-job training available. He took advantage of virtually everything EMERGE had to offer.  This included mental health support, Job Club, Financial Wellness classes, and trauma recovery assistance. Greg participated in everything.

Greg told us, “I knew I had to get back in the swing of things and work my way up. The staff at EMERGE believed in me, so I believed in them. I didn’t want to let anyone down.”

Over his time with us, Greg learned a lot. Most importantly, he learned to believe in himself, seeing potential he never knew was there.  He used his new resume, his new interview skills, and his new self-confidence to transition out of Second Chance Recycling and into a new job. Eighteen months after leaving prison, Greg had stable housing, money in the bank, and a car. He now works for a concrete construction company,making $42 an hour.

What’s next for Greg?  Here’s what he told us.  “I am getting my one-year goals out of the way, and I have my 5 year goals written down. I’m confident in them. I don’t have time to make mistakes anymore. I’m very optimistic that my future is bright.”

Looking for a job? This event is a great opportunity to connect with professionals, employers, and companies! Open to everyone in the community, this career fair offers walk-in interviews and you could get hired on the spot. Don’t forget your resume!

When: August 3, 2022
Time: 10AM – 2PM
Where: 1834 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Featured positions including: Accounting, Administration, Counseling, Culinary, Customer Service, Dietary, Facilities, Finance, General Labor, Home Health Aide, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Nursing Support, Retail/Support, Social Work, Transportation, Warehouse, and more!

Register Here

Need help with your resume for the career fair? Join us Monday, August 1st or Tuesday, August 2nd for a preparation session from 11-2PM at 1834 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Featured Employers at EMERGE Career Fair:

Every year in May, the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) hosts an amazing, free event called Art-A-Whirl, the largest open art studio tour in the country. Thousands of artists, galleries, and businesses participate at over 60 locations in Northeast Minneapolis. Enjoy live music and demonstrations, while hanging out with artists, as well as visiting local restaurants and breweries at Art-A-Whirl.

While you’re there, make sure to stop by Furnish Office & Home, a social enterprise of EMERGE Community Development. Located in the Northrup King Building, Furnish Office & Home is a nonprofit retail store where you can find great deals on an ever-changing selection of used and new office and home furnishings. 

During Art-a-Whirl, you can save 10% off everything in the store and 50% off all artwork! Save money, support people who need jobs, and keep high quality furniture out of the landfill. Everyone wins!

Art-a-Whirl

Art-a-Whirl is kicking off on Friday, May 20 from 5-10pm and continues on Saturday from noon-8pm and Sunday from noon-5pm! More information, activities, online directory, and shopping online can be found on their website.

Don’t forget to download a free Metro Transit pass for easy access to Art-A-Whirl! Buses that route through Northeast Minneapolis include the 10, 11, and 32. For more information on getting around art-a-whirl, click here.

Furnish Office & Home

Furnish Office & Home has one of the largest selections of used office furniture in the Twin Cities, and in addition to the environmental benefit of reducing waste and limiting landfill use, purchases support on-site job training for trainee employees. Furnish offers retail and warehouse work experience for adults who have not held steady employment. The six-month program focusing on good attendance, a positive attitude, getting along well with others, and a strong work ethic, prepares trainee employees for a full-time mainstream job. In addition, Furnish receives donated merchandise from local corporations, companies, and individuals, and purchases from closeouts, returns, and overstock merchandise. Furnish recently expanded its services to include decommissions for businesses moving locations or going out of business. Working in tandem with Second Chance, decommissioned inventory is either sold on the Furnish floor or recycled.

You can stay connected by following their social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram!

EMERGE is very excited to announce that we will be resuming in-person services beginning Monday April 4th at our EMERGE Career & Technology Center and Cedar-Riverside locations. All programs and services will be represented, and walk-ins are encouraged. The new building hours are Monday-Thursday from 9am to 4pm. 

Come visit us at one of our service center locations! We are thrilled to provide in-person services and continue to support thousands of people in building careers to brighter futures.

EMERGE Community Development
1834 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Cedar-Riverside Opportunity Center
505 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454

We are also planning to host an Open House in the spring when the weather warms up, so stay tuned for upcoming details. In the mean time, we are engaging with our community to celebrate Earth Day!

On Saturday, April 23, EMERGE will host a volunteer clean up event from 10am-12pm at two locations: EMERGE and Second Chance Recycling. This coming Earth Day, a day to celebrate and protect our planet, you can make a difference in supporting a cleaner planet! We take pride in our community and what better time to clean up some trash than in celebration of Earth Day? Register for this event on our Eventbrite page.

We hope to see you soon!

Ryan first heard about EMERGE through his halfway house. He was on work release – which means he was given 2 months to find work. Two weeks before the deadline, he found out about EMERGE and went to an Info Session.

The day after he first met his career coach, she sent him information about a job fair at New French Bakery. At the job fair, he interviewed well and got the job! But, reliable transport was still an issue. Ryan did not have a car, and because he was assigned the second shift and needed to work in the middle of the night, he also could not take the bus. Luckily, he was able to get a ride to work through EMERGE’s van service.

Ryan says he was only scheduled 3 or 4 times a week but would get last-minute shifts. Troy, EMERGE’s lead van driver, was really flexible. He was still able to drive Ryan last minute so that he could pick up these extra shifts and work overtime.

Normally, a worker needs to be with New French Bakery for 6 months before getting a promotion, but after 3 months New French Bakery made an exception for Ryan.Out of 400 overtime hours put in company-wide for the month, 96 of those hours were Ryan. He was promoted to Shipping Manager at 15 dollars per hour.

Ryan said, “I wasn’t sure where my life was going to go. I didn’t know if I would get a job. I got this job and it really changed everything for me. Without EMERGE I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.”

Ryan says he plans to stay with New French Bakery and continue to move up in the company.

After a long illness kept her out of the workforce, Jackie decided she needed to make a change. Because of her criminal background, she knew it would not be easy. She had completed a construction training course and earned her commercial driver’s license. Despite these credentials, she was not getting interviews.

The turning point came when Jackie got an interview at the former Momentum Enterprises, now EMERGE’s social enterprise division. She has been a trainee in our Custom Manufacturing business since June. For Jackie, this job has been transformative.

She says, “This experience has made me confident that I can do a job and work 8 hours every day. Not be late and get it done. For me, it’s a good thing. It’s the best thing so far. After being sick, getting a job and working those forty hours is a big deal. I can help support my family.”

Helping participants to become work-ready is central to our work at EMERGE. After being out of the workforce for months or years, many people are simply out of practice. They are no longer used to the routine of working a shift, being on time, and being accountable to a supervisor. Some companies entirely refuse to hire workers who do not have recent work experience. Now, EMERGE is positioned to help people prepare for private-sector jobs by building 6 – 12 months of work history in one of our enterprises.

Janet Ludden, EMERGE’s new Executive Vice President (formerly President of Momentum Enterprises), says, “People can come off the street and walk into EMERGE and get a job. There is a whole array of options leading to permanent employment. If they are not ready for full-time permanent employment, they can be hired through our social enterprises. The biggest benefit of the merger is helping more people facing significant barriers turn their lives around.”

Lydia lost her job and then her home. She was pregnant and concerned about the future of her baby. She applied for public assistance, but she knew that she needed to improve herself. Then, Lydia learned about EMERGE and she became part of a pilot program we’ve led over the past year.

The program was designed to pilot new ways to work with MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Program) recipients. We’ve encouraged people to think beyond a low-wage job. Instead, each participant is encouraged to pursue training for a career pathway with higher earning potential. EMERGE coaches help remove barriers, so participants can focus on school. Once EMERGE helped Lydia secure stable housing, she was ready to dive into a five-month Community Health Worker program.

But getting started was not without challenges. School wasn’t easy, especially with a new baby. “I just passed my GED by the skin of my nose, so it was a challenge to get through this.” With support and encouragement from her coach, Lydia not only completed the training, but she also excelled at it, receiving all A’s and B’s in her classes.

Over the past year, we’ve shown that when MFIP participants have access to training funds, a career coach, and assistance to overcome barriers like housing and transportation, they can pursue new goals and reach new heights. Lydia is just one of them. So far, 53 other participants are either enrolled in a training program or have completed one. In fact, for those who have completed training and are employed, the average wage is nearly $13 an hour, well above the projected project goal.

Not all eligible participants have seized the opportunity as Lydia did. For some people, it’s difficult to see beyond the immediate desire to be employed, as opposed to committing time and effort to training. But Lydia is glad she did. “I think the program was just amazing. I’m a new person today.”

Upon completing her certificate, Lydia got a job with EMERGE partner Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ). While at NAZ, she built relationships with North Minneapolis families, to help them find ways to become more successful, too. She has since left NAZ to focus on her education. She’s identified a passion for public speaking and is pursuing her associate’s degree in Communications. Lydia is ready for what her future holds. “I know I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the program.”

For 7 years, Denise was a full-time grandmother while her daughter held a job outside of the home. But this summer, Denise’s daughter decided she wanted to quit her job to stay home with the children. Denise panicked, knowing she would have to find paid work.

“Who wants to hire an almost 50-year-old person? I was scared, frustrated, depressed, mad, feeling useless. For a week I cried, cried, cried.”

Denise’s son Alex* was an EMERGE participant at the time. He told Denise to contact EMERGE, too. She wasn’t sure.

“I thought, oh, he’s young. They help the young people, they don’t help the old.”

Soon after, Denise stopped by EMERGE and met Mike West, EMERGE’s Career Coach. He helped Denise fill out several job applications. A few days later, she had a job offer from a transportation company – and before the start date, she had time to complete the New Beginnings Career Workshop.

Denise’s outlook on life has completely changed, “I don’t have to look at my age because I’m qualified to do whatever I decide to do.” When asked what advice she would pass on to others considering EMERGE, Denise shared: “You can work and you can provide for your own self and you can provide for your family. . . Don’t give up. Trust that you can do what you need to do. You can be where you want to be at in life. Your life matters – you can do it.“

Growing up, Deandre struggled in school. Due to family issues, his mom moved the family frequently, making it hard to keep up. He also suffered from test anxiety and says, “I didn’t think I would go far. I told myself I wasn’t smart enough.”

During the summer after his junior year of high school, Deandre had to attend summer school to catch up. That was when he realized he needed to make a change. He put in extra effort to make up for lost time: “I went to summer school every day. I took extra classes.”

Deandre was able to graduate high school on time, but he didn’t know what to do next. He practiced basketball every day but did not have direction or a career goal. Before joining North 4, he was unemployed and not attending school.

EMERGE North 4 Coordinator, Ron Williams, worked hard to recruit Deandre. Deandre says, “At first I was avoiding him, but I finally came to EMERGE. Ron is like my uncle now. He helped me focus on a task before moving on, he helped me be a better listener. I was surprised by how much he really cared.” During North 4, Deandre had an internship in construction. He was also chosen as a BUILD Leader and served the community as a role model & teaching an anti-violence curriculum to elementary-aged children. He says, “My brothers look up to me now. Even my older brothers!”

With renewed confidence, Deandre recently made the decision to attend college. With EMERGE’s help, Deandre applied to and was accepted at Minnesota West Community & Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota. He will attend this fall and was chosen to play basketball on the college team. Deandre doesn’t know what the future holds, but says, “Now I know I am smart enough.”

K’Sean was homeless and struggling when he came to EMERGE. When he first walked through our doors, he didn’t know what to expect. “I thought it would be like any other workforce center, I would fill out forms. I didn’t expect to meet all these great people. At EMERGE, they dedicate themselves personally to help you achieve. For a lot of people, it’s just a job, but here at EMERGE you really become a family and a community.”

K’Sean now has goals and was able to use resources through the North 4 program to work towards them. “I wanted to find a career. And that’s what they helped me do at EMERGE. With North 4, we went on college tours and did mock interviews.”

K’Sean was placed at Redeemer Center for Life for his North 4 internship. He flourished there, and they helped him find stable housing. Since completing North 4, K’Sean was able to continue working with EMERGE. He now has a steady temp job at Highlight Printing through EmergeWORKS.

“I’ve learned a lot of things. I’m planning to follow a career in this. I can grow into it.” K’Sean has the potential to be hired on and says, “So far, they are very welcoming. My supervisor, Lisa, has been helpful and helped accommodate me so I can get this experience.”

K’Sean has made a huge shift in his life and goals. “I’m still new to all this. I’m learning I don’t need to be afraid of change. I’m still learning how to react to everything changing so fast. These new changes are a lot of positive things. I am a new me – from the person who I was to the person I am becoming.“