Sometimes, rekindling an old relationship can be a step forward. We anticipate this rekindling to be productive.  Dennis A. Jarmon was with us for two and a half years as one of the Life Skills Case Managers before he accepted a position with another organization in October, last year.  Eight months later, he returned to StepUp in the role of Employment Team Lead.  He believes that he has a lot to offer due to his background in employment (including Staffing, Management, and Job Development) over the years.  We are just as excited as he is about his return and anticipate many good things to happen with his addition to the Employment team!

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This month Step Up Children have been learning about financial literacy. We have been working on how to save, earn and spend money. Sometimes parents can have a difficult time with trying to save money or use it for the things that they really need because our children do not understand the importance of saving and spending money. Here at Step Up we try to make the children’s program fun, but still making sure that each child will benefit from what ever the lesson is for the night. One of the favorite activities during this lesson was creating a business. If we want to spend money then we have to find ways to earn money! 

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Carlton Clanton is a native of Wake Forest NC. When he came to StepUp he was seeking for an opportunity to improve his life by making necessary changes. Carlton began his journey with StepUp on March 29, 2017, where he came through as a by-passer in the Life Skills program. 

He provides transportation to and from Wake Forest to Life Skills for participants that are also in the program. He is faithful in whatever he is involved in.

He is currently employed at Covenant Trucking Company in Youngsville NC where he has been employed for 15 years. His leadership qualities extend to his job, where he is called to manage the team in various projects.

We would like to take this opportunity to salute him for being a great example of dedication and commitment.

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Share the Pie is building stable families through access to employment and healthcare. We are back this year, and we need people to bake and sell pie.

Would you like to get involved in this mission? It's simple.

To be a pie seller, you will simply need to pre-sell 20 pies to your friends, coworkers, etc. You will be eligible for incentives along the way, and most of all, you will be joining in our mission of creating stable families this Thanksgiving.

To be a pie baker, you will simply need to do what you already love to do—bake chocolate, pecan, or pumpkin pies, and package them in boxes we provide. We will come pick them up from you and deliver them to our pie pick-up locations.

Please visit www.sharethepie.org to learn more or to sign up!

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In August, our employment team worked to place 32 people in jobs, which exceeds their goal for the month. We think that is something worth celebrating. 32 jobs may sound simple, may seem like a drop in the ocean, but at StepUp, we know it is more than a job. We know that means 32 more people who will not wonder how they will feed their family. That is 32 people who will no longer feel the degrading, fearful answer of “no.” That is 32 people who will begin to work towards stability. And that is worth celebrating.

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Share the Pie, a joint fundraiser with Alliance Medical Ministry, aims to create stable families through access to employment and healthcare. We are back this year, and we need people to sell pie. 

Would you like to get involved in this mission? It's simple. We will just ask you to sell 20 pies to your friends, coworkers, etc. You will be eligible for incentives along the way, and most of all, you will be joining in our mission of creating stable families this Thanksgiving.

Please contact Lydia Pickard (lpickard@stepupministry.org or 919-781-0156 ext. 122) if you are interested!

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In its beginning stages, StepUp Ministry worked to assist homeless individuals in obtaining housing. Eventually, the organization grew to include an employment program and life skills training. This was done to give a safe space for people to change more than just a difficult situation, they could change their entire life.

Community means different things to different people. But the underlying message is working together with the common goal of everyone growing, rising and thriving together. The Jobs Team at StepUp Ministry has been fortunate in partnering with different agencies in the community to provide job training to the unemployed residents of Wake County.

The Salvation Army is one of those agencies, and we have been fortunate to work alongside them over the years. This month they hosted the Employment Week Workshop at their facility located  near downtown Raleigh. We are grateful for their partnership and support!

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Our children in Little Steps are constantly learning and growing. This month, they worked on name recognition using ice cream. The children really enjoyed adding the scoops to the ice cream cone and then counting how many scoops they had according to the letters in their name. The kids had so much fun, while also gaining important skills they will need.

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StepUp Ministry’s Alumni program continues to grow. We had 75% engagement from our most recent graduates in our June 2017 Life Skills Class. We’re looking forward to having them join in on Wake Tech class and become Toastmasters members. Two alumnae attended a three-day conference (Transform U Live) sponsored by Journey Principles Institute.  They will also participate in a live radio taping in August.  Stay tuned for more.

Spotlight on StepUp Alumni

Alum Nickia Baker is published. Her company (Sheer Elegance Events NC) was recently featured in Munaluchi Bridal online for her work as a wedding event planner.  More information can be found at http://munaluchibridal.com/romantic-elegance-classic-meets-modern-styled-shoot/.

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This July, we welcomed six new members to our board of directors. These six individuals come to us with experience in business, leadership, service, etc. They are passionate about our mission, and we are excited to have these incredible people on our team.

Anna White Hosea, Community Leader

Brandon Lowery, BLLC Landscaping

Pierre Marcella, Wingswept

Andrew Rose, Capitol Financial Solutions

Katherine Ross, Parker Poe

DeShelia Spann, Harte Hanks

The StepUp Ministry Board of Directors represents the diversity of faith congregations, financial resources, expertise, community partnerships, and volunteers it will take to strengthen StepUp in the coming years.

Anna White Hosea

Brandon Lowery

Pierre Marcella

Katherine Ross

Andrew Rose

DeShelia Spann

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We could not accomplish the work we do without all of our many volunteers, and we had a chance to recognize a few of them at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party in April. Our Volunteer of the Year Awards went to:

Connie Hudson—Employment Team Volunteer of the Year

Crissy Keye Rollins—Adult Life Skills Volunteer of the Year

Aaron Stanford—Real World Volunteer of the Year

Hayes Barton Baptist Church—Alumni Volunteer of the Year

Sheldon Fox—Development Volunteer of the Year

Linda Atack—Children’s Volunteer of the Year

Carolyn Johnson and Ann Hanley—Volunteers of the Year

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Is your schedule slowing down for the summer? Are you looking for a way to get involved in the Raleigh community? Please consider volunteering with StepUp! We are in need of volunteers in the following areas:

1. Co-Partners: We are short 10 co-partners for the next phase. Will you fill that role? Serve as a one-on-one mentor weekly in our Life Skills Program for adults or young adults.
2. Summer Meals: Prepare meals for the summer, a great opportunity for a group to serve!
3. Children’s Program: Read to, play with, and encourage children ages 6 weeks-16.

For more information, please contact Laura Martin at (919) 781-0156 ext. 126 or lmartin@stepupministry.org.

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In May of 2016, when Karen Evans came through our Employment program she was seeking change. For most of her life, she’d worked temp positions and wanted more. After completing the workshop, Karen felt confident and encouraged by the valuable information “tools” that she was able to add to her toolkit of life. Karen began her job search empowered and with a new outlook. She quickly secured a position that ultimately became full-time with benefits.  Today Karen is gearing up for graduation and recently received the keys to her new vehicle through our Wheels for Hope partnership!  

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Four men stepped on the trail on Friday, May 19 with more than their hiking boots and backpacks. They stepped on the trail with a greater purpose, a mission to help people build lives of stability. Thanks to Craig Dunkley, Geoff Abell, Larry Kaminski, and Glyn Jones for choosing to make your 34 miles in just TWO days about more than yourselves. StepUp is grateful for the hard work and dedication of this team that raised almost $5,000!

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Ms. Dominique Gray began the Employment Program on April 10th, 2017. Dominique possesses unmatched ambition and is eager to reenter the workforce. She seeks out and attends Raleigh hiring events and is currently pursuing seasonal employment with Marriott Hotels. Dominique is also on track to begin employment with NC State Dining! Our team is excited about the connections being made between our awesome participants and our awesome employers!

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You’re invited to StepUp’s annual fundraising luncheon on June 5, 2017! The Impact Luncheon provides an opportunity for guests to learn how our process creates lasting change in the lives of more than 600 individuals each year. The event will start at 11:45 a.m. at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Please RSVP to Lydia Pickard at lpickard@stepupministry.org if you would like to join us.

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This week is National Volunteer Week, and we are so thankful for all the volunteers that make our work at StepUp possible. Are you looking for a way to get involved in StepUp? We have some opportunities coming up, and we would love for you to join us!

1. Impact Luncheon: Our annual fundraising luncheon will be held Monday, June 5th, and we will need volunteers to help set up, plate the food, and clean up. We will need volunteers on Sunday, June 4th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and on Monday, June 5th beginning at 10:30 a.m.  If you are interested, please contact Neill Frantz, nfrantz@stepupministry.org or 919-781-0156 ext. 122.
2. Summer: Many of our regular volunteers are not able to commit to our summer program, so we will need volunteers to help nurture and care for our children, ages 6 weeks-16.

If you are interested, please contact Laura Martin, lmartin@stepupministry.org or 919-781-1056 ext. 126.

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"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” -Nelson Mandela

This quote speaks to the spirit of a participant, by the name of Magnus Lane. Magnus initially came through the employment program in 2013 and did not stay connected, but that wasn’t the end of his story with StepUp. He returned in 2016 and seemed to have a new attitude towards his professional success. Magnus eventually landed a job as a janitor, where he was committed to being the best at his job. Throughout his time in this position, Magnus never stopped going on interviews and attending job fairs. He met with me weekly to continue practicing on his interviewing skills, which also helped him overcome any anxiety he had of taking the next step in his career. Magnus was patiently waiting for the next door God was going to open for him when he received not one call, but two different calls from employers who were interested in him. Magnus is now working two great jobs, providing for his self and his family. Magnus took the fear he had, and conquered it. He turned interviewing into a strength, and he won’t let anything stop him from moving forward and being successful.

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Lakeisha Wilson is a native of Wake Forest NC. When Lakeisha came to StepUp she was unemployed and living in a transitional house. She was introduced to StepUp by her church at Greater New Life Fellowship Community Church in Wake Forest.

She began her journey with StepUp on February 20, 2017 where she came through the jobs program. After completing the jobs week program she was able to obtain employment within 2 weeks. She is currently employed with Rescare as a Direct Care Professional. After getting employed she continued her relationship with StepUp by becoming a participant in the Life Skills program.

Lakeisha is a mother of 3 and her main hobby is singing. She sings gospel music and is passionate about her relationship with Christ. She will be the first to tell you that “Life for me has not been no crystal stair”, but yet I am climbing. She has come from homelessness, unemployment, divorcement, abandonment to obtaining a career and getting her life back on track.

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StepUp Ministry partners with several different organizations and we have the honor to have them work with our children. This month we started our unit on personal health and nutrition. POE Center has been coming for several weeks teaching our children about nutrition and how to live and maintain a healthy life. Our children are not only learning how to eat healthy, but they are also learning how to exercise and stay active. Our children are very active and they love when POE Center prepares different games and exercises for them! 

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