Latest news from FreshMinistries http://freshministries.org Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:43:56 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://freshministries.org/images/M_images/feedicon.png http://freshministries.org Latest news from FreshMinistries http://freshministries.org/content/view/256/139/ FreshMinistries helps youths with summer jobs Some participants experienced their first real employment Florida Times-Union (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-08-04/story/freshministries-helps-youths-summer-jobs) Chelcee Geddes is an 18-year-old who knows where she is headed. And thanks to FreshMinistries, she has the tools to get there. A talented dancer, Geddes already had a full scholarship to Sante Fe College in Gainesville. But after joining FreshMinistries' Summer Youth Employment program, she had a job. The summer program employed about 40 Eastside youths at local businesses for the summer. Geddes was hired as a children's ballet teacher at Expressions Dance in Jacksonville Inc. Every Friday night, she and other teenagers ages 15 to 18 learned resume building, money management and job-hunting skills from mentors at FreshMinistries East Jacksonville Resource Center. Then Fresh Ministries connected them with local businesses for summer employment. Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Scheidel Foundation and the Jaguars Foundation funded the program, including helping pay the youths' wages. For many participants, this was their first employment experience. A celebration luncheon for the students and sponsoring organizations was held Wednesday at Beaver Street Enterprise Center, where the youths were recognized for their forays into employment. Geddes' professionalism made such an impact on her employer, Expressions Dance co-owner Neisha Butler, that Butler announced at the celebration that she was invited to continue her employment after summer's end. "We loved her," Butler said. "She and the kids had a chemistry. ... They thought they had a friend in Miss Chelcee and they learned from her." During the program, several participants, like Geddes, were asked by their summer employers to continue on staff. Geddes said she was grateful to FreshMinistries to have the opportunity to work. She said she learned "the steps it takes to get to our success and how to manage our money." Other participants, like Rickey Floyd, learned how to better communicate in addition to gaining employment. Floyd said the program helped him to communicate with his family, and he and his parents have discussed spending more time together. The 17-year-old is a senior and is planning on a career in engineering. Nathaniel Washington, whom the youths call "coach," has been a coordinator at FreshMinistries for three years and a mentor for more than 25 years. He told the youths during the ceremony, "Work is part of a good life. So you young people get ready for a good life." See more photos here (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197190&l=9df980e591&id=241821820671). News - News Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:01:33 +0100 http://freshministries.org/content/view/255/139/ Beaver Street grad becomes 'poster child' for SBA Andy Harold, president and CEO of A. Harold Associates, grew his small business into a multi-million dollar enterprise spanning the nation while at Beaver Street Enterprise Center (http://www.bsecenter.net) (BSEC). While he was a tenant there, he was able to focus on growing his business, expanding his contracts, finding new clients and developing his banking relationships. Now, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) is using him as their new poster child while campaigning for more small business loan help from the federal government. David Bauerlein from the Florida Times-Union has the story (http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-07-27/story/head-sba-cites-jacksonville-firm-make-case-resuming-loan-program): Andy Harold says when he started his Jacksonville business in 2003, it had three employees — “me, myself and I.” On Tuesday, the continued growth of A. Harold and Associates got the attention of U.S. Small Business Administrator Karen Mills. She visited the firm at its Southside location and said its growth shows why Congress should pump more money into a program that has persuaded hesitant banks to make loans. “If we’re going to have recovery, we’re going to have to do it with our small business owners,” she said. “We need to give them the tools to do the job.” A. Harold and Associates has received two loans totalling $1.1 million since the credit crunch hit in 2008. The most recent loans enabled the company to hire 10 more people — boosting the workforce to 52. Regions Bank made the loans through the Small Business Administration program. “We’ve been able to grow and expand, but we would not have been able to do it without the banking team taking a chance on us,” Harold said. The federal economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama in early 2009 earmarked money to beef up the Small Business Administration’s loans. For one group of loans, the federal government’s guarantee in the event of default increased to 90 percent from 75 percent, which meant the banks were on the hook for less if the loans went bad. The Small Business Administration also cut the fees that borrowers paid for the loan transactions, making it less costly for them to get loans. In Harold’s case, for instance, the waiver of fees eliminated $33,000 in loan-related expenses. Obama, speaking at the White House on Tuesday, also pressed the Senate to vote on a bill geared toward small businesses. In addition to extending the provisions for Small Business Administration loans through the end of 2010, the package of items would give tax breaks to small businesses and create a $30 billion fund supporting loans by small banks to small businesses. The legislation has faced questions about whether it would fuel loans going to businesses that aren’t creditworthy and will wind up being unable to repay. Mills said banks continue to take a financially conservative stance when considering loan applications from small businesses, even when the businesses are in growth mode and only need financing to expand and hire more workers. She said after the federal money ran out to provide enhanced loans, the number of Small Business Administration loans approved by banks plummeted. “This is not the time to pull back,” she said. She said the economic stimulus bill cleared the way for $30 billion of Small Business Administration loans to about 70,000 businesses at a cost to taxpayers of $680 million. A. Harold and Associates’ Small Business Administration loan made it possible for the firm to hire more staff as a result of winning a $6.9 million Army contract to manufacture and distribute electric kits for a training simulator. Harold said the loan gives bridge financing for the firm to expand and be ready to carry out the contract. Check out this video featuring Andy Harold while he was a tenant at BSEC: News - News Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:02:51 +0100 http://freshministries.org/content/view/253/139/ JHI prepares for expansion The Jacksonville Hospitality Institute's (JHI) instructors have completed their levels 1, 2 and 3 training for the American Hotel Lodging Association in preparation for statewide expansion of JHI's program. Although the details for the expansion are not being released yet, the expansion is based on JHI's refugee training program (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/244/139/), which offers a 5-week, abbreviated version of the 10-week full-length regular course JHI has offered for the past three years. More info on JHI's training success for refugees: http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/232/139/ News - News Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:41:46 +0100 http://freshministries.org/content/view/252/139/ Neighborhood association a platform for Jacksonville residents who care By East Jacksonville Neighborhood Resource Center (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/168/262/), they are a powerful partnership for positive change. A longtime neighborhood activist, Love has volunteered with the resource center, a FreshMinistries initiative, since it opened its doors in 2007. Once the center began being utilized by local residents, it was recognized as a secure central meeting place and, soon, the Eastside Neighborhood Association (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/167/255/) was formed. Love took a leadership role from the beginning, serving as co-chairwoman with Shareef Haleem, and devoting countless hours to rallying residents for monthly meetings, anti-crime walks with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, neighborhood trash cleanups and the planting of a community garden. When not involved in outreach efforts, Love also provides support to the resource center's Summer Youth Employment Program (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/218/291/) and she is the chairwoman of the Weed Seed Steering Committee. Despite battling serious health issues this past year, Janice Love never gives up, said Beverly Toney, Community Director for FreshMinistries. Headquartered at the Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, Toney says that she sees Love working on behalf of the neighborhood nearly every day. Janice sets the standard for dedicated volunteerism, said Toney. She is an inspiration to the young people of this area, especially those like Jawaun, who are on their way to becoming community leaders in their own right. A new graduate of Jackson High School, Jawaun Hazelton is helping to organize the meetings for the Summer Youth Employment Program at the Center after school and on Saturdays, but as for himself, he has already lined up a part-time job for the summer of 2010. I've been working here after school for nearly three years, volunteering most of that time, he said. Being here has given me lots of free job training, and now I'm part of the staff. I have confidence I never had before and I know I'm helping the people in my neighborhood. Love agreed. Jawaun is an intelligent young man who takes pride in his job and is here every day, Love said. I love to see youth taking leadership roles in improving this neighborhood. We're training leaders here every day. News - News Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:17:05 +0100 http://freshministries.org/content/view/251/139/ Beaver Street Enterprise Center wins 2010 Incubator of the Year Award Via Kevin Turner, Jacksonville.com The National Business Incubation Association honored the Beaver Street Enterprise Center with its Incubator of the Year award Tuesday. The center took the award, named after the NBIA’s former president and CEO Danah Adkins, in its non-technology category. The announcement was made at the NBIA’s national conference in Orlando. “This award would not have been possible without the dedication and support of our resource partners, our clients, board members and the community,” said Jackie Perry, executive director of the Beaver Street Enterprise Center. “It’s our award.” The award also came with a $2,000 check for the center, Perry said. “It was very exciting, when you consider there’s about 1100 incubators in the world,” Perry said. “For the judges to decide we rated that kind of recognition made us feel really special. They evaluate programs and services, looking at financial solvency, the management team, and the uniqueness of the program.” Business incubation programs such as that at the Beaver Street Enterprise Center provide business entrepreneurs with the expertise and tools they need to get their business started up and operating. The mission of the center, an initiative of FreshMinistries, is to give an economic shot in the arm to Jacksonville’s urban core. The goal is to create jobs for local residents through the creation of businesses there. News - News Mon, 24 May 2010 08:16:32 +0100