Springfield WORKS Hosts Community Empowerment Grant Press Event & Community Conversation

Springfield WORKS/Working Cities Challenge, a community-wide initiative with the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, hosted a “Community Empowerment Grant Press Event & Community Conversation” earlier this week. The funding from a grant received at the beginning of 2023 was aimed at helping to facilitate systemic socioeconomic changes in the city of Springfield. Part of the process was to conduct trauma-informed assessments with residents to learn how organizations can be better positioned to aid in the needed changes. We’re thrilled by the outcomes and excited to share them with you in this video.

Thank you to our Learning Community of Practice partner agencies:

• Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council
• Helix Human Services
• Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start, Inc.
• Holyoke Community College
• HOME CITY DEVELOPMENT INC
• MassHire Springfield Career Center
• New North Citizens Council
• Springfield School Volunteers
• Square One (Springfield Day Nursery)

Here are a couple of great quotes from The Reminder article.

Springfield WORKS Executive Director Anne Kandilis shared that through this grant, it ensures that every person, regardless of background, can have a job.

Based on the project’s results, some of the challenges revealed that nearly half of the people with criminal backgrounds are still jobless a year after leaving prison, which impacts Black, Latino and people of color disproportionately. Nearly 40% of previously incarcerated individuals or families impacted by incarceration reported they did not know how or where to connect to local resources.

The assessment included 170 participants — 60% of which were Latino, 23% were Black or African American, 11% white, 3% mixed race and 2% other or undisclosed. Of those participants, 49% have been incarcerated and 67% have a family member who was incarcerated.

The methodology, explained by Kandilis, was to develop a trauma informed and response called “Ready, Willing & Able,” which is an online assessment tool used to identify services and make referrals.

Evaluator Pieta Blakely shared some of the findings.

She noted that all the clients felt this was a positive experience and all felt seen and heard, while the majority accessed a new resource.

Other impacts and outcomes revealed that 94% of clients reported that they now know where to access help addressing a barrier to employment, while 147 of 170 participants received direct referrals to help them reach their employment goals.

Additional results include agencies’ knowledge on skills to provide better services, clients establishing safety, connection and trust, and indications that partner agencies will continue using the assessment tool beyond this project.

Read more here: https://www.westernmassedc.com/western-mass-edc-and-springfield-works-host-press-event/

As part of the $500,000 Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant awarded in January 2023, Springfield WORKS, with eight sub-grantee partners conducted assessments to Springfield residents who are justice-system involved. The intention was to learn how to address the challenge that nearly half of people with criminal backgrounds are still jobless a year after leaving prison and that 40% of previously incarcerated individuals and families impacted by incarceration reported that they did not know how or where to connect to local resources.