Impact Grant will allow nonprofit to hire a case manager to focus on barriers to employment

July 28, 2023

Why did a nonprofit founded to promote HIV prevention and testing in low-income communities do a hard pivot to become an employment solutions provider?

“We couldn’t talk about HIV prevention because people kept telling us, ‘We need jobs,’ ” said Eula Burge, Chief Executive Director of Proactive Community Services (PCS) in Flossmoor. “We had to get access to other services instead of just HIV prevention.”

That was 18 years ago. Today, PCS serves about 4,000 residents a year in 27 south Cook County suburbs, referring them to apprenticeship and job training programs run by partner agencies. PCS has been able to successfully place about half in jobs and follow up every three months and again a year later. Most are women, and all need wraparound services to tackle a plethora of disadvantages. Burge can name them as if reading from a list.

“Poverty, substance abuse, violence, low income, no insurance, lack of access to medical care, low-wage jobs, lack of living wage, no benefits, not being banked, no assets, impact of the wealth gap, social determinants of health, housing insecurity, chronic diseases, high mortality rates, homicide rates, all those things. And being in the southern suburbs, transportation can be an issue,” she said. “You have to help the people with their barriers they encounter before you can help them find employment.”

The barriers she mentioned are most profound in communities such as Harvey, Dixmoor, Chicago Heights, Markham and Riverdale that lack outside investment and have more liquor stores than grocery stores, and limited access to fresh foods. Some of the challenges are generational, others can pop up suddenly and require urgent action.

“We had a young lady who wanted to start a CNA nursing program. She was expecting and her partner jumped on her. She called us on a Friday, and we couldn’t find shelter. So, we got her a hotel room for the weekend, bought diapers and gave her money for food until we could place her. She ultimately did finish and become a CNA. But she had to remove that barrier first.”

PCS doesn’t turn away anybody, which can place an additional burden on the organization and its staff. Burge said grants don’t cover every expense people are dealing with, such as paying rent and utilities. “So, we do that out of our pocket.”

It occurred to Burge and her staff that the missing link in this dire picture was an employment specialist who can also perform the duties of a case manager. Someone who can assess everyone’s critical needs and job readiness so they can take full advantage of the resources available and be successful. Now, with a $100,000 Impact Grant from Northern Illinois Community Initiatives (NICI), PCS can hire a case manager who understands the special circumstances of its clientele and can connect them to resources to hold them over on their way to self-sufficiency.

The grant also will bolster two new programs focused on living wage jobs. RiseKit is a software tool that identifies undisclosed job openings and assesses skills, then finds employers who are looking for those capabilities. The other is called Transfer, which allows for simulation training of specialized skills such as welding, aircraft maintenance and repair, and nursing.

“The goal is to try to help you focus on a living wage job with real benefits with healthcare and dental and vision care. Where you can really take care of yourself,” she said.

Burge said the Impact Grant came as a surprise and a blessing. NICI staff contacted PCS and did a site visit and encouraged her to apply for the grant.

“They’re called Impact Grants, because that is what they are intended to do: measurably improve nonprofits’ ability to reach more people, provide more and better resources to achieve the optimum results,” said Tovah McCord, NICI Executive Director. “Ultimately, it’s about helping them create spaces and pathways that lead to a better life.”

And for that, Burge had two words: “Praise God.”