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Second Chance eNewsletter - #2008-13 - August 6, 2008
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Join Second Chance in Celebrating 15 Years of Success
Second Chance will hold its third annual gala on
September 6, 2008 from
6:00 - 10:00 PM. Please join us in Celebrating 15 Years of Success!
Troy Evans is the featured speaker for this outside waterfront event. Evans is a nationally recognized motivational speaker and author of From Desperation to Dedication – An Ex-Con's Lessons on Turning Failure into Success. Evening
festivities include dancing with music provided by Stage 4 and a spectacular dinner catered by Martino's Catering.
Click here for additional information or to purchase tickets. Sponsorship opportunities are still available!
Introducing eNEWS
In an effort to conserve our resources for our programs and the Earth's resources for future generations, Second Chance is making an effort to increase electronic communications and decrease paper newsletters. If you know of someone who
would enjoy reading this newsletter, please forward it to him or her. If you would like to receive additional communications from Second Chance, please sign up for Second Chance's newsletter by visiting
www.secondchanceprogram.org
Vision
Empowering people to open doors, change lives and strengthen communities.
Mission
Creating opportunities for self-sufficiency by providing job readiness training, employment placement, affordable housing and life skills for homeless and unemployed men, women and youth.
Board Members
Chair
Greg Markow, Esq.
HECHT, SOLBERG, ROBINSON, GOLDBERG & BAGLEY LLP
Past Chair
Ray Ellis
BUSINESS CONSULTANT
Vice Chair
Jeffrey Silberman
CARLETON MANAGEMENT, INC.
Treasurer
Bennet Greenwald
THE GREENWALD COMPANY
Secretary
Sarena Talbert
SEYMOUR FINANCIAL, INC.
Ex-Officio
Jacob Slania, Esq.
KIRBY NOONAN LANCE & HOGE LLP
Gordon Cooke
THE BRIDGES AT RANCHO SANTA FE
Mitch Dubick
HIGGS FLETCHER & MACK LLP
Roi Ewell
SEAWORLD
Raymond Gallagher, CPA
LAVINE, LOFGREN, MORRIS & ENGLEBERG
Elizabeth Gibson
LEE HECHT HARRISON
Bill Hahn
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER
Marianne Nelson
WELLS FARGO BANK
Regina Nolte-Ware
SAN DIEGO DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP
STRIVE Alumna – Class 82
Cynthia Olmstead
TRUSTWORKS GROUP, INC.
Advisory Board Members
Anita Crandall
Warden Robert Hernandez
Robert Ito
Mike Kirkeby
Judy McDonald
David Minton
Jason Shidler
Cecil Steppe
Richard Taylor |
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A Second Chance at Success
By Jennifer Vigil, staff writer
July 24, 2008
ENCANTO – It's not the type of exclamation you usually hear at a graduation.
"Where's my P.O.?" asked Adam Matschullat, using the shorthand for parole officer. "I told you I'd do it, right?"
Matschullat and his classmates had been accustomed to a path that involved judges and police officers, not guidance counselors and teachers. They hope that changed for good Friday, when they completed a course offered by Second Chance, an
Encanto agency that aids the homeless and unemployed.
The 69 graduates, ranging from teens to those in their 50s, have battled drug problems and homelessness or racked up criminal records. Second Chance, however, offers them just that – an opportunity to learn life skills while complying with
mandates from courts and other authorities.
The activities they practiced during three weeks of instruction – dressing appropriately, addressing others by name, greeting people with eye contact and a firm handshake – may seem like common sense. But for many of these people, bending
to the rules of the workplace rather than those of the streets sometimes proved to be a challenge.
During their graduation, amid the cubicles at Second Chance's Imperial Avenue office and in front of about 200 friends, family members and supporters, each member of the group took a turn at the lectern.
Some said they were thankful that they had set aside their frustrations and overcome urges to quit the program.
Chance Ringo, 25, whose past includes drug dealing, gang activity and gun possession, said his attitude toward instructors initially was, "Can't nobody tell me nothing."
Keith Donovon, 18, entered Second Chance to try to have a felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor. He likened his eight-hour-a-day lessons to "an obstacle course," and said his biggest hurdle was having his handshake, previously limp,
corrected.
Jerrod Mango, 37, in attendance after his fall arrest on suspicion of receiving stolen property, was ordered to write a 500-word essay because his cell phone rang during class, a no-no. He bolted in anger, but counselors intercepted him.
Mango went on to direct the class video project.
Upon graduation, he called the course "an academy to get into life." It's something his mother, Jane Seaman, hopes will end a decade of trouble for Mango, who has two felonies on his record, leaving him vulnerable to a lengthy prison
sentence should he be convicted again.
"He's really told me: 'Mom, I am so done. I'm not going back to prison anymore,' " said Seaman, of Chula Vista. "I want to believe him. I don't have any reason not to."
Scott Silverman, Second Chance's founder, knows how easily graduates can backslide. That's why they're required to check in as they try to find work. They're also encouraged to recruit three people to the program.
Silverman's original mission was to boost job skills for the indigent. Five years ago he made a push into the prison system, based on the premise that intervening before inmates are released increases their chances of success.
His agency operates on a $2.9 million budget, about one-third of which comes from public funding. Silverman also has received grants from Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, and the city to open a second classroom by early next year.
Two years ago, the average monthly class size was 30. Silverman said the goal is to jump to 100 and eventually expand the program beyond San Diego.
Silverman acknowledges that the people who receive his services have "certain life skills not appropriate to the workplace." His instructors try to redirect that energy. Matschullat took that message to heart, courtesy of one of his
counselors, Michael Rice.
"He told me (that) a lot of things I've done in the past I can do in a positive way," Matschullat said. "Instead of selling dope, I can sell cars or sell houses."
Reprinted from The San Diego Union-Tribune, July 24, 2008 |
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Participants in STRIVE class 121 get ready for graduation. |
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Second Chance Hosts TKF Teen Program
In July, Second Chance hosted the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, along with other youth service providers, in preparing teens for the world of work. The goal for the three-day program was to help develop the soft skills essential for obtaining
and maintaining employment. Over the three days, attendees worked on communication skills and heard presentations about a variety of career fields. They completed exercises such as "Handshake 101", the same introductory exercise that
STRIVE classes use to teach people how to step forward, introduce themselves, shake hands and smile. They also had an opportunity to learn how to develop a resume and participate in a job interview from Second Chance's job developers.
Staff Changes at Second Chance
Over the last few months, there have been several staff changes at Second Chance. We welcome:
Rob Smith, Workforce Development Manager. Rob came to Second Chance from STRIVE International in New York. He oversees the STRIVE job readiness program, the PREP prisoner re-entry program and client services.
Liz Verdango, Development Associate, recently joined the staff from St. Vincent de Paul. She is charged with assisting donors and maintaining our database.
Diana Guitierrez is the new Financial Literacy Coordinator, replacing Dena Lewerke. Dena is leaving to take a fellowship with Emerging Market Development Advisors Program (EMDAP). She will be working in Amman, Jordan,
helping an organization of Jordanian women build capacity and relationships for exporting their services.
Pamala Schmierer is our Accounting and Operations Coordinator.
Thomas Cotton is the new manager of Angel House. David Kniffen has moved to manage Alumni House as Barbara Grant recently retired.
Sadly, we have also had to say goodbye toDouglas Morris and Samantha Caldwell.
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Second Chance - 6145 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114
PHONE: (619) 234-8888 - FAX: (619) 234-7787 -
www.secondchanceprogram.org
SCEN-2008-13
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secondchance@secondchanceprogram.org •
Second Chance |
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