Employment Opportunity Is The Key

I’ve always believed and understood that the key to real and sustained transformation in the men we work with has been and always will be employment. While the tools we provide them are invaluable and can lead to a more successful and productive life without an opportunity at the end of the day the negative forces that so many of these guys struggle against daily will once again overtake them. That is why my number one goal and mission is finding employment opportunities for these guys.

I remember them from the time they first showed up looking bewildered and troubled until the day they graduated looking confident and ready to take on the world. Over the course of the three weeks we build trust and bonds to one another and so it is extremely difficult for me when they call asking if I have located any opportunities for them because they are ready or that they really need it. I cannot express my frustration when I see the guys at our weekly support group or get a call from one of them just “checking in” on the progress of my efforts. After witnessing the transformation that many of them made just to get to this point I am inspired every day to continue to press on.

If we are going to redevelop the urban core of our major cities we need to answer the question of employment opportunity for these men. The difficulty is of course that as a nation we have not done an adequate job of developing a national employment policy and my fear is that the current employment numbers are the new normal or worse that they will continue to increase. You would think that the employment of our people and developing a pathway out of poverty through employment would be a priority; unfortunately instead what we have been given is political dysfunction. My fear is that what the top 5%’s doesn’t understand is that unless there is a large buffer between them and the rest of the country there will be chaos and anarchy which benefits none of us. We cannot and should not become a society that has disposable human beings who are not allowed to contribute to society.

We were all created with value that is inherited from our Creator. We were all created to do great things with talents and abilities. It does not benefit any of us to allow those gifts and talents to go unused. Does anyone believe that we are so overflowing with talent that we can just allow our fellow citizens to not participate in our economy and society? As we become a more aging population and the baby boomers continue to retire at record numbers we are going to need all hands on deck participating in this economy to maintain even some semblance of our current lifestyles.

We at ReEngage believe we have one solution to the challenges that have historically prevented some members of our community from fully participating in our economy. However, the final judgment will be in the employment numbers. Our success will in large part be based on how many people we were able to get employed. If you would like to support or join our efforts, please consider using our staffing services company for your next temporary workers. We provide highly motivated and reliable workers. We provide our customers with flexibility and many value added services.

ReEngage, Inc. is excited to announce the 2013 ReEngage fundraiser to be held on Thursday, June 27th, 2013 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Auditorium, 4525 Oak St., Kansas City, MO 64111. Happy hour will begin at 6:00pm and the film will start at 7:00pm.

The ReEngage, Inc. fundraiser will feature the showing of the award winning documentary, “We Are Superman”, as well as guest speakers and former graduates of The Man Class©. We will be selling tickets to the event which will include appetizers and a free drink. There will also be appetizers and a cash bar available. Also, we will have the new ReEngage T-shirts for sale. Tickets are available online through Eventbrite:

http://reengagefundraiser.eventbrite.com/#

Please check out the trailer for the film:

Single Dad shows the power of perseverance.

Mr Allen Tate, is a graduate of "The Man Class©”, cycle 1 and a single parent. So often we hear about single parenthood from the female perspective and while it is true that the majority of single parents are women, there are still men like Mr. Tate who have taken on the difficulties of single parenthood for the sake of their children. Mr. Tate is currently working for one of our contractors at the Bancroft Project.

Mr. Tate has raised 5 adult children and has another child (daughter MyKiyah)  at home with him as a single dad. Mr. Tate has consistently refused government assistance. Instead, he has chosen to persevere and work his way through some troubling times. Prior to coming to ReEngage, Mr. Tate had acquired some construction skills and had a fairly stable family life.

"ReEngage has given me a foot in the door to get back to work, but it certainly didn't guarantee long-term employment," stated Mr. Tate. ReEngage has helped me to focus on personal development, problem solving skills, and communication skills. I've learned to set a plan, have a vision, and to put it into action. I continue to use my daily meditations that I learned from the training."

    Today, I will not participate in my own destruction.
    Today, I will not be afraid to be great.
    Today, I will have a vision for my life.
    Today, I will nurture those around me.

Today, Mr Tate is an inspiration to us all as he continues to persevere and overcome any obstacles in his path. Mr. Tate attributes his family's good fortune to the Grace of God and is an active member of his church, in Grandview, MO.

After moving to Kansas City in late April, I was invited by my future father-in-law to attend a screening of "We Are Superman" at the KC Film Festival.  Not knowing much about Kansas City and it's history, I was extremely moved by the documentary.  I've previously been involved with various non-profits in other cities but nothing like what ReEngage was doing.  After watching the documentary I immediately reached out to Rodney to see if I would be a good fit to work with ReEngage.  Seeing what ReEngage has done within the community, and in a fairly short time period, has been nothing short of inspiring.  I'm hoping that my experiences will provide a positive influence on the men going through the program and that I will be able to provide a solid example.  I'm excited to be a part of such a promising organization and look forward to getting started.

I am originally from Ohio but I have had the opportunity to live in Arizona, California, Oregon, and now the Kansas City area.  Outside of work I try to be actively involved in my community as well as keeping myself in shape mentally, physically, and religiously.  I recently got engaged and I am looking forward to settling in to Kansas City.

We are so grateful to have volunteers like Mike who have not only heard the call of the Sheperd, but have also chosen to obey the call. Mike is currently volunteering as a mentor to one of our recent graduates of The Man Class©. Thank you Mike and all of our volunteers, we couldn't do it without you!

Many of you who follow ReEngage will remember Mr. Stenson, who recently graduated from The Man Class© last cycle and he was featured in last month’s newsletter. Mr. Stenson since graduating has gone on to gain employment with New Horizons Enterprises, a local environmental management company. Mr. Stenson and his wife are supporting and raising six children and so he understands the need to provide for his family. All reports indicate that Mr. Stenson is proving to be a reliable, competent, and motivated employee, who continues to impress his new employer. Great job, Mr. Stenson and keep up the good work and I see you becoming a leader in your community.

Mr. Stenson is working for a very reputable company and is making a livable wage as he now prepares for his future and that of his family.

If you would like to reliable, motivated, and competent employees, please consider ReEngage Staffing Services for your short-time employment needs.