Program Description:

The grant helped fund the Solutions Academy, a 700-day program designed to help families exit the vicious cycle of poverty and dependency that leads to family homelessness. The specific objectives of the program are to: 1) provide safe, stable, and sober living for our students and their families, 2) provide workforce training and job preparedness classes to help our students overcome barriers to employment, 3) provide personal development and counseling services so that our students can live a successful and independent life.

Results:

Solutions Academy’s outcomes matched the proposed plan. Using the Solutions Engagement and Evaluation System, Solutions Academy measured the number of families that are no longer homeless and the number of families that reach each milestone event in the program. The target of a cumulative 71% success rate was exceeded by achieving a 74% success rate. The metrics evaluated are: class hours, hours spent in Employment Related Training, the number of one-on-one coaching sessions completed, adherence to recovery program guidelines and completion of milestones, personal health and well-being (doctor and dentist appointments, etc.), and financial health (savings).

Future Plans:

Solutions for Change plans to continue and expand its Solutions Academy. It recently signed a purchase agreement for a 110-acre parcel of land in North County called Green Oak Ranch, which will allow for a wide variety of social enterprises that Solutions for Change can utilize for not only job training and readiness programs but also to help generate revenue for the program. The plan is to increase the impact it is having on our community by scaling up its services and the number of families it serves.