WISH LIST $100: transports 2 students to 1 training and 3 job interviews each; $500 connects 10 people to the safety net services they need to stay employed; $1,000 provides transportation for a class of 20 to attend job-readiness training

STRIVE DC serves some of the District's hardest to reach citizens—those with limited education, little or no work history, criminal records, substance abuse problems, exposure to violence, and a history of homelessness. But STRIVE helps them find, and keep, what they need most: a job. Using the nationally acclaimed Strive methodology developed in East Harlem in the 1980s, STRIVE enrolls its clients in a three week “boot camp” where they learn to operate as a team, take orders, accept criticism, and think about career advancement in a simulated work environment. The program—which meets five days a week, eight hours a day—is deliberately intense and confrontational, but clients leave knowing they have what it takes to hold a job. Special “for women only” sessions address obstacles women may encounter, like childcare problems, domestic conflict, and sexual harassment. Men’s sessions explore fatherhood and conflict resolution. Upon graduation, STRIVE DC matches people with entry-level jobs at businesses like banks, hospitals, nonprofits and government agencies, and then remains in touch for at least two years to ensure that clients stay on the road to success. Of the 1,100 people who completed the program as of early 2007 (crossing the 1,000 of 1,000 graduates was significant), 77% were employed. This program works: doesn’t it deserve your support?

Chris Hart-Wright, Executive Director 715 I Street NE Washington, DC 20002 202-484-1264 www.strivedc.org