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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1982, as part of a major commitment
to reach and serve the most needy
neighborhoods, the ZOE Christian Center
Church, community leaders and
representatives of various agencies came
together to form a community outreach
program that would seek to equip,
empower and unite individuals, families,
and communities. They succeeded and
formed ZOE N.E.E.D Program Inc., an
organization founded on the basis of
self-sufficiency.
The N.E.E.D Program is a recognized
not-for profit leader in community-based
outreach services to the Lawton area.
Staff and volunteers included an
Executive Director, a Project
Coordinator, two part time literacy
instructor, two AMERICORP*VISTA
volunteers, one part time Home program
counselor, one part time Job Training
and Placement Coordinator and two
part-time Youth Coordinators. Our
staff, board members, and many of the
community residents we serve provide
volunteer work for our projects and
community activities. Principal
outreach services include: Educational
Revitalization, Family Renewal, Health
and community Revitalization, and
Housing Redevelopment.
An Executive Board of Directors who has
ultimate authority concerning the
activities of the ZOE N.E.E.D Program,
Inc. is the governing body. They have
conferred on the Executive Director the
responsibility of implementing each
projects policies and procedures.
Overview of complete
Youth with Purpose
Program (YwP)
Target Population
The
Youth with Purpose program target youth
between the ages of 14-21 who have risk
factors or barriers that make it
difficult for them to make successful
transition into adulthood. Expected
participation rates are established by
each of the program’s three funding
sources: ASCOG/ Youth Program/Workforce
Investment Act, and Oklahoma Department
of Libraries. Seventy percent of the
youth served are 14- and 18-year olds,
30 percent are out-of-school, and 100
percent are low income.
Description
Youth
with Purpose offers participating youth
a variety of activities related to life
skills, academic skills, and career
preparation. Youth can participate in
youth development activities including
subsidized employment, after school
tutoring, personal or career mentoring,
GED preparation and college-based
training or group counseling on teen
issues. Our program also offers work
readiness/career exploration classes.
Other program activities include truancy
prevention and anger management
training. Youth enter the program on an
on-going basis typically from referrals
of partnering agencies working with
special needs youth.
Organization and Management
Continuing education and professional
development is encouraged and highly
valued, as evidenced by the annual
training allowance each staff member
receives. This educational assistance is
augmented by in-service education on
specific topics and statewide
professional training. Staff
participates in conferences to share
Youth with Purpose successful delivery
of youth services and gain from the
expertise of others in the field of
Youth Development.
Individual Focus and Age/Stage
Appropriate Outlook
Individual needs are addressed through a
comprehensive assessment, resource
identification, and strategic planning
with the youth, and other partners
involved. Youth with Purpose
Coordinators use standardized written
assessments and written and oral
interviews with youth, and school
personnel to identify strengths and
resources of the youth. The coordinators
and youth then develop an individual
service strategy that includes timelines
for accomplishing goals and activities.
Youth
with Purpose has developed a
comprehensive planning strategy that
responds to the stages of development
youth encounter. The strategy recognizes
two basic concerns for youth: staying
in school and finding a job. Based
on these concerns, Youth with Purpose
has identified three common themes:
self-development, career awareness, and
job training. Within each theme are the
three key development areas of academic,
life, and work skills. Based on the
focus of a particular program component,
these elements are mixed in varying
degrees to suit the need of the
identified youth.
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Self-development components
(typically for youth ages 14-16)
have a stronger mix of activities
that develop academic skills (40%),
which stress integrated math,
reading and computer skills, and
life skills (40%), focusing on
relationships and resources, than
work skills (20%), which concentrate
on learning about the nature of
work.
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Career awareness components (for
youth ages 16-19) provide the most
balanced mix of elements. Academic
skill development (33%) continues to
stress integrated math, reading, and
computer skills. Life skills (33%)
explores personal interests and
careers, and work skills (34%)
develops “soft skills.”
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Job training components (for youth
ages 19-21) have a stronger mix of
academic (40%) and work skills
(40%), focusing on developing and
applying technical skills, than life
skills (20%), which solidify life
choices with career choices.
Workforce Development
Employers provide input to programming
for Youth with Purpose by hosting job
shadowing or on-the-job training
experiences. Employers work with the
Youth coordinators to design work
experiences, tailoring them to the
youths’ interests and developmental
needs.
2001-2005
Success Narrative
Comparison of actual accomplishments to
goals:
The goal of the summer job training and
placement session was to provide a
practical opportunity to build critical
self-discipline, communication, work
readiness and occupational skills.
Measurements:
Intermediate Outcome: Youth with Purpose
staff, through a review of youth
evaluations, monitored progress toward
goal.
Actual Outcome:
Based on Life Skill post evaluations:
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85 % of youth improved in their
communication skills,
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84% of youth improved in their
teambuilding skills,
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86% of youth improved in their level
of respect for others,
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89% of youth agreed that the overall
life skill sessions were helpful in
improving their outlook on life,
school and work.
Based
on work readiness and occupational
skills post evaluations:
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96%
of all eligible participants were
place on work sites and completed
job readiness training.
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86 %
of youth agreed that they had
improved in their work readiness and
job skills,
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78%
enjoyed their summer work sites and
experienced something new.
Based
overall program evaluations:
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100 %
of youth agreed that staff provided
a supportive, non-threating, well
organized environment,
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87%
enjoyed youth agreed that the
overall program was beneficial to
them.
Overview of complete
ZOE Literacy
Program
Literacy Project Summary
The ZOE
N.E.E.D Literacy Project, established in
May of 1998 falls under the ZOE N.E.E.D
Program’s Educational and Family Renewal
model and currently represents a special
partnership between the Oklahoma
Department of Human Services (DHS), the
Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL),
United Way and the City of Lawton. The
objective of this project is to help
Comanche and Cotton County DHS
recipients become better readers,
parents, and citizens by raising the
level of literacy and life-skills that
are needed for successful long-term
employment and self-sufficiency.
The
Literacy Project provided 30 hours of
literacy and life-skills instruction for
approximately 150 DHS recipients a year.
DHS clients who participate in the ZOE
Literacy Project are all mandatory
participants, read at or below the 6th
grade level and are subject to
sanctioning procedures for
non-participation. Classes are held
Monday through Friday and attendance is
monitored very closely.
Overview of complete
ZOE HOME Program
Home Buyer Program
The Home Buyer Program was
established in 2000 and falls under the
ZOE N.E.E.D Program’s
community Revitalization, and Housing
Redevelopment
model and currently represents a special
partnership between the City of Lawton
and the ZOE N.E.E.D. Program. The
Home Program
assists income-eligible households with
the purchase of a home. There are two
components to the program. Applicants
are required to complete Home Buyer
education and training. Upon
completion, direct loans with a low or
no interest rate may be available to
assist with down payment, closing costs,
acquisition, rehabilitation,
weatherization and new construction.
Applicants must meet income guidelines
and cannot currently own a home. It is
not necessary to be a first-time
homebuyer. The property must be
single-family owner occupied, located in
the service area and meet Housing
Quality Standards to qualify for
assistance. Applicants must be able to
obtain permanent mortgage financing,
contribute at least $500 toward the down
payment, complete credit and housing
counseling and attend a workshop series
on the home purchase and ownership to be
eligible for financial assistance.
Home Buyer
education and training is required to
complete the program and qualify for
assistance. The three session workshop
offers practical tools, consumer
information and includes handouts for
each participant about the home buying
process. Areas that are covered
include: mortgage lending, realtor
services, weatherization and energy
efficiency, home inspection, and
insurance.
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