Last month was busy at Employment Connection! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for all of the latest info on our programs and events. And if you're not already receiving our monthly newsletter in your inbox, click here to sign up.
Here's just some of what Employment Connection has been up to in October.
Giving Tuesday: November 30th
Plan to spend your Giving Tuesday with Employment Connection—our “Giving Tools Day” campaign seeks to provide our full assortment of tools to an additional 21 clients in 2021 by raising $40,000! Clients will receive our one-of-a-kind soft skills World of Work training, covering such essentials as resume writing, financial management, time management, verbal and nonverbal communication, and more. Clients will also receive a complimentary needs assessment to identify any unmet mental health or material needs that act as barriers to sustained employment—with ongoing counseling, housing assistance, clothing assistance, transportation, and other material assistance available to those in need.
Get to know Employment Connection by taking our all new Virtual Tour on Giving Tuesday. Each hour, we’ll post videos that introduce you to the secret of our sustained success: our amazing staff! Or, come celebrate with us afterwards during Happy Hour (details forthcoming)!
Interested in supporting the Giving Tools Day movement? Contact Ravi Rao (raor@employmentstl.org or 314-333-5645) for sponsorship opportunities, or to make a tax-deductible gift!
Sponsorship levels:
Nuts and Bolts Sponsor ($1,500+): Name and logo on all event signage, invitations, social media posts, and newsletter.
Hand Tools Sponsor ($2,500+): Name and logo featured on virtual background for videos, plus Nuts & Bolts.
Power Tools Sponsor ($5,000+): 2-5 minute interview with Sponsor’s representative highlighting their community involvement. Aired at close of the Virtual Tour, at 5PM. Includes Hand Tools recognition.
Matching Gift Sponsor ($10,000+): 2-5 minute interview with Sponsor’s representative highlighting their community involvement. Aired at 11AM of the Virtual Tour. Will be introduced as matching gift sponsor at start of Virtual Tour, and throughout the event. Logo will be featured on the event donation page(s). Includes Hand Tool recognition.
St. Louis and Kansas City Mayors Visit with Cure Violence
Employment Connection’s Cure Violence team and the Neighborhood Innovation Center recently hosted an event focused on reducing crime in the community. The event was highlighted by the appearance of City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. Special thanks to Employment Connection staff member Christopher “Brother El” Jones for being a special guest speaker and tour guide during the event.
Cure Violence in the Community for Halloween Weekend
Our Cure Violence Teams in Wells-Goodfellow/Hamilton Heights and Dutchtown took to the streets to celebrate Halloween with the community! Teams visited Trunk-or-Treats and neighborhood block parties to distribute treats and PPE. The Wells-Goodfellow/Hamilton Heights Team also hosted an Intro to Boxing program for neighborhood kids.
Neighborhood Assistance Program
The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) allows Missouri taxpayers to direct how their taxes are used by donating to state approved charitable organizations like Employment Connection. Employment Connection has been approved to provide $250,000 in state tax credits to our supporters!
Any person, firm, or corporation with business income in the State of Missouri can take full advantage of NAP Tax Credits.
Eligible donors will receive a state tax credit equaling 50% of their gift to Employment Connection, which may be applied to state tax liability for up to five years! Combined with a federal and state charitable income tax deduction, this credit lowers the actual cost of your gift significantly.
For more information, contact Ravi Rao at raor@employmentstl.org or 314-333-5645 or visit employmentstl.org/nap.
WIOA Program
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Out of School Youth program targets the 16-24 population with various societal barriers. Employment Connection's dedicated staff assists with achieving short-term and long-terms goals for employment and education. We partner with thriving employers throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area who provide paid work experience and on-the-job training to our participants. These opportunities often lead to permanent employment opportunities. Additionally, the WIOA program has funding available to further education and provide supportive services, such as transportation assistance.
If you know a young person that may benefit from this program, please call us directly at 314-615-6052 or email wioastl@employmentstl.org.
Blattel & Associates Holiday Toy Drive
St. Peters-based financial planning firm Blattel & Associates is teaming up with Employment Connection to provide gifts to our clients’ children this holiday season. Help our clients provide a happy holiday for their families as they make their way along the path to self-sufficiency.
New or gently used, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at:
Blattel & Associates, 1258 Jungermann Rd.
Cutter & Company, 15415 Clayton Rd.
Dudas Fitness, 3963 Old Highway 94
Rosciglione Bakery, 2265 Bluestone Dr.
Thies Farm, 3200 Greens Bottom Rd.
Grant from Cigna Foundation
Employment Connection is thrilled to begin a partnership with the Cigna Foundation, whose $75,000 grant will enable us to pilot a Young Heroes program that will build a pathway to healthcare careers for youth from underserved communities.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Employment Connection celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th through October 15th. We featured a number of profiles of Hispanic difference makers, which you can find on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We thank these individuals and the entire Hispanic community of St. Louis for their outstanding contributions to our culture.
In October, we highlighted Adina O'Neal of City Mission Collective, Sandra Zambrano of the St. Louis City Counselor's Office, Cristina Garmendia of URBNRX, Jomo Castro of AT&T, and Diego Abente of Casa de Salud. We thank these individuals and the entire Hispanic community of St. Louis for their outstanding contributions to our culture.
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