See the release below announcing the results of a recent U.S Department of Labor grant competition to fund smaller Faith and Community based organizations (FBCOs) to link their specialized clients up with local workforce services/programs offered through the One-Stop system (Regional Workforce Boards in Florida). Two of the 57 grants were awarded to the following organizations in Florida:

-Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition; Clearwater, Fla.; $75,000
-On Eagle's Wings (OEW) Women's Crisis Center; Lake City, Fla.; $75,000

Note that prior alerts of interest to Faith and Community-based organizations such as this are posted on the Florida “CBO-FBO Gateway” at http://www.workforceflorida.com/gateway/

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Department of Labor Awards $4 Million in Funding for Faith-Based and Community Organizations

6/28/2006 12:08:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Mike Volpe, 202-693-3984, or David James, 202-693-4676, both of the U.S. Department of Labor

WASHINGTON, June 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $4 million in grants to 55 faith-based and community organizations competitively chosen to help hard-to- serve populations prepare for and succeed in employment opportunities.

"This administration appreciates the effectiveness of faith- based and community organizations in helping workers find jobs and build a brighter future for themselves and their families," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "The grassroots projects funded through this $4 million initiative will reach out to those most in need by providing guidance and support in making use of employment services available through local One-Stop Career Centers."

Projects receiving awards will serve individuals who face significant hurdles to employment, including welfare recipients, high school dropouts, and ex-offenders. Grantees will provide personalized care and supportive services, such as mentoring or life skills coaching, to enable individuals to fully utilize the employment services offered at local One-Stop Career Centers.

"Faith-based and community organizations reach into communities, connecting individuals with barriers to employment to the resources available through local One-Stop Career Centers," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "These organizations often provide the bridge to assistance that changes lives and contributes to the stability of families and communities."

The grants are part of the Labor Department's ongoing effort to partner its existing programs with effective faith-based and community organizations to better serve the needy. Today's awards more than triple last year's funding and will allow recipients to expand services into their communities.

"We can always do better for Americans in need when we work together with every willing partner," said Jedd Medefind, director of the Labor Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. "The personal involvement and caring touch of faith-based and community organizations often make the critical difference between recurring struggles and new beginnings."

For more information on the Department of Labor's employment and training programs, please visit http://www.doleta.gov.

Following is a complete list of grantees:

Grassroots Faith-Based and Community Organization Grants

Awardee; Location; Amount

Wings of Faith, Inc. c/o Deotha M. Coleman; Detroit, Mich.; $75,000

Nogales Community Development Corporation; Nogales, Ariz.; $75,000

International Service Center; Harrisburg, Pa.; $74,834

Rhode Island Family Life Center; Providence, R.I.; $74,304

Rochester Landscape Technicians Program, Inc.; Rochester, N.Y.; $75,000

Recovery Association Project; Portland, Ore.; $75,000

Housing Preservation and Development Corporation; Richmond, Va.; $75,000

Sitka Works; Sitka, Alaska; $65,000

Camp Verde Adult Reading Program, Inc; Camp Verde, Ariz.; $75,000

Holly Community, Inc.; Salisbury, Md.; $75,000

Hard Hatted Women, Inc; Cleveland, Ohio; $75,000

Anewentry, Inc; Austin, Texas; $74,364

Pivotal Point Youth Services, Inc.; Oakland, Calif.; $75,000

Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County; Santa Rosa, Calif.; $74,478

Women's Opportunity Link of Delaware, Inc.; Wilmington, Del.; $75,000

New England Partners in Faith; Springfield, Mass.; $75,000

Schenectady Inner City Ministry; Schenectady, N.Y.; $75,000

The Good Shepherd Alliance, Inc; Leesburg, Va.; $75,000

Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, Inc.; New Britain, Conn.; $75,000

Springfield Community Federation; Springfield, Ill.; $73,602

Victory House of Lehigh Valley; Bethlehem, Pa.; $75,000

Turning The Tide, Inc; Philadelphia, Pa.; $75,000

The Pharr Community Outreach Project; Pharr, Texas; $75,000

Alpha House Men's Shelter; Mountain Home, Ark.; $50,000

Conquest House, Inc.; Washington, D.C.; $75,000

Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition; Clearwater, Fla.; $75,000

Hope Center, Inc; Gretna, La.; $74,030

Nehemiah House Inc.; Baltimore, Md.; $74,988

Waterbury Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc.; Waterbury, Conn.; $75,000

Enterprising Kitchen, Inc.; Chicago, Ill.; $55,000

Fathers and Families Resource/Research Center, Inc.; Indianapolis, Ind.; $75,000

Family Life Community Development Corporation; Shreveport, La.; $75,000

Joy Corporation of Baton Rouge; Zachary, La.; $75,000

African American Friendship Association for Cooperation and Development (AFFACD), Inc; St. Paul, Minn.; $75,000

Project Soar of Northeastern Minnesota; Duluth, Minn.; $75,000

Triangle Urban League, Inc.; Raleigh, N.C.; $74,921

Alamo Labor Properties; San Antonio, Texas; $75,000

Community Access, Incorporated; South Charleston, W.Va.; $75,000

Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program Community Foundation; El Centro, Calif.; $75,000

Cloud & Fire Ministries; Granada Hills, Calif.; $75,000

On Eagle's Wings (OEW) Women's Crisis Center; Lake City, Fla.; $75,000

Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Inc; Athens, Ga.; $61,569

Franklin Initiative-Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Bloomington, Ind.; $75,000

Reading Connections Inc; Greensboro, N.C.; $74,498

Turning Point Applied Learning Center, Inc; Hillsboro, Ohio; $75,000

United Community Services, Inc.; New Castle, Pa.; $58,360

Aiken County Help Line, Inc; Aiken, S.C.; $66,530

Cornerstones Career Learning Center, Inc; Huron, S.D.; $75,000

HopeWorks, Inc; Memphis, Tenn.; $73,151

Utah Statewide Independent Living Council; Salt Lake City, Utah; $75,000

Vermont Associates for Training & Development, Inc.; St. Albans, Vt.; $75,000

Road Called STRATE; Aurora, Colo.; $68,892

Bethel Development Corporation; Millville, N.J.; $68,696

Interfaith Hospitality Network of Spokane; Spokane, Wash.; $68,892

United Church of Warsaw; Warsaw, N.Y.; $68,891

Total: $4,000,000

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