Part Time, On-Call, & Full Time Positions A few months ago our team at Greater Works announced the launch of an initiative to provide employment training and job placement to ex-offenders, at-risk youth, and others in underresourced and underserved communities (see 30 Jobs and Counting). That's why I'm extremely excited we have developed a partnership with a company that is prepared to hire 500 people, giving us the chance to present this opportunity to the people we serve.
We are facilitating the hiring of on-call Banquet Servers, Hosts, Cooks & Bartenders to work in a challenging, but fun environment. We are working with a unique staffing company that specializes in the hospitality industry. We are looking for enthusiastic, hardworking individuals to join a great team to deliver on our promise of excellent customer service. *** This is NOT multi-level or network marketing *** For more information or to apply online today, please visit www.greater-works.com/job-app.html
If you only pay attention to mainstream media outlets, you will only get a distorted, narrow, and negative image of young people from urban communities. This powerful story of Taharka Bros. Ice Cream in Baltimore is a great example of young leaders from an urban community turning their passion and concern into positive action that will not only benefit themselves but others also. What excites me even more about this story is the entrepreneurial creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance they demonstrated to bring into reality their dream of impacting their community through ice cream. I hope this inspires you...
A DREAM PREFERRED - Directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing from Tribeca Film on Vimeo. The future of Taharka Brothers, purveyors of ice cream and social change, hinges on the success of a crowdfunding campaign. If successful, they will be able to grow their business by launching a “Food for Thought” ice cream truck, a literal vehicle for change. With a looming deadline, and what seems like an insurmountable goal: $28,000 in 29 days, Taharka Brothers takes to the streets to raise awareness, inspire, and turn out some supremely delicious ice cream – voted Best in Baltimore.
We had an incredible time at Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. Having fewer students this year which allowed us to go deeper in helping each one discover their purpose, develop their personal dream boards, and identify legitimate business ideas. We helped them craft a personal life mission statement, teambuilding skills, and daily affirmations they can use to encourage themselves and others as they grow on their journey.
What we're really excited about is that we will continue to work with these young entrepreneurs throughout the school year to help launch their initial concepts into profitable and sustainable businesses.
One thing Shawnice and I realized as this camp was coming to a close is that we are just getting started. Our ultimate job is to help as many youth as possible to see a new vision for their lives and their communities. Our job is to equip them with skills to turn their dreams into reality. Our job is to inspire their greatness, that today may only be a small flicker of light, but with the right help can become a contagious inferno of positive possibilities. Our job is to become hope dealers.
As such, we are in the process of developing some brand new resources that will help youth, parents, educators, youth pastors, and anyone else who cares about investing in the future of young people. You will be able to use these powerful tools to inspire and equip them to accomplish things they never thought was possible. So, stay tuned for some major announcements coming in the next few weeks! It is our privilege to serve the next generation and we hope you will come along on the ride with us. How A Youth Business Training Became a Millennial Focus Group for Community Transformation7/21/2015 If you have been working in ministry or the community for any amount of time it is not uncommon for God to work in ways that are not necessarily mysterious, but are definitely unexpected. Recently, I was facilitating a youth business training with Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program for a group of at-risk youth in Atlanta. I had my lesson plan laid out to teach them how to start a purpose driven business. However, I found as I was going through my curriculum, it was not connecting with them. I tried different "trainer techniques" to get them to engage, but nothing seemed to work. It wasn't until I started focusing more on asking them questions than teaching content did I start to make a connection. I began inquiring about the problems they saw in their communities and the causes they believed were the culprits. The energy in the room skyrocketed when I became the student and I opened myself to be taught by them. At that moment I had two choices: 1) stick to what I had planned to teach them, or 2) become a sponge so that I could better determine how best to reach them based on what they were facing. Fortunately, I chose the latter. So what began as a youth entrepreneurship training became a millennial focus group for community transformation. It was very revealing what they saw as the issues and causes in their own communities, as well as some of the potential solutions. The top 4 issues they listed were:
That's why we need more Joshua's to lead the younger generation to their promise land. Sometimes it's easy for adults to talk at or over teenagers without really talking to them to hear their perspectives. With the complex issues that we are facing our communities these days, it behooves all of us to seek wisdom from whatever source God may bring it. You can learn more about how Kinsman Community Ministries is working with youth to transform their communities through social enterprises at www.mykinsman.org/youth.
Success in business can come from anywhere and through anyone, but it seems extra special when the story is about a teenager who has defied the odds. Thirteen-year-old Moziah Bridges, CEO of Mo's Bows, has defied the odds that many adult entrepreneurs have succumb to. His company, which handcrafts his personally designed bow ties, has 5 employees and produced $200,000 in sales. Moziah says the motivation behind his passion is:
One thing I really appreciate about him is that he has a big heart to give back to others. He made a special bow tie called the "Go Mo! Scholarship Bow Tie" with 100% of the proceeds going to help underprivileged kids from his hometown of Memphis go to summer camp. He did this because he feels like it’s good business to help the community. He is definitely creating his impact.
This is the type of young person we envision inspiring and supporting through our Kinsman Youth Entrepreneurship Programs. Hopefully we'll have the chance to mentor the next Moziah Bridges. Read more about Moziah at: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/07/10/13-year-old-ceo-200000-sales/ When we assess a community's struggle with generational poverty, we must not overlook the role played by young people in help break destructive cycles and create positive ones. Some key ares we need to focus on to equip at-risk youth to make significant economic progress include financial literacy, youth employment, and youth entrepreneurship. That's why I was so excited when I read about Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina, which opened a bank run by its students. According to WUNC North Carolina Public Radio:
This is an incredibly innovative move by Hillside H.S. and Woodforest Bank to bring economic solutions to a community that needs more access to economic resources and tools to empower itself. Hopefully more banks and schools across the country will follow their lead to help challenged communities creates cycles of prosperity.
Read the entire article here: http://wunc.org/post/durham-ncs-hillside-high-school-first-open-bank As our time draws closer for the start of the Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp and our preparation intensifies, sometimes it's hard to remember why we do what we do. As we go through the checklist of all things that need to get done (and it's a long list), at times we forget that we have a real opportunity to save a kid's life or help somebody to start a new one.
This camp is more than just a time to keep kids busy and out of their parent's hair. We are creating an environment where dreams are jumpstarted, ideas are catalyzed, and purpose is ignited. For many of these kids they don't have anyone in their lives telling them they can be the next great inventor, entrepreneur, or community leader. They don't have people giving them tools for life success and a means to break the generational poverty that plagues their families. When people use the term "at-risk", often it's assigned to kids who live in violent neighborhoods, come from challenging circumstances, and are in danger of falling victim to their difficult surroundings. I believe, though, that there are much more "at-risk" kids than those who live in these environments, because too many others are in danger of living life without purpose, not discovering the greatness that's inside of them, or never achieving a sense of fulfillment from having accomplished something beyond anything they could imagine. That's why this camp is so much bigger than just helping these kids start a business. It's so much greater than just helping them launch a new product or service. It's far beyond teaching them how to market to a new customer base. This experience is about helping them utilize their God-inspired imagination, discover unique abilities, and release unbridled creativity to manifest His image in their lives and the world. This opportunity is about helping them tap into their God-given potential to see things in themselves they have never seen before. This is a chance to assist them with taking significant steps toward achieving their God-given destiny. Your financial support of Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp will provide the opportunity for our youth to dream again, to believe that they have more to live for than just making it past today, or acquiring things that only provide temporary pleasure. You are funding seeds of greatness. You are investing in the restoration of hopes and dreams. Your donation is bigger than business. Thank you for your support.
A satisfied customer is the best form of marketing. So listen to Soraya's testimonial about her experience at last year's Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. We still have business sponsorships available for you to make a tax-deductible contribution to invest in the lives of at-risk youth, so they can build social entrepreneurship, leadership, and team building skills, among many other things...
For the past two weeks I have had a front row seat to the real condition of many of our young people through a business training I have been facilitating for at-risk youth through Greater Works Vocational Discipleship Program in Atlanta. It is heartbreaking to hear the deep sense of hopelessness a lot of them have that leads to their often rebellious and sometimes violent behavior. Although that behavior is never acceptable, I have a better understanding of the mindsets with which a great number of them are wrestling. There are two obvious needs which are at the heart of the matter - economic insufficiency and spiritual deficiencies. Our society will see the destructive cycles of family and community degradation increase to greater levels if we don't address these conditions with a stronger sense of urgency. God placed it on our hearts to respond to this urgent need by equipping youth with the tools needed to successfully break out of these cycles. This starts with inspiring them to dream big, identify their purpose, discover their unique talents, and apply their skills to impact their own communities. We use faith based business training that focuses on two main things: 1) the development of entrepreneurial and social skills, and 2) the growth of profitable enterprises that positively impact other people. For the second consecutive year, Kinsman Community Ministries, Inc. will host the Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp this summer in South Atlanta for youth ages 12 to 18. For two weeks, from July 13th - 24th, a select number of students will be trained in leadership, problem solving, business development, and more, with the goal of producing viable solutions that will have a direct benefit in their own communities and beyond. Last year's camp was a great success and we expect this one to be even better as we expand from 1 week to 2 weeks. This camp is free to the students. So in order to cover our expenses we are inviting you to be one of the special 15 business sponsors we are seeking to donate at least $1000 each to partner with us to meet this urgent need of transforming the lives of these at-risk youth. In addition to the great benefits you will receive as a sponsor, your invaluable partnership with us will allow this innovative economic development initiative to become a blueprint that will export Christ-centered “economic evangelism” to poverty-challenged communities in other areas of Metro Atlanta, around the United States, and ultimately all over the world. Click here to download the sponsorship package Even if you can't donate the full $1000, your financial support at any level will help pay for the trainers, curriculum, supplies, food, and other resources needed to make this an unforgettable experience (the itemized list is in the sponsorship package). If we don't invest in our youth, we can't expect them to break the destructive cycles and become all that God created them to be. We understand that to rebuild communities we must strengthen families spiritually and economically. And we hope that you share this same commitment.
God bless you and thanks in advance for helping us meet the urgent need of transforming the lives of these young leaders for our communities and His glory! Families are in crisis all over this country. Youth have a deep sense of hopelessness. Schools in inner cities and are failing. It seems like there are a lot of giant issues taunting people everywhere. This is not much difference between these giants and the giants who taunted a group community thousands of years ago. A young shepherd boy named David showed up on the front lines of a war wondering why nobody was fighting the giant that was taunting his people. The question he asked those around him who should have been fighting was, "Is there not a cause?" He was angry and frustrated that no one was addressing an obvious situation that was negatively impacting a lot of people. Is There Not a Cause? The Gospel has the power to transform lives, but if we never take it outside of our church services and to the people in our communities who need it the most, they may never have the opportunity to experience God’s power. Christian CEOs are problem-solvers that use their businesses as platforms to bring positive changes to the places where God positions them to serve (see You Are a C.E.O.). Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best as he described the practical role that the Gospel is to play to combat the challenges that are faced everyday in our cities and communities: “The gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only with his soul but also his body, not only his spiritual well-being but also his material well-being. A religion that professes a concern for the souls of men and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion.” Christian CEOs have the potential to decrease the potency of the kingdom of darkness in our neighborhoods, communities, and cities, which will result in a higher quality of life, naturally and spiritually. Specific areas where we should see direct results from our efforts include:
You have the opportunity as a Christian CEO to be a transformational agent in people’s lives in one or more of these areas. The question is are you willing to take the challenge of not just being a financially successful entrepreneur, but to be an empowered community leader who helps deliver people out of spiritual slavery?
I look forward to your comments below... |
Watch The Disruptors Streaming Bible Study!
Struggling Christian entrepreneur? My new ebook was written just for you!
Get the app that connects your career, calling & community!
Connect Your Faith With Your Work
Dream B.I.G. in 3D will take you on an internal treasure hunt to connect your career path to your purpose. Click here to learn more...
Popular PostsArchives
February 2018
Categories
All
Link RollAmos Johnson Jr.
Brotha Online Magazine Business as Mission Greater Seas Marketplace Chaplains Metro Merge Milestone Motivation Partners Worldwide Sacred Enterprises The High Calling TIFWE.org |