Bushwick Resource Center Serves over 1,600 People in First Year; Takes on More Space
March 16th represented the one-year anniversary of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow’s (OBT) Bushwick Workforce Resource Center (BWRC), located at 280 Wyckoff Avenue in Brooklyn. Since the doors opened, over 1,600 people have come in for assistance.
“We began planning for the site back in the summer of 2008,” explained Randolph Peers, OBT’s Executive Director. “By the time we got the project off the ground in March of 2009, the economy was in a tailspin, and the people of Bushwick, a neighborhood that already was struggling before the recession, were feeling the impact in a major way.”
The project was initially designed to facilitate easier access to programs located at 25 Thornton Street, OBT’s largest job training facility which is four stops away on the M-train subway line. Also at the time, OBT was seeking to develop greater awareness of its programs within Bushwick. With the economic recession, however, the project took on even greater importance. At a time when other organizations were scaling back services due to uncertainty, OBT decided it was time to “step things up.”
Since the doors opened a year ago, the level of activity has been staggering. 1,645 people have visited the BWRC seeking assistance. 702 participated in a vocational assessment designed to inventory their skills, experience, and education in an effort to develop a service plan consisting of educational classes, job training, and employment. Of those 702 people, over 300 enrolled in OBT programs, including over 100 disconnected youth ages 17-24, a population OBT specializes in working with. Many other people were referred to other agencies that provided much needed social services and other supports. 67 people were also placed directly into jobs.
“It’s quite amazing that we have been able to serve this many people with a staff of four,” said Roman Woodson, the BWRC Director. “But the numbers underscore the tremendous need in the community.”
Another unique aspect of the BWRC has been the ability to leverage partnerships with other organizations. For example, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island funded a GED class and English for Speakers of Other Languages class. HealthPlus partnered with the BWRC to bring health insurance access to BWRC clients. Additionally, the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union provided free tax preparation assistance at the BWRC.
Initial funding for the BWRC came from the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation and The France L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund. Additional support followed when the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance awarded OBT a Food Stamp Employment and Training contract to serve unemployed food stamp recipients. OBT also leveraged its successful
partnership with the Consortium for Worker Education to provide employment assistance through their Jobs to Build On program funded by the NYC Council.
Looking ahead to year two, the BWRC recently procured an adjacent space, and they are in the process of building a computer lab. This will enable OBT to shift some training capacity to the BWRC. It will also provide local residents with access to computers and the internet for job searching and resume editing.
