I was born in Finland and came from a domestic violence home so I have experienced many different things in my life. Some of that discrimination because I couldn’t speak English. Some of it because I was poor and dirty. But, THE ONE THING THAT I GAINED OF IMMENSE QUALITY FROM THESE LESSONS WAS A FABULOUS WORK ETHIC AND HOW WORKING HARD CAN SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE. That’s what we teach our youth. I hope that you agree with that philosophy.
Below we have attached our 2010 grant and it will explain in detail why it is important we continue to help these troubled youth. Without financial support from your foundation there will be thousands of teens without decent clothes (the great majority of them homeless and in programs trying to improve their lives) and without the mentoring we provide. We are a poor organization but we intimately understand what is needed.
I also wanted to let you know that if there is any time that you have any questions at all about what we do, please call me personally at 503-839-2449 and I will provide anything you need to show how we impact this community. We really do try to do our very best and give back to the local community.
Sincerely,
Lea Lakeside-Scott
Founder/Survivor
My personal philosophy:
Derrick Jensen in his book titled A Language Older than Words says:
I wish that my childhood would have been different. I do not, however, regret what happened. This does not mean that I would gladly go through it again. But mythologies of all times and all places tell us that those who enter the abyss and survive can bring back important lessons. I have no need to merely imagine the unimaginable. And I will no longer forget. I have learned that whether I choose to feel or not, pain exists, and whether we choose to acknowledge them or not, atrocities continue. I have grown to understand that in the shadow of the unspeakable I can and must speak and act against our culture’s tangled web of destructiveness, and stop the destruction at its roots.
What is happening in the world today:
2008 UNITED STATES STATISTICS SHOW:
1,000,000 Pregnant Teens
320,000 Babies Born with Alcohol/Drug Exposure
8,000,000 Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren
500,000 Teens in Foster Homes
1,300,000 Homeless Teens
500,000 Teens in Detention or Prison
800,000 Teens in Gangs in 2007 (nearest statistic)
1,000,000 Teen Dropouts Each Year
135,000 Teens Carry a Gun to School Each Day
Our MISSION STATEMENT:
To teach at-risk youth respect for others, the law, the environment and to gain independent living skills {whether work-related or education related (GED)} To assist in the transition to a successful and independent lifestyle, gaining power and control over their lives and enhancing their own self-esteem which results in a drive to learn more and to lead happy and productive lives.
To assist in this process, our organization also provides basic necessities (primarily quality clothing) so this process is simpler and they are not identified as “different” for lack of having funds to purchase clothing, food or furniture.
Additionally, we provide clothing as low as a $1 per piece to a neighborhood that is suffering five out of six children below the poverty level.
Sending the right messages:
Recently our youth told us how a big hunk of local stimulus money went to youth in our state to a program where they employed youth for the summer and paid them minimum wage. I checked on this availability of money, but due to our limited funds and staff, the paperwork required was too much for us to accomplish.
However, these youth told me that they were required to work for only one hour out of the day and the rest of the day was spent playing soccer or other fun activities. They did admit that sometimes they had to work three hours out of the day and they thought that was pretty cool. IS THAT THE message we want to give to our youth: Corruption, manipulation of the system, not a hard day’s work for pay, etc. I have to tell you I was appalled. Completely baffled that programs such as ours go by the wayside because we don’t have the funding to inform the public exactly what we do teach these youth. I started working when I was five years old. Work has NEVER EVER hurt me or caused me pain. In fact, it has saved my life.
We teach our youth that work is the sure cure for everything. If you are working, you are not walking the streets or doing drugs. If you are working and lose someone you love, it takes your mind off the grief. If you are working, you can be the guy at McDonalds that says, “Hey Bud, you wanna borrow a buck?” instead of the guy who says, “Hey Bud, you got a buck I can borrow?” If you are working, you are living on your own, you have a higher self-esteem, you are becoming more educated because you are exposed to others that earn their way and A MILLION OTHER WAYS THAT WORK IS SO GOOD FOR ALL OF US.
Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream.” Well, so do I and many like me that came from where we did. I am now 63-years-old and although I have family that will take over this organization with the same beliefs that I have – they did not experience what I did. My dream is to use this passion, this excitement, the pursuit of a happy life and share it with every teen I can and make them feel good about it. My dream is to teach them what I learned the hard way and help them become productive citizens much earlier than it took me.
If I COULD JUST RAISE THE MONEY to expand my program (my actual dream is to own a building divided into work centers that will teach woodworking, auto mechanics, computers, etc. to our displaced youth that most are scared to work with or don’t have the skills to work with). Who better to teach them FUN, EXCITEMENT, CHALLENGE, THE VALUE OF HARD WORK, SOCIAL SKILLS etc. than one who suffered so greatly from learning these so late in life? We spend every moment of our limited staff and time to teach these ethics that most Baby Boomers had the privilege of learning and some failed to pass it on. PAY FOR AN HONEST DAY’S WORK. RESPECT FOR YOUR CO-WORKERS. EARNING TO BUY WHAT YOU WANT and on and on.
What results from these types of lessons?
“Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” Chinese proverb
A better neighbor for you and your children.
A person that loves to live and learn.
A person with a higher self-esteem and understands their own worth to society and their family.
Less violence in the world (I did not even discuss above the murder rates in this country by teens).
More productive citizens.
Better mothers and fathers for their children.
More teens taking responsibility for their actions (raising their own children).
Wiser choices for their futures.
Less need of acceptance in destructive groups.
Less escape to drugs and alcohol for the pain they are experiencing.
Why do I care?
I was (many ages ago) an abused, non-English speaking, female immigrant who became a naturalized citizen on welfare raising two daughters. I lived primarily in low-income areas. I overcame these horrible beginnings and gained 11 years of education beyond high school, worked 35 years in the corporate world, and founded this non-profit that helps thousands. Simply put, I wanted to give back what was given to me by one woman that cared.
I want you to care. For nine years I have run this organization on sheer determination that I can change a life. I have demonstrated that I can run a large organization from the skills I gained above. But, I can’t do what is needed for our community without some funding. PLEASE, PLEASE review my budgets and how we want to add staff and have some release from our expenses to accomplish changing lives in our community.
Show us you care in any way you can. We need clothes and merchandise, but most of all we need funding.
Thank you so much for reading this and please call me personally at 503-839-2449 if you have ANY QUESTIONS at all about my proposal.
Whatever you help me accomplish for a topic I am so passionate about will get me to my personal daily quote of: “I AM NOTHING TILL NOW.” In other words, my life is a continual path of growth and accomplishment and wouldn’t you like to see that message shared?
PROPOSAL
Hope Dolls will assist youth with acquiring knowledge of career and work options, acquiring the skills needed to have stable and meaningful employment, making progress towards high school/GED completion, achieving the highest level of education possible and acquiring knowledge of appropriate life skills.
Youth who have dropped out of school will be strongly urged to resume their education and be referred to Portland Community College (until we have the appropriate staff available on-site), to receive basic skills and education upgrading, including a high school diploma/GED and English as a Second Language (ESL). Classes are usually self-paced with individualized instruction by certified high school/GED and ESL instructors. Instruction is provided in a team teaching format, using a structured, formal, competency-based curriculum designed to improve basic skills, lead to passage of the GED test, improve their understanding and use of English, and improve computer skills.
In ALL phases of our teaching program, the lessons will be taught with actual experience in our store or in our online sites. They will learn actual applications of marketing, finance, advertising, sales, and virtually EVERY aspect of running a business.
THE CLOTHING/FOOD/FURNITURE PROGRAM
Youth (under 21) who are enrolled in our program are eligible to obtain “FREE SERVICES” from Hope Dolls. We have over 26 stores that believe in and donate to our program. The services provided
include clothing, food, and furniture. So, while they are gaining independent living skills, their money does not have to go to basic needs and they have the resources to “fit in” and not be ostracized by the
more popular teens. Every success story is achieved faster if one doesn’t have to worry about basic needs.
Teens that excel in the program will be considered for hire and further development. None of the services are guaranteed or promised. They are only provided if they are available and not in exchange for work. All instruction or services provided by Hope Dolls is considered part of the program and committed attendance by the volunteer is required to be part of this program. Hope Doll’s retail center serves as a second home, providing a clean, fun, loving, safe place for teens to interact with caring mentors. Some of their learning opportunities are as follows: retail sales, administration tasks, word processing tasks, all aspects of online clothing sales, financial transactions and every other aspect of running a business that the teen shows an aptitude for and a willingness to learn.
THE RESULT
The result being less violence because they are not on the streets but learning valuable work skills, a sense of personal accomplishment (higher self-esteem), fostering well-being and independence, an involved caring for the future and an involvement with mentors who care about what happens to them and what they accomplish. Since we began in April 2000, we have helped thousands and thousands of young people. This year we hope, with the attainment of funds requested in this proposal, to add teaching and obtaining their GED certificates.
POPULATION SERVED
The population to be served by this project will be youth between the ages of 14-21 who meet low/moderate income guidelines and reside in the State of Oregon. These youth are at risk of dropping out of school, experience barriers resulting in unemployment or under-employment and lack sufficient life skills, which may result in undesirable personal, economic, and educational outcomes.
Hope Dolls positively impacts participating teens’ ability to acquire knowledge. Teen participants come to Hope Dolls from throughout the State of Oregon; however, the majority comes from the Portland Metro area. Our center is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Community partners including: DePaul Youth Treatment Center, White Shield House, Buckman House, Clackamas House, Rosemont School, Clinton House, Portland Public Schools, North Clackamas Public Schools, (YPA) Youth Progress Association, and other programs for homeless youth refer troubled teens to our program. To be considered for referral, teens must simply express an interest in learning the critical skills necessary to improve the quality of their lives, and the desire to work toward an independent and productive life. Youth are actively recruited by word of mouth within the community as well as through service sites at local youth gathering spots.
The breakdown of populations approximately is:
American-Indian or Alaskan Native 3%
Asian or Pacific Islander 1%
Hispanic 6%
White, not of Hispanic Origin 56%
Black, not of Hispanic Origin 14%
Unknown 20%
PROGRAM EVALUATION
The teen’s proficiency is measured in completed daily quotas and successful online transactions. Mentor and/or trainers determine the youth’s level of mastery and then provide them with onsite learning opportunities. Youth learn and practice with a team of dedicated staff, volunteers and peers.
Working with referring agencies, families and the community can monitor indicators of success. Some of those indicators are:
positive responses in treatment programs
positive attitude changes noted by the primary caregiver
positive responses to community service projects
positive changes in how they view themselves and their community
an expressed interest to continue our mentoring program
By working in conjunction with other agencies to evaluate these indicators, we can ensure success in our efforts while strengthening the efforts of our community partners.
LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINING THE PROGRAM
Hope Dolls has been in existence for nine years and, in that time, has relied on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations to sustain its operations, but only to a minimal degree. Ninety nine percent of all money raised to date has been through the expertise (see attached resume) of the founder. She has succeeded in making this a self-sustaining organization with the exception of our need to add personnel and equipment to further our new educational program as requested in this grant.
Hope Dolls provides FREE clothing to adults and teens that are trying to improve their lives. They get quality items for free in our thrift store. Our thrift store is an immaculate environment with only quality items so our clients get the exact same thing that our customers get but they don’t pay for it.
CERTIFICATION OF ACCURACY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION
I hereby certify that the information included in this application is true and correct. I further certify that this organization and/or fiscal agent does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, national origin, religion, marital status, age, disability, gender, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation in its employment practices, selecting board members, selecting students or in accepting clients for its service or products.
Applicant Organization or Group: HOPE DOLLS/PLANES/TRANES
Signature of Authorized Officer
Date: November 23, 2008
Name & Title: Lea Lakeside-Scott, Executive Director
QUALIFICATIONS:
April 1999 to Current: Founder/Executive Director – Hope Dolls/Planes/Trains Non-Profit (501c3) Organization – Unpaid position. Successfully wrote the 501c3 application and obtained 501c3 status. Have written several grants (one successful so far). Founded this organization that works with many social service agencies including prisons, at-risk teens, domestic violence children and other at-risk populations. Maintain and oversee all aspects of this organization, some of which include: working with the media (so far several stories have been published), thank-you notes, fundraising, bookkeeping, developing programs, coordinating volunteers and communicating with contributors (over 500 so far), advertising flyers, working with high-level management of other organizations and hundreds of other miscellaneous tasks.
August 1997 to February 01, 2002: Systems Specialist – Multnomah County Department of Community Justice – Involved in training computer users from the Adult and Juvenile sides in Outlook 98 and Microsoft Suite Products (approx. 900 users). This required curriculum development, compiling the manuals, scheduling the classes, and coordinating all aspects of the training.
Also taught or assisted in teaching all computer users in the use of the new LAN system. This included: security issues, signing on, correctly shutting down, and using the MS Office Suite.
Prepared original troubleshooting documentation for Systems Specialists and Systems Analysts in the Information Services Department. Additionally manned the Help Desk and made field visits for trouble calls to over 30 different offices.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Was given special recognition for my training effort in converting all users from dumb terminals to the LAN environment and teaching them the different Windows products. Was also given the community volunteer award by the Multnomah County Commissioners in April 2000 with several stories in the media regarding this work.
November 1996 to August 1999: Instructor – Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI) – Taught office skills (DOS, MSWORD, TEN-KEY, TYPING, PUNCTUATION/GRAMMAR AND SOFT SKILLS (Ex: Team playing, resolving conflicts, goal setting, prioritizing tasks, time planning, etc.) Also re-wrote the activity and document manual used in class.
January 1988 to December 1994: Systems Analyst – Boeing Company – Position required exposure daily to the following activities: troubleshooting 300 personal computers; software application support for 700 users; ordering of all personal computer equipment; preparing all documentation and holding the training classes for various software programs (including curriculum development and documentation); analyzing requests for hardware and software; maintaining inventory; performing audits; preparing the computing capital assets budgets; pursuing surplus equipment; downloading and uploading applications; performing installations of applications; performing hard drive diagnostics and many other miscellaneous functions.
The first two years I performed the tasks of HP3000 Systems Manager which required: Managing all aspects of the system; troubleshooting user problems, installing and testing software changes; installing third party software; writing fourth generation programs in powerhouse and preparing the fifteen volumes of documentation for the MRP system.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Was given special recognition five times during these seven years. One in particular was for saving the company over $300,000 in one year.
November 1986 to January 1988: Systems Manager – North/Northeast Community Mental Health Center – Planned, organized, and controlled the functions of the HP3000 system.
EDUCATION:
B.S. Business Administration (Emphasis in law)
½ Master’s Degree (Emphasis in law)
Secretarial Science Certificate (one year program) – TYPE BETWEEN 80 TO 100 WPM
Certified Tax Preparer--
LPN Schooling (One year)
Computers in Business (Two year program)
Court Reporting (Two year program)
Licensed with the Securities and Exchange Program
Licensed with the Oregon Life/Health Insurance
Certified with the State of Oregon as a vocational instructor
Classes and training in over 40 software programs
HOPE DOLLS HAS WORKED WITH THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES IN THE PAST NINE YEARS
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Benjamin Franklin High School
Break-Through
Buckman House
Cascadia Mental Health Center
CCS (Clackamas Public Schools)
Clackamas House
Clackamas Jail
Clinton House
Columbia River Corrections
Commission for the Blind
Community Service Workers
DePaul Industries Job Club
DHS (Department of Health Services)
DOC (Department of Corrections)
Donald E. Long Detention Facility
DP (DePaul Youth Treatment Center)
DePaul Industries Job Club
Dress for Success
DV (Domestic Violence Women)
East Branch Probation and Parole
Elementary Schools
GEARS
Gleaners
Girl Scouts
High School Students
Human Solutions
Integration and Independence Employment Advocates, Inc.
IRCO (Immigration & Refugee Community Organization)
Job Genies
LIFEWORKS NorthWest
Low-income public
Marshall High School Safe Schools
Metropolitan Family Services
Metropolitan Learning Center
Multnomah County Re-Entry Program
Multnomah County Prison Release Program
Lotus
John’s Landing Center
LOTUS
NA (Narcotics Anonymous)
NAA (The Native American Association)
New Life Slavic Services Center
Oregon City Public Schools – SAGE School
PCC (Portland Community College) Workforce Program
PPS (Portland Public Schools Vocational & Transition Services Program)
Portland Women’s Crisis Center
Prisoners – Just Released
Prostitutes Anonymous
Rosemont School
Saint Vincent DePaul
Sheriff’s Re-entry Program
Shutter Creek Corrections
SMS (Seniors Make Sense)
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Southeast Works (SE Works)
Steps to Success
Straight Ahead Shelter
Sunrise Middle School
TEC (Training and Education Center)
Teen Volunteers (often homeless)
Tigard High School
TOPS
Vocational Rehabilitation
Adult Volunteers (mostly low-income)
Watkins School
WE (Welfare Workforce)
White Shield House
Workforce Net
Youth Progress Association (YPA)
YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association)
And Many, Many Others |
