Lowell Office *COMING SOON*
Reading and Beyond Lowell Office
Dickey Youth Center
1515 E. Divisadero
Fresno, CA 93721
Maria Moreno
Case Manager
Carmelita Demus
Case Manager
May Ly
Case Manager
Southeast Fresno Office
Reading and Beyond Admin. Office
Mosqueda Center
4670 E. Butler Ave.
Fresno, CA 93702
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(559)600-6192
Ka Vang
Case Manager
Brisana Flores
Case Manager
Phyllis Cordray
Case Manager
Fresno Bridge Academy - Success Spotlight
The Fresno Bridge Academy, our workforce development program, is designed to help eligible unemployed and under-employed adults become employed or job-ready. Our goal is to help 240 participants achieve and maintain self-reliance through completing our program.
The program will have two offices to better serve the community. The first office is at Reading and Beyond’s main office in Southeast Fresno at the Mosqueda Center, and the second office will be in the Lowell neighborhood at the Dickey Youth Center, starting in the Spring of 2012.
Each office has three Case Managers who actively recruit program participants from their respective neighborhoods, and connect families to various local service organizations in an effort to remove barriers.
The purpose of Fresno Bridge Academy is to identify eligible participants and accomplish one or more of the following:
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The participant becomes employed. -
The participant finds better employment.
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The participant achieves wage progression.
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The participant is deemed promotable by their employer.
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The participant successfully completes job readiness training.
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The participant’s family is connected with resources that will help eliminate potential barriers to success.
To help the participants meet these goals the Fresno Bridge Academy offers a Job Club Workshop series, focused wrap-around case management, and referrals to local service organizations and career training centers. Job Club Workshops are offered twice a week at each location with topics such as Resume Writing, Cover Letter Techniques, Job Search Tips, Interviewing Skills, How to Create and Email Account, etc.
Eligible participants are adults that reside with a minor child, are unemployed or under-employed, and meet the following minimum criteria:
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At least 18 years old.
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Legally eligible for employment.
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Receiving CalFresh benefits only (No CalWorks).
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Registered with the U.S. Selective Service (Armed Forces, men only).
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Living within the Southeast Fresno and Lowell neighborhoods.
Eliminating barriers is the primary way to achieve successful completion of the program. Case Mangers are responsible for linking participants’ families with appropriate resources needed to remove those barriers. This may include referrals to supporting services such as childcare, transportation, need for food, mental health services, housing assistance, etc.. Case Managers work closely with various organizations such as the Department of Social Services and others to quickly remove those barriers.
For more information, please contact:
Nikki Newsome
Fresno Bridge Academy Program Manager
Fresno Bridge Academy
Testimonial
"What impressed me about the approach [Fresno Bridge Academy] is taking is that it is holistic in nature. It is looking at the many circumstances or conditions that contribute to the dire situation many families find themselves in. No one wants to be impoverished, but I would imagine that it is easy to become overwhelmed by the situation. How do you pull yourself out? Where do you begin? I don’t know one parent who doesn’t want their children to have a better life than they did. It’s a working example of the proverbial “give a man a fish” vs. “teach a man to fish.”
Mary Ann Cusator
Coordinator
Fresno County Office of Education