SOUL e-Newsletter
August 1, 2011
Recruit, Train, and Employ (RTE) Program
Laborers Local 319 is offering free construction training to Joplin residents to help rebuild the areas of the city that were devastated by the May 22nd tornado as well as the lives of those affected by it.
The 3-week Recruit, Train and Employ (RTE) program teaches participants basic construction skills, OSHA safety training and offers possible opportunities for employment with construction companies active in the rebuilding of Joplin, MO.
"The last thing a community trying to rebuild needs is low wage unskilled workers shipped in from outside the area," said Stacey Salmon, Special Marketing Representative for LIUNA Rebuilds Joplin, Local 319's post-tornado outreach program to help put Joplin and it's residents back on their feet.
"Training local folks, especially those that have been displaced, marketable skills that are needed to rebuild our homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure is a win-win situation," said Salmon, "putting people right here in Joplin to work rebuilding our city will help rebuild our economy and, hopefully the lives of some folks who lost everything."
LIUNA Local 319 has received more than 300 inquiries about the program and signed up more than 100 applicants since July 18th. The first 3-week session began Monday, July 25th and has 24 participants. Of those 24, one is female.
Find them on Facebook: laborerslocal319rebuildjoplin
Great Plains LIFE and "Stay 4" Project
In the United States, over 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year. That places the U.S. at 19th in the world for high school drop out rates, down from #1 in 1970.
Midwest Regional Vice President John Penn saw a need to combat this continual decline. In 2004, he founded the Great Plains LIFE Foundation (Laborers' International Funding for Education). The mission of Great Plains LIFE, which is based in Normal, IL, "is to strengthen America and is workforce by providing committed volunteers to help encourage and inspire students with limited resources to graduate from high school and assist them with future educational opportunities, scholarships and financial support for their continuing efforts."
The "Stay 4" Project is a special program that has been embraced by Great Plains LIFE. "Stay 4" works to identify and support students that have the potential to succeed but are looked at as being at risk for dropping out. Students are chosen at the start of their junior year. In order to stay in the program, the students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, participate in at least 1 extra-curricular activity and provide 10 hours of community service each year. Great Plains LIFE "help(s) each student with the opportunities to explore prospective colleges, financial aid, and scholarships." All students that graduate the program and choose to enroll in trade school, community college or a 4-year college will be awarded a minimum $1000 support grant by Great Pains LIFE to aid in furthering their educational endeavors.
2008 marked the first year students were selected to be a part of "Stay 4". The initial group consisted of 33 students. In 2010, 29 of those 33 students graduated from high school and 26 went on to a community college or a 4-year college! Today there are 96 students participating in "Stay 4" from about 20 high schools throughout Central Illinois. This is an amazing program that the Laborers are involved in! To learn more, visit www.stay4.org. Interested in donating your time, treasure or talent to this wonderful program or want to know how to bring "Stay 4" to a high school in your area? Contact Great Plains LIFE at (309) 828-3406 or gplife@hotmail.com.
SOUL Update
On July 23, Anna and I attended Laborers Local 231's Family Picnic in Pekin, IL! Despite the heat, we had a wonderful time and signed up 33 women for SOUL! We just may have another Local ready to charter! Keep spreading the word about SOUL!
SOUL 177, our first chartered group, is off and running! Keep on the look out for the new SOUL logo designed by members of SOUL 177!
Don't forget to join us on Facebook! Just search for Sisters of Union Laborers and request to join!
Sincerely,
Megan Hardy
Researcher
Midwest Region LECET
(402) 305-3305 CELL
(402) 734-0132 FAX
mhardy@midwestlaborers.org
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