Abe Brown Ministries Inc

Programs: Ready4work is a nationally-recognized program assisting ex-offenders with reentry into the community and workforce, effectively leading clients toward a productive life. Operating with a four-pronged approach - case management, life-coaching, job training and job placement assistance, ready4work motivates and moves individuals to become productive, responsible citizens within the community. Commitments and strategic partnerships with faith-based organizations, local businesses, community outlets and the judicial system assist in ensuring individuals transition successfully back into the community. All prospective clients must undergo a complete background screening prior to acceptance into the program, those with sexual crimes will not be permitted. Upon acceptance, participants are required to attend a comprehensive 4 to 6-week career development training course, focusing on employment and life management skills. Once participants have completed the career development training course, they work closely with a certified career coach to find employment opportunities. Each participant is partnered with a case manager who provides continuous guidance and support, as well as provides referrals for community assistance, life-coaching and follow-up drug screening. As part of the r4w-h program, clients are vetted through drug screenings and a team of qualified program staff. Clients demonstrate their level of responsibility to the r4w-h employees and are observed in a simulated office environment for approximately two months, prior to being sent to an employer for a potential job match. R4w-h supports both the client and the employer for up to one year from the time of admittance into the program. R4w-h seeks to provide the perfect match for the client and the employer and is available for intervention and/or client counseling at the employer's request. We strive to make ideal connections for both the client and the employer. However, if an issue arises, r4w-h commits to expediently resolving the issue and replacing the employees, if necessary. R4w-h features an innovative client and data tracking system by social solutions called efforts to outcomes (eto). Eto is a robust system that provides the infrastructure for multifaceted organizations to effectively manage their data, share information and track progress in a secure environment. All services are rendered based on individual need and willingness to participate. Each of the touchpoints, participant services, follow-up case notes, and cash distributions to vendors outlined above are documented and maintained by r4w-h in eto. This enables r4w-h to not only track individual progress and report results for each program participant, but also to report aggregate results and insights. Since replicating the nationally-recognized ready4work program in 2014, more than 700 clients have enrolled in abm's r4w-h program and 417 of those clients have completed the career development phase of the program. Upon completing the career development phase, 295 clients have been placed in gainful employment. The success of the ready4work-hillsborough program, improves public safety and reduces local, state, and federal budgets for incarceration services as evidenced by its recidivism rate of only 14%, less than half of the national rate. Ready4work-hillsborough works to build a stronger community by creating opportunities to realize second chances and reduce recidivism.

abe brown ministries is located in the heart of east tampa in a community where the poverty rate is 50 percent higher than the city and more than double the poverty rate of the county. The average unemployment rate across the neighborhoods adjacent to our ministry is more than three times the rate in the city and the county. Unemployment and poverty are two of the greatest contributing factors to crime and behaviors that lead to arrests. Unfortunately, violent crime rates in our service area are estimated to be upwards of 10 times the violent crime rate of hillsborough county. Over the last 42 years, abe brown ministries has become more than a prison ministry. In addition to delivering the gospel on crusades into prison and transporting families to visit their incarcerated loved ones, we also distribute food to families in need from our food for life pantry, transition citizens returning from prison back into the community through our transitional living program, and assist ex-offenders with re-entry into the workforce through ready4work-hillsborough.