Racine is seeking a three-year, $450,000 stimulus grant to coordinate gang prevention activities in the area.
The money would be used to hire a director and to create a database that tracks young adults who have had contacts with gangs. The director would work with local organizations already in place and the database likely would be made available to nonprofits, schools and other agencies.
If successful, the city would likely subcontract the program to an agency like Racine Vocational Ministries, which runs the Community Re-entry program for people coming out of prison.
The City Council's Personnel and Finance Committee unanimously approved the grant application. Grant Coordinator Debbi Embry said her discussions with state officials led her to believe Racine had a good chance at receiving the money.
"After meeting with the state, we felt we had a good chance because we have all of the pieces in place," Embry said.
Alderman Q.A. Shakoor II was enthusiastic about the grant.
"This is exactly what we need, and this will make a difference," he said.
Showing posts with label Debbi Embry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Debbi Embry. Show all posts
November 3, 2008
Racine Promise: City officials explore college funding for Racine graduates
A group of city officials are exploring a program that would pay for Racine high school graduates to attend college.
The idea is based on the Kalamazoo Promise, a program started three years ago in Kalamazoo, Mich. to attract families to the city. The program is simple: If a child graduates from a Kalamazoo High School, their tuition is paid to any Michigan university or tech school. That could amount to $36,000 for a student attending the University of Michigan. The only requirement is that a student maintains a 2.0 GPA and makes continual progress toward their high school diploma.
Aldermen Aron Wisneski and Greg Helding, and City Administrator Ben Hughes, are seeking two $8,000 grants to study creating a similar program here. The City Council is expected to grant permission to pursue the grant on Wednesday.
Click below to read city Grant Facilitator Debbi Embry's explanation of the grant, and long-term thinking about a "Racine Promise" program.
October 16, 2008
Mayor Gary Becker
And Common Council
Racine, WI 53403
Your Honor and Aldermen:
I respectfully request to appear before the appropriate committee to discuss our request to apply to the United Way of Racine County to request $8,000 for a “Racine Promise Study”. The Finance Department has been contacted for coordination, and the grant control number is 2008-039.
Last Spring Aldermen Wisneski and Helding, and City Administrator, Ben Hughes began investigating “Kalamazoo Promise”, a scholarship program created in 2005 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The “Kalamazoo Promise” scholarship program provides four years of tuition and fees at any public college or university in Michigan for students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools. The “Kalamazoo Promise” is unique in its scope and basis. While most other scholarship programs are based on merit or need, the “Kalamazoo Promise” is based only on location. The program seeks to remove the financial barriers to enrolling in college for those students who have attended Kalamazoo schools and lived within its boundaries for at least the four years of high school.
The impact “Racine Promise” would have on our community is tremendous:
1. Since all students are eligible for the reimbursement of tuition and fees regardless of financial means, the program also seeks to transform the school district by focusing on ensuring that all students are prepared for a postsecondary education.
2. The direct contribution of the scholarship program lowers the cost of postsecondary education, thereby increasing incentives for high school graduation, college attendance, and college completion.
3. Among its broader outcome, it is anticipated that this program will lead to a more educated workforce, higher overall earnings for graduates, greater disposable income for local families, and improvements in the local economy and housing market.
4. An impetus for regional economic development. Economic experts hope that the scholarship will entice more middle class families, who would otherwise sacrifice income to save for college tuition, to stay in or move to the area. Local business, public relations, and real estate experts can use the Promise as a tool to attract businesses to relocate and invest in Racine.
5. The potential increase in available jobs would also serve to attract new residents to the area, but more importantly it would provide income for existing residents as well.
6. Even surrounding areas that would not benefit directly from the scholarships would foresee economic growth in commerce and entertainment industries.
There is no match requirement.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Embry, MBA
Grants Facilitator
The idea is based on the Kalamazoo Promise, a program started three years ago in Kalamazoo, Mich. to attract families to the city. The program is simple: If a child graduates from a Kalamazoo High School, their tuition is paid to any Michigan university or tech school. That could amount to $36,000 for a student attending the University of Michigan. The only requirement is that a student maintains a 2.0 GPA and makes continual progress toward their high school diploma.
Aldermen Aron Wisneski and Greg Helding, and City Administrator Ben Hughes, are seeking two $8,000 grants to study creating a similar program here. The City Council is expected to grant permission to pursue the grant on Wednesday.
Click below to read city Grant Facilitator Debbi Embry's explanation of the grant, and long-term thinking about a "Racine Promise" program.
October 16, 2008
Mayor Gary Becker
And Common Council
Racine, WI 53403
Your Honor and Aldermen:
I respectfully request to appear before the appropriate committee to discuss our request to apply to the United Way of Racine County to request $8,000 for a “Racine Promise Study”. The Finance Department has been contacted for coordination, and the grant control number is 2008-039.
Last Spring Aldermen Wisneski and Helding, and City Administrator, Ben Hughes began investigating “Kalamazoo Promise”, a scholarship program created in 2005 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The “Kalamazoo Promise” scholarship program provides four years of tuition and fees at any public college or university in Michigan for students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools. The “Kalamazoo Promise” is unique in its scope and basis. While most other scholarship programs are based on merit or need, the “Kalamazoo Promise” is based only on location. The program seeks to remove the financial barriers to enrolling in college for those students who have attended Kalamazoo schools and lived within its boundaries for at least the four years of high school.
The impact “Racine Promise” would have on our community is tremendous:
1. Since all students are eligible for the reimbursement of tuition and fees regardless of financial means, the program also seeks to transform the school district by focusing on ensuring that all students are prepared for a postsecondary education.
2. The direct contribution of the scholarship program lowers the cost of postsecondary education, thereby increasing incentives for high school graduation, college attendance, and college completion.
3. Among its broader outcome, it is anticipated that this program will lead to a more educated workforce, higher overall earnings for graduates, greater disposable income for local families, and improvements in the local economy and housing market.
4. An impetus for regional economic development. Economic experts hope that the scholarship will entice more middle class families, who would otherwise sacrifice income to save for college tuition, to stay in or move to the area. Local business, public relations, and real estate experts can use the Promise as a tool to attract businesses to relocate and invest in Racine.
5. The potential increase in available jobs would also serve to attract new residents to the area, but more importantly it would provide income for existing residents as well.
6. Even surrounding areas that would not benefit directly from the scholarships would foresee economic growth in commerce and entertainment industries.
There is no match requirement.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Embry, MBA
Grants Facilitator
City closes in on $210,000 grant to help people get to work
City Grant Facilitator Debbi Embry is poised to land a three-year, $210,000 grant to help Racine residents get car loans to get to work.
The grant would bring the national "Way to Work" program to Racine. Way to Work trains people how to manage money and helps them secure a $4,000 car loan so they can get to a job.
Embry is requesting City Council permission Wednesday night to apply for a $50,000 grant from the SC Johnson Fund to pay for the program. Family Services of Racine would run the program. No matching dollars are required by the city.
The goal is have 150 Racine families receive car loans in three years, and to have 450 individuals go through financial literacy training.
Click below for Embry's letter detailing the program.
October 16, 2008
Mayor Gary Becker
And Common Council
Racine, WI 53403
Your Honor and Aldermen:
I respectfully request to appear before the appropriate committee to discuss our request to apply to SC Johnson Fund for matching funds of $50,000 for the Ways to Work Program. The Finance Department has been contacted for coordination, and the grant control number is 2008-037.
As you know, last spring, Racine County developed a strategic plan, “Higher Expectations: A Workforce Development Strategy for Racine” to address workforce development issues in our county. Racine County’s vision is to develop a vital, dynamic economy characterized by a workforce that is fully employed. One of the challenges to the vision of a fully employed workforce is the access to affordable transportation to and from the workplace for low-income individuals. The City of Racine, Family Service of Racine, and Ways to Work provide an opportunity to eliminate transportation as a barrier to employment by providing low-income individuals with financial education and small, low-interest loans to purchase or repair a used car. This helps parents get to their jobs; as well as access education and better care for their children.
Ways to Work is a national program, based in Milwaukee, with 40 offices in 20 states. Nearby, it currently has offices operating in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Green Bay and Chicago. The program delivers focused, intensive financial education to low-income, working parents with distressed credit histories. Those clients deemed well prepared for success are provided a car loan of up to $4,000 with a two-year term and ongoing case management supports.
A recent national evaluation of the program showed that program participants averaged a 41 percent increase in income, became more strongly attached to the workforce, repaired their credit standing, and accessed better day care for their children. Goals for the city of Racine, in partnership with Family Service of Racine is to provide 150 families with low-interest loans to purchase or repair a car over a three year period, and finally to provide financial literacy education to 450 families.
The Ways to Work program has the opportunity through a Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant to provide programming in Racine. The organization would provide an agency/organization with $280,000 over a three year period of time and over $500,000 is available for consumer loans to program participants. There is a match requirement of $210,000 over the three year period. .The amount requested from SC Johnson Fund is for $50,000 to help launch the program in Racine. The community partner for the program is Family Service of Racine.
There is no match requirement.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Embry, MBA
Grants Facilitator
The grant would bring the national "Way to Work" program to Racine. Way to Work trains people how to manage money and helps them secure a $4,000 car loan so they can get to a job.
Embry is requesting City Council permission Wednesday night to apply for a $50,000 grant from the SC Johnson Fund to pay for the program. Family Services of Racine would run the program. No matching dollars are required by the city.
The goal is have 150 Racine families receive car loans in three years, and to have 450 individuals go through financial literacy training.
Click below for Embry's letter detailing the program.
October 16, 2008
Mayor Gary Becker
And Common Council
Racine, WI 53403
Your Honor and Aldermen:
I respectfully request to appear before the appropriate committee to discuss our request to apply to SC Johnson Fund for matching funds of $50,000 for the Ways to Work Program. The Finance Department has been contacted for coordination, and the grant control number is 2008-037.
As you know, last spring, Racine County developed a strategic plan, “Higher Expectations: A Workforce Development Strategy for Racine” to address workforce development issues in our county. Racine County’s vision is to develop a vital, dynamic economy characterized by a workforce that is fully employed. One of the challenges to the vision of a fully employed workforce is the access to affordable transportation to and from the workplace for low-income individuals. The City of Racine, Family Service of Racine, and Ways to Work provide an opportunity to eliminate transportation as a barrier to employment by providing low-income individuals with financial education and small, low-interest loans to purchase or repair a used car. This helps parents get to their jobs; as well as access education and better care for their children.
Ways to Work is a national program, based in Milwaukee, with 40 offices in 20 states. Nearby, it currently has offices operating in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Green Bay and Chicago. The program delivers focused, intensive financial education to low-income, working parents with distressed credit histories. Those clients deemed well prepared for success are provided a car loan of up to $4,000 with a two-year term and ongoing case management supports.
A recent national evaluation of the program showed that program participants averaged a 41 percent increase in income, became more strongly attached to the workforce, repaired their credit standing, and accessed better day care for their children. Goals for the city of Racine, in partnership with Family Service of Racine is to provide 150 families with low-interest loans to purchase or repair a car over a three year period, and finally to provide financial literacy education to 450 families.
The Ways to Work program has the opportunity through a Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant to provide programming in Racine. The organization would provide an agency/organization with $280,000 over a three year period of time and over $500,000 is available for consumer loans to program participants. There is a match requirement of $210,000 over the three year period. .The amount requested from SC Johnson Fund is for $50,000 to help launch the program in Racine. The community partner for the program is Family Service of Racine.
There is no match requirement.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Embry, MBA
Grants Facilitator
May 28, 2008
UPDATE: City hires Debbi Embry as its new grant facilitator
UPDATE: Embry's salary will be $58,000 plus standard city benefits. Her salary will be significantly less than the $90,000 originally talked about in the budget for the position.
ORIGINAL POST: The city hired Debbi Embry, former executive director of the Racine YWCA, as its new grant facilitator.
Embry will start in her job , a new position with the city, on June 9. She was one of 43 applicants for the new position, and selected after preliminary interviews with seven candidates and a second round of interviews with three candidates.
“She had a presence about her, spoke with confidence, knowledge base about grants that was impressive,” said City Administrator Ben Hughes, who will supervise Embry as an employee of the mayor’s office.
A key part of Embry’s job will be to work with the city’s 13 departments to secure grants from state, federal and private nonprofit funding sources, Hughes said.
While city department heads have done a good job at securing state and federal dollars, they haven’t done a good job at work with private foundations like the Joyce Foundation or the Ford Foundation, Hughes said.
“The basic reason is our department heads just don’t have the time to do that,” Hughes said about pursuing private grants. “There’s not enough hours in the day.”
In addition to writing grants, Embry also will be responsible for following up with existing grants to make sure the money is being spent effectively, and that proper paperwork is filed for multi-year grants.
Embry will be expected to generate enough revenue to cover her $90,000 salary and benefits, plus additional money to run city government, Hughes said.
Examples of areas where new grant money may be available include infant mortality programs, park maintenance and the city’s efforts to clean up the Root River and its public beaches.
Embry was removed as head of the YWCA on Dec. 5 as part of sweeping changes to the organization, including the sale of its building on College Avenue.
Embry is the daughter of legendary NBA star Wayne Embry of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
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