Teens, customers benefit from IVFC worker program
Illinois Valley Family Coalition (IVFC) recently completed a new program for the valley, the Teen Community Services Work Project, that proved highly successful. There is a long list of individuals whose participation made the project a success, said Carol Ronan, IVFC executive director. “First would be the grantors who funded the project: The Carpenter Foundation, The Collins Foundation, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Juan Young Trust, Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO).
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“Next,” she said, “would be the 62 customers applying to the program.
“Then, there are the 71 teen-agers who applied to the program.
“And we appreciate the members of the Steering Committee who helped us set up the guidelines under which the program functioned.”
They are Jann Taylor, Three Rivers School District; Scott Thornhill, Boys & Girls Club, Illinois Valley Section; Bob Schumacher and Bill Moore, IVCDO; Patty Dickens-Turk, I.V. High School; Karen Connell, program coordinator; Al Lee, I.V. Senior Center.
Also, John Meengs, IVFC Board of Directors; Victoria Prince and Alexis Medina, IVHS students; Roger Brandt, National Park Service; Linda Blower, Rogue Community College; and James Sargent and Sherri Stratton, Job Council of the Rogue Valley.
Through June, the teens handled 1,070 hours of paid work. Nineteen customers replied to a program evaluation request with these results:
1. 100 percent said that the project had a positive effect on them.
2. Three customers said they had a better understanding of I.V. teen challenges.
3. Five commented on their satisfaction with the youth workers sent.
4. Ten said that they were able to get tasks completed that they could not have done themselves. Some of their comments were:
“*I was thinking of selling my house because of the upkeep. When I got teen workers, I was able to have work done I cannot do. This has made it possible for me to stay here. I will greatly miss this program.
*I cannot walk very well and needed help house cleaning. I was very pleased with the teen worker Karen sent me.
*I am elderly and needed to move. Karen made sure the teens had her to drive them back and forth between the old place and new. The teens worked fast to get the job done.
*I am disabled and so is my mom. We moved to a new house and needed boxes moved and unpacked. We could not do the work ourselves. We enjoyed our teen workers.
*I had two teens cut blackberry bushes. I am disabled and could not do it.
*I have terminal cancer. My property really needed mowing down for fire prevention. I was glad I could have a teen worker come and mow for a reasonable price.
*I am elderly and could not do all that leaf raking. Last time I tried, I fell down. The teen workers did the work for me and I was happy for the low price I had to pay.
*I could really use the help. I am disabled.”
5. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a negative opinion and 10 being positive opinion, customers rated an average of 8.7 on how the program positively influenced their opinion about teen workers.
Teen-agers worked 143 hours of community services assigned through the project, including:
*Serving at the monthly I.V. Senior Center pancake breakfast.
*Assisting at community fund-raising events with I.V. Little League, IVFC and the senior center.
*Doing landscape clean-up and maintenance at Siskiyou Field Institute and I.V. Visitor Center.
The goals of the program were achieved.
*Employment was provided for the Illinois Valley teens allowing them to earn an income and develop work experience. The students worked 1,070 hours of paid work through June.
*Teens received work ethics, tool safety and financial training to help them with future employment. Ten work ethics classes and nine tool safety classes were held during 2006 and 2007. Financial training was included in the work ethics classes.
Some 26 students attended the classes even though they did not pursue paid work through the program.
*The young workers were exposed to the needs of the senior and disabled persons in the area as planned. Through the entire program, some 53.5 percent of the customers where jobs were completed were seniors, 18.6 percent were disabled persons, and 9.3 percent were disabled seniors.
A total of 81.4 percent of the customers in the program were either senior or disabled persons; 18.6 percent of the customers were full-pay customers.
*Community awareness and neighborhood beautification were accomplished through the work projects and community services projects. Teens worked 143 hours of community services assigned through the project, including:
a. Serving customers at the monthly I.V. Senior Center pancake breakfast.
b. Assisting at community fund-raising events with Little League, IVFC and the senior center.
c. Doing landscape clean-up and maintenance at Siskiyou Field Institute and I.V. Visitor Center.
Ten teen-agers responded to the project evaluation. Eight said that they believe the work project will have a positive effect on their future:
“*It gives work experience for future jobs.
*Gives the opportunity to get job experience.
*Because it is a lot of helping the community and senior citizens in the valley.
*It helps us learn valuable skills to assist us in the future.
*I can put it on my resume and it is work experience.
*Because it’s great for kids that just want some money here and there.
*I got money!”
Ronan said 80 percent of the teen-agers reported that the program positively influenced their opinion about community pride, and 70 percent said that the program positively influenced their opinion about seniors and disabled persons.
“Not only did the teens and customers benefit from the program, but the coalition also benefited from managing of the work project,” Ronan added.
“We connected in a new way with community organizations and residents,” she said. “Our staff developed new skills and confidence in their abilities.
“Our services and resources were brought to the attention of other agencies, residents and schools. It strengthened our existing partnerships. The project allowed us to identify family needs and refer them to resources that could assist them.”
The project was funded from January 2006 through this summer. Funding ran out at about the same time the students returned to school for the fall.
“The work project accomplished its primary goals,” Ronan said, “but it was a program that could not be self-sustaining. Most of the customers could not afford to hire the students without the funding provided by the grantors.
“We are grateful to the community for it support of the program,” Ronan concluded.
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