Building Skills Partnership

BUILDING SKILLS PARTNERSHIP (BSP) RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THE SUPPORT FROM THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR A 10TH AND FINAL YEAR OF SUPPORT TO CONTINUE TO DEEPEN, INCREASE PROGRAMMING, AND EXPORT OUR EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMING. THIS PROJECT WILL ASSIST IN BUILDING WITH THE EXPANSION OF PROGRAMMING TO A WIDER ARRAY OF WORKING FAMILIES IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY, WHICH INCLUDE A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE WORK OF VISTAS WILL BE IMPERATIVE AS BSP EXPANDS ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY TO NOT ONLY REACH THESE POPULATIONS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO BUILD BRIDGES AND ALLIANCES BETWEEN ALL SERVICE WORKERS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UPWARD INCOME MOBILITY. DURING THIS NEAR YEAR OF THE PROJECT, BUILDING SKILLS PARTNERSHIP IS PROPOSING TO COST-SHARE FIVE PLACEMENTS (5 COST-SHARE AND 2 REGULAR). THIS REQUEST IS FOR A 10TH AND FINAL YEAR CONTINUATION PROJECT THAT WILL BEGIN ON 09/03/2018 AND CONCLUDE ON 08/02/2020. BSP PROPOSES TO WORK IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, OAKLAND, SAN DIEGO, SANTA CLARA, ORANGE COUNTY, AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES BY PROVIDING A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO UPLIFTING FAMILIES FROM POVERTY. THIS APPLICATION PROPOSES TO CLOSE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING, WHICH HAS BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HAS NOW BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND WILL CONTINUED TO BE SUSTAINED AT BSP. FOR THIS APPLICATION, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROPOSE TO NOT HOST A VISTA MEMBER IN OUR SAN JOSE OFFICE. BSP HAS ABSORBED PROGRAMMING AND SUSTAINED THIS OFFICE SINCE FY 2016-2017. IN ADDITION, BSP PROPOSES TO CONTINUE WITH OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR COST-SHARE. FOR THIS PROJECT CONTINUATION, BSP PROPOSES TO CONTINUE OUR COST-SHARES TO 5 MEMBERS. COST-SHARE CITIES INCLUDE SAN DIEGO, ORANGE, AND LOS ANGELES. BSP IS REQUESTING THE SUPPORT FROM THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR 7 VISTA'S 2 REGULAR AND 5 COST-SHARES. THESE VISTA'S WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON EXPANDING PROVEN EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMING TO RELATIVELY NEW REGIONS, WHICH INCLUDE SAN DIEGO, OAKLAND, AND MOUNTAIN VIEW. FOR THESE SITES, BSP IS REQUESTING THE FOLLOWING VISTA PLACEMENTS: 1 IN SAN DIEGO, 1 IN OAKLAND AND 2 IN MOUNTAIN VIEW (AT GOOGLE). FOR EXISTING SITES WHICH INCLUDE LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY, BSP IS PROPOSING TO CONTINUE WITH IS STRATEGY TO BUILDING ITS COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAM WHILE ALSO EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO A WIDER ARRAY OF WORKING FAMILIES IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY. ALL VISTAS WILL WORK TOWARDS DEVELOPING, STRENGTHENING, AND EXPANDING BSP'S COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION FROM YOUTH TO ADULTHOOD. VISTAS WILL ASSIST IN DEVELOPING AN INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH VOLUNTEERS, SYSTEMS, PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANTS TO SUPPORT OUR OBJECTIVE TO HELP STUDENT'S COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL, ENROLL IN COLLEGE, AND ENTER IN THE WORKFORCE. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THE ABOVE STRATEGY ALIGNS CLOSELY WITH THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE TO BREAK CYCLES OF POVERTY. IN ADDITION, BSP WILL PROVIDE TRAINING AND SERVICES TO HELP BOTH IMMIGRANT WORKERS AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN WORKERS TRANSITION FROM OUR VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUE TO HIGHER EDUCATION OR CAREER TRAINING, THUS INCREASING THEIR INCOME AND SOCIAL MOBILITY FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. SINCE RECEIVING ITS FIRST GRANT FROM THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE IN 2008, BSP HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL GOALS BECAUSE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY VISTA MEMBERS. BSP'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES, TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LOW-WAGE PROPERTY SERVICE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES BY INCREASING THEIR SKILLS, ACCESS TO EDUCATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER AND COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT. THE VISTA GRANT AND VISTA MEMBERS HAVE BEEN AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF BSP'S SUCCESS. THIS SUCCESS HAS INCLUDED THE EXPANSION OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. IN 2008, BSP WAS