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Omaha Center for Refugee & Immigrant Services Inc. (OCRISI)
628 N Saddle Creek Rd, Suite B. Omaha Nebraska 68132
https://ocrisi.org/
https://www.facebook.com/Omaha-Center-for-Refugee-Immigrant-Service-106039021945901
Ladan Yusuf
Executive Director
ladan.yusuf@ocrisi.org
+1 (531) 867-7543
No
The Omaha Center for Refugee and Immigrant Services Inc. (OCRISI). Is a newly born growing agency with a variety of good programs to be provided for the needy and low-income populations in the community especially refugees/immigrants, and newcomers. The OCRISI intentions/goals are to build safe, prosperous, vibrant, and inclusive communities by addressing the ongoing issue of poverty these communities have been encountering and emerging issues of unemployment, food security, and transportation these communities have been facing before and after the pandemic hit. In addition to some African Americans and Latino people in need who get served at our agency (OCRISI), most of our client’s refugees (from Afghan, Congolese, Somalis, Sudanese, Nepalese/Bhutanese Burmese/Karen, Burundi people, South Sudanese, and Kareni/Chin communities) are being served at the OCRISI on a regular basis. Among the clients who come to OCRISI, there are some disabled people. Also, there are some homeless people who come to OCRISI for the food pantry every week, and other-related assistance services. The OCRISI It embraces diversity, equity & inclusion, and it has been moving to the right directions.
Employment, Transportation & Food Security.
850000.0
850000.0
Service/program
1. Employment & Transportation Programs: - Based on some unemployment stories we heard from different clients who come to OCRISI, transportation barriers prevent people especially refugees/immigrants/newcomers, and other underserved populations from seeking a job or holding a job for a long time. For this reason, we are going to implement an Employment & Transportation program for refugees/immigrants/newcomers and the underserved populations in the low-income communities. As mentioned earlier, some of our clients have been facing the issue of lack of transportation. After others try very hard to get a job and plan to hold this job for a long time, they get stuck because no reliable transportation sources available all the time. 2. Food Pantry- Since its establishment, OCRISI has been trying very hard to help the needy/vulnerable members of our community through different social services. For example, our food pantry serves close to a 100 families & individuals weekly. With the high prices of food, gas, supply shortages, and the emerging inflation, these families/individuals have been struggling to make the ends meet. The OCRISI is here to help though.
Because of ongoing needs for employment, food security, and transportation, the OCRISI would like to keep up with this proposal for a couple years as possible, if this kind of finding will be available every year. but it has seen enough people seeking foods and heard uncertainty stories being shared about unemployment/transportation issues.
1.0
Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha)
Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
1. Employment program: - As mentioned above, we heard some stories from different clients about the impact of transportation issues on their unemployment status. And how many of our clients try very hard to find a job or hold a job for a long time. But they fail to do, out of their control. As a caring community agency, the OCRISI is planning implement an Employment and Transportation program. For this program, the OCRISI will hire some Employment Specialist, and about 3-5 drivers to drop off and pick up clients to & from the workplace for almost 3 months or so. When these clients meet self-sufficient criteria and when most of them can navigate through the system and take advantage of other alternatives with a little or no assistance from OCRISI, they will exit or be terminated/discharged successfully from this program. Very importantly, the OCRISI will follow-up with disabled clients or those who found it difficult to become self-sufficient in each time. The OCRISI will try to connect those clients with other alternatives or resources available in the community. 2. Food Pantry: Since its establishment, the OCRISI has been trying very hard to help the needy/vulnerable members of our community, every week. For example, our food pantry serves close to a 100 families & individuals weekly. With the high prices of food, gas, supply shortages, and the emerging inflation, these families/individuals have struggling to make the ends meet.
This proposal will perfectly align with the visioning workshop finding because the OCRISI's mission statement calls upon addressing the issue of poverty and lifting up the people who are being impacted by poverty to some levels. From the top to the bottom, this proposal made it clear the OCRISI has been trying very hard to closing or bridging the gaps by tackling the issue of food security, unemployment, and transportation. Also, this proposal made it clear that the OCRISI opens its doors not only to refugee/immigrant communities but also to low-income, underserved, and vulnerable populations across the city/town.
The LB1012's strategic priorities is all about Economic Recovery, North & South Omaha. The OCRISI was created because there was a huge need of a different types of recovery in the surrounding areas, North Omaha & South Omaha, zip codes 68104, 68111, 68131, 68110, 68105, 68106, 68107, just to name a few. The OCRISI was formed because there was a need huge need to have a community agency in the middle of the city/town (the OCRISI location is strategic) to assist, while many were somehow recovering from the impact of the pandemic of 2020. Because this (the introduction of the LB1024's bill) sounded very good to be true, the leadership team at the OCRISI were not only following the news about the announcement of this bill but also prayed for this bill to pass, to be implemented, and to be put into practice by local agencies like OCRISI for a better community for all, North & South Omaha.
•The OCRISI is planning to hire a couple Employment Workers including Recruiters, Case Managers, and a specialist who will be helping veterans/homeless to get a job • The OCRISI will hire 3-5 drivers • The OCRISI will hire a trainer or executive coach as well.
• The OCRISI is planning to have at least a full-time coordinator, specialist, and trainer to help/support seekers and for the retaining of employment purposes
• The OCRISI will not hire any construction employees for this program/proposal.
• For Employment Specialist, Coordinator, Trainer, and Executive Coach, the wages will range between 20-25 per hour or more. The OCRISI will try to hire bilingual qualified people within the community to better serve people with limited English.
Because of ongoing needs for employment, food security, and transportation, OCRISI has seen enough people seeking foods and heard uncertainty stories being shared about unemployment/transportation issues in North Omaha.
•This program will eliminate some barrier and bridge the gabs that hold behind the clients in need of transportation. This program will not only help these clients to achieve their desired goals of having a job or maintaining a job, but it will also help them support their families and become independent. With the OCRISI assisting and tacking transportation issues, the economy of our city/state will grow and grow because these clients keep up with work and pay taxes. The desired goals these clients would like to meet include buying a house, invest in their children, and coming up with a business that can employ other people in the community.
For instance, the desired goals of most of the clients who come to OCRISI include buying a house, invest in children, and coming up with a business that can employ other people in the community. No doubts, these kinds of desired goals lead to a great contribution to community sustainability for years and years; for generation to come. In this case, people need to be lifted. The OCRISI is here to lift people up through a funding source like this one.
The OCRISI will use the best practices of Trauma Informed Care, and other-related culturally competent approaches that work well with refugees/immigrants/newcomers. Because many refugees, immigrants, and newcomers struggle with transportation issues, the OCRISI has been trying to help in this area above & beyond. As mentioned above, refugees, immigrants, and newcomers apply for a job or try to maintain a job, but they find it difficult to do so because there is no reliable car to take them to the workplace or other places, where they can apply for a new job. Some service-providers and caregivers think that refugees, immigrants, and newcomers can easily learn how to use public transportation to move around and meet their daily obligations that require traveling between cities or counties. In fact, it takes a long time for a refugee, immigrant, or newcomer to learn how to use public transportation. Some refugees/immigrants/newcomers with limited English or disability do not even attempt to use public transportation. Some already have a trauma of using public transportation in the country of origin or while living in the refugee camps. In some countries in Asia or Africa, using public transportation or carpooling is not safe. Sometimes, the driver of public transportation keeps driving, while the passengers are getting into the bus. Some refugees/immigrants/newcomers or experienced the falling off the bus back then in the country of origin or while living in the refugee camps. Through. The OCRISI will put into the practice the Trauma Informed Care practices, and other culturally competent approaches to assist clients with bad experiences in terms of public transportation or caring pooling.
Through a certain period and timeframe that was put forth for the start time and discharge time, the OCRISI can measure (using the Logic Model) both short and long-term impacts of transpiration services. The termination from the services will have 3 categories. The category of Successfully, Unsuccessful, and Neutral. Those who couldn’t succeed in each time to rely on their own transportation will be given a chance to explain the circumstances that let them come back to the OCRISI for transportation services. Also, clients; satisfaction surveys will be conducted in the end.
In addition to Logic Model, at the OCRISI, we usually track down all our programs progress and we have seen our program progressing/successful because the number of people we have been able to serve has nearly doubled in a very short period.
Yes, the program will help the community to become self sufficient.
No
No
Our office is located in strategic center in North Omaha, and the address is 628 N Saddle Creek Rd, Suite B. Omaha Nebraska 68132.
Within one or more QCTs
No
No
No
No
No
No
2023- $425.000.00 2024- $425.000.00 Total = $850.000.00
The grant funds will be specifically used for Food Pantry, employment & Transportation Program.
Yes
This proposal will help to up lift the community in terms of food security, employment & Transportations Program.
The OCRISI is a new agency, however, it received some funding from Omaha Community Foundation, Douglas County, and again we are expecting to receive some funds from Juvenile Justice, Douglas County.
The OCRISI sent out some grant application for other social services/programs. It seems like these grant applications are under process
The OCRISI sent out some grant application for other social services/programs. It seems like these grant applications are under process. In other words, the OCRISI did not yet receive other funds. However, no funds this proposal cannot continue without.
yes, it can be completed in smaller components.
food pantry = 550.000, employment & Transportation program = 300.000
The OCRISI highly needs the grant funds to support the projects, the OCRISI will try to help about 100-1000 low-income, underserved, and vulnerable families/individuals’ clients in need to get employed in a timely manner by making referrals and connections with different local work companies. Every month, the OCRISI will try to assist clients already employed to hold a job for a long time by providing transportation to & from work until a family/individual buys a car or have a reliable transportation source to keep up with the job. Every week, the OCRISI will continue to tackle the issues of food security by continuing to distribute foods or have the food pantry open on Wednesdays for the needy to receive free foods. When there is enough funding, the OCRISI will be able to add & distribute Halal meat, and other foods being consumed in refugee/immigrant communities on a weekly basis as well.
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1.0
1.0
Organizational Chart Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses