
Ready to Work is modeled on programs that have track records of helping homeless men and men who have been incarcerated. These ideas are backed with new community partnerships, making Ready to Work a powerful tool for men seeking to re-start their lives.
Inspiration includes several re-entry work training programs in San Joaquin County, homeless transitional housing projects in Stockton, and an organization in New York with several decades success in rehabilitating homeless and incarcerated men.
The DOE Fund in New York provided valuable insight for Ready to Work. Their program that assists men in homeless shelters and the criminal justice system shows a clear path to success — more than 78% of its participants are employed 6 months after graduation, and for every $1 spent on the program, taxpayers save $3.60 in emergency services.
Ready to Work took this and other examples to create a pathway to self-sufficiency in San Joaquin County.
We provide the basics necessary for people who are homeless: emergency shelter, food, and basic safety. But we don’t stop with the basics. We offer extensive case management and work opportunities to our clients, including the chance to earn money directly from Ready to Work job crews. Ready to Work focuses on providing wraparound resources so clients can access their own housing, escape cycles of poverty and homelessness, and prevent homelessness in the future.
Many people don’t complete training programs because of a lack of stable housing, a lack of reliable transportation, a lack of general support, or an inability to afford the classes. Sometimes, people are denied access to programs altogether because they don’t meet narrow criteria for assistance.
Ready to Work and its many partners fill these gaps and open the closed doors, giving our clients their best shot at success.