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New Directions Career Center is the only non-profit agency
in Central Ohio dedicated solely to providing quality
career development services to women, especially
the economically disadvantaged, so that they can attain
meaningful employment and economic self-sufficiency.
According to a recent United Way Community Assessment,
the situation for thousands of women in Franklin County
is desperate.
Consider this:
- 43% of single women with children live in poverty; indicating an urgent need for employment preparedness and career education for women
- 21% of women lack health insurance, primarily because they are unemployed or lack sufficient benefits through their employers
The Center has a 24
year proven history of success at delivering measurable
results because of our highly specialized curriculum,
licensed experienced staff and highly qualified
instructors. The Center takes a holistic approach to
career development, focusing on helping our clients
discover long-term solutions for economic success.
Because of our successes, many other community agencies
refer their clients to the Center for our expert
instruction and quality services.
In fact:
- Over 100 agencies refer to their clients to the Center
- More than 400 people contact the Center daily for services, information and referrals
Despite funding cuts at all levels - public, private and
corporate - the Center remains committed to serving all
individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. In
fact, tuition fees account for a small fraction of the
Center's revenue.
Consider this:
- 75% of the New Directions clients received subsidies for transportation and child care
- 39% of who had an annual household income of less then $4,999
The Center's staff are all Master's Level Clinical
Counselors, who in addition to being experts in
workforce development also have specializations in
mental health, chemical dependency and other barriers
experienced by our clients.
In addition to lacking meaningful employment:
- 62% of the Center's clients are survivors of domestic violence
- 52% of the Center's clients struggle with mental illness
The Center provides a substantial return on the investments made by our supporters seen in the positive changes our clients make after leaving the Center.
A recent 12-month follow-up survey with program completers indicates that:
- 74% reported that their jobs allowed them to be
economically self-sufficient, many for the first time
in their lives
- 70% voluntarily dropped some or all of their reliance on
public assistance
With your continued support, we can continue to effectively turn lives around.
With the economic strains that all non-profit organizations
are experiencing, we consider the support of our friends
critical to the success of New Directions Career Center.
With the recent move to our new home, and the continued
increasing demand for our programs, we have been
fortunate to have received support from some outstanding
community partners, but we continue to need YOUR
help to continue to stride toward our goals.
There are so many ways to support the Center, and we would be
happy to talk with you individually about any of the
options listed below, or any other idea you many have to
support the Center. Please consider supporting New
Directions Career Center, and together, we can empower women
in career transition.
Sponsor a Student.
You can help a woman in poverty by covering her tuition in any of our programs
Sponsor a Class.
You can sponsor a whole class of low-income students through any of our programs. May not be clear to an outsider why there's a price range.
Sponsor a Program.
Individuals or businesses can underwrite a segment or
entire program. Examples of program segments include
the brown bag luncheon series on health and wellness, successful workplace strategies, and financial
management.
Sponsor an Event
For more details, see our Women of Promise event, or
Step Into Our Closet event.
Donate Clothing.
Join the growing number of individuals who give their
new and gently-used career clothing. Click here to go to
the New Directions Clothing Closet for more details.
Sponsor a Clothing Drive.
An easy way to get involved is by arranging a clothing
drive among your friends or at your office.
Click here
to go to the New Directions Clothing Closet
for more details.
Donate In-kind Items.
The Center can always use a variety of in-kind
donations. Some examples include: printing, computer
equipment, software, food and beverages for events,
marketing, event space, projector for presentations,
etc.
Make a Gift to the Annual Campaign.
Your donation helps us provide our services to women
regardless of their ability to pay.
Click
here to read more about giving to the Annual Campaign.
Make a Planned Gift.
Think about supporting women for years to come by including
the Center in your will.
Make a Gift to the Endowment Fund.
A gift to the fund can provide stability to the Center in times
of economic uncertainty.
For more options on how you can directly help the Center,
please consider:
- $30 pays for two interview outfits for a New
Directions client from New Directions Clothing Closet
- $50 pays for an hour of additional post-graduation career
counseling
- $75 pays for transportation waivers for a New Directions
client
- $125 pays for childcare assist for a week single mothers in
the New Directions program
- $210 pays for tuition of a New Directions client who cannot afford tuition
Click here to
donate now or contact
Ellen P. Barney,
Executive Director, to
discuss these options via email by clicking either name,
via phone at 614-849-0028, or by filling out the donor
interest form.
Click here for donor interest form.
The Center's annual fundraising event, New Directions
Career Center's Women of Promise, is vital to the
Center's ability to meet the demand for quality and
affordable career development services in our community.
New Directions Career Center's Women of Promise is held
every spring in downtown Columbus.
Over the past ten years, Women of Promise has grown to
become a signature event in Columbus, with fabulous
silent and live auction items that value at over
$40,000! This year, make sure that you take part in
this magnificent evening where you can make a
difference.
Information about Women of Promise 2007 will be posted
here in late winter.
Sponsorship
If you
are interested in sponsoring the Women of Promise event,
please contact the Center's Executive Director,
Ellen P. Barney, via email by clicking on her name,
or via phone at 614-849-0028.
The Center’s annual fundraiser, Step Into Our Closet:
Fashion Show and Wine Tasting, is vital to helping New
Directions Clothing Closet provide valuable career
clothing and guidance for the women in our community.
This year, Step Into Our Closet will be held in
November 2, 2006 at the Limited Brands Headquarters.
Invitation
Please call the Center at 849-0028 if you would like an
invitation to be sent to you via mail, email or fax.
Sponsorship
If you
are interested in sponsoring the Step into Our Closet
event, or for more information, please contact the
Center's Executive Director,
Ellen P. Barney,
via email by clicking her name, or via phone at
614-849-0028.
In times of economic uncertainty and increased demand for
our programs and services, it is due to the generosity
of our community partners that we can continue to serve
so many individuals in Central Ohio, regardless of their ability to pay. Thank you to our
generous supporters who have made recent gifts to New
Directions Career Center:
- Limited Brands provided a generous donation of
products to the Center in April 2006. These items will be
used to recognize the graduates and volunteers of our New Directions
program.
-
Deloitte and Touche collected clothing in June
2006 for the New Directions Clothing Closet. The
following sites that participated: Cardinal Health,
Wendy's International, Safelite Auto Glass, American
Electric Power, Jones Day, Mt. Carmel East Hospital,
Victoria's Secret and Dress Barn Pickerington.
- Scott Adams Design Associates provides ongoing
graphic design and consultation for all of the
Center's publications.
- Grange Insurance insurance provided printing for
a new version of our New Directions Clothing Closet
brochure this summer (2006).
- Tina Mundell, owner of "In-Between Sizes"
in Clintonville donated her remaining plus-size
clothing stock to the Closet after closing her shop in
June 2006.
- An anonymous donor provided funding to assist in
the development of the New Directions Alumnae Group.
- Carol Oswald, owner of "A Quiet Space" massage
and wellness brings her healing touch to the Center's
staff monthly with chair massages. She has also
donated 5% of the proceeds of her June 2006 sales to
the Center.
- Jana Thompson-Chordas designed the the lovely
Women of Promise 2006 invitation and program.
- Minuteman Press provided Women of Promise 2006
invitation printing.
- Bricker & Eckler, LLP provided Women of Promise
2006 program printing.
- King Business Interiors donated a variety of
office furniture in November 2005.
- Caroline Marchant donated a large percentage of
sales from a November 2005 holiday event in Dublin.
This event also educated the community about programs
and services offered at the Center.
- Trade Secret of City Center Mall donated a
variety of bath and beauty items to the Center in
November 2005. These items were given to graduates of
the New Directions class.
- Many groups have recently held clothing drives
for the New Directions Clothing Closet: All
Saints Episcopal Church, Ballantrae Community and
Coldwell Banker, Christian Women Unite, Columbus Young
Professionals Club, Huntington National Bank, KPMG,
McGraw-Hill,
National Council of Real Estate Women, Nationwide Paralegals, OSU
Medical Center, Paradigm Properties, Vorys, Sater,
Seymour and Pease, Young Professionals
Association of the Urban League.
Click here to donate
now!
Thank you all!
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