HomeMy WebLinkAboutWorld Relief Wisconsin ARPA Application 2024 1
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Funding Application for
Non-Profit Entities, Community Groups, and Neighborhood Associations
Due Date: March 1, 2024, 4:30 PM
Application must be completed in full to be considered.
Submit complete application & budget sheet electronically to citymgr@oshkoshwi.gov -or-
Mail - City Manager’s Office, 215 Church Ave – PO Box 1130, Oshkosh WI 54903-1130 -or-
Place in City Hall Dropbox
Attachments, brochures or other materials may be included as part of the application packet.
Application Review Criteria
The electronic version (including email message and all attachments) cannot exceed 10 MB
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Name of Project/Program: Removing Barriers for Refugee Workers to Access
Skilled Employment
2. Organization Name: World Relief Wisconsin
3. Address: 510 E. Wisconsin Ave Appleton WI 54911
4. Primary Contact Person: Christy Bodett Lukins/Kao Nou Huse
5. Title: Development Specialist/Site Director
Phone: 920-231-3600
6. E-mail CBodettLukins@wr.org KNHuse@wr.org
7. If applicable: Federal Tax Identification Number: 236393344
8. If applicable: DUNS number:
Provide Mission Statement/Purpose:
To empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We do that in three primary
ways: provide vital services, build just and welcoming communities, and bring people
together. We provide vital services for refugees and other immigrants such as locate
housing, job placement, health advocacy, cultural orientation, and immigrant legal services.
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We build just and welcoming communities through advocacy for refugees and other
immigrants and through community education. We bring people together through volunteer
programs and community events.
PROPOSAL OVERVIEW – must match Budget Overview sheet
Funds Requested Total Project Cost Annual Organizational Budget
$ 153,624
$ 153,624
$ 4,630,000
PROPOSAL DETAILS
(Please limit to 700 words)
We are requesting $153,624 to remove barriers for refugee workers to access skilled
employment opportunities in Oshkosh. World Relief Wisconsin (WRW) participates in the
Career EXCELerate program which is a collaboration between Fox Valley Technical,
Goodwill, and Rawhide Youth Services. Career EXCELerate has previously received
ARPA funding and this application is not to fund that program, but rather to make greater
access for refugee participants to receive training as manufacturing technicians and to
make skilled job placements after participants have completed the program. Our program
is intended to compliment rather than replicate Career EXCELerate. WRW has a long
history of providing robust employment services through a variety of grant-funded
programs, but WRW has outgrown its capacity with an increased demand for services due
to higher numbers of refugee arrivals. This program would allow employment services to
build capacity with an emphasis on strengthening employment skills and opportunities for
refugees residing in Oshkosh.
Many local businesses were adversely impacted by COVID-19, with labor shortages and
challenges with supply chains remaining even after most pandemic restrictions have
ended. This program can fill these identified gaps with skilled laborers who are ready to
work. Additionally, the refugee community has also been adversely affected by the
pandemic. Housing shortages and lack of access to child care options have left refugee
families with fewer opportunities for employment. This program will help create solutions to
both of these issues.
WRW currently serves 120 employable adults in Oshkosh and with this program we will
advance 45 workers to skilled employment positions. Although this program will place 45
adults in better jobs it will affect more people (up to 145) as better jobs positively impacts
all members of a family. Securing better employment opportunities is a need for the
refugee community in Oshkosh. Stable employment is the most important factor for a
family to integrate and contribute to their new community. The average unskilled worker
earns an average of $17 an hour, but the average skilled worker earns $21 an hour with
the potential to earn more. Earning more money increases a family’s self-sufficiency. We
are confident that we will be able to make 45 skilled job placements as our employment
team made 123 full time job placements during our last fiscal year.
This program will not only benefit the refugee community members of Oshkosh but also
Oshkosh employers as well. Currently one half of the employable adults who we serve in
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Oshkosh are working outside of Oshkosh due to lack of work skills. Many work for
employers in Fond du Lac, Neenah, or Appleton. This program will give participants the
opportunities to work at jobs located in Oshkosh which benefits both the participants’
families as well as the community of Oshkosh. We currently partner with Amcor and Muza
Metal as employment partners and continue to have interest for job placements with other
Oshkosh employers who need skilled workers.
This program will help the city of Oshkosh to achieve it’s goals of economic development
because it will help Oshkosh residents to obtain opportunities for skilled employment and
also benefit Oshkosh employers by giving them the opportunity to hire more skilled
workers. This program will also benefit an underrepresented group in our community by
empowering refugee workers.
We will use this funding from July 2024-June 2025 although all of this money will not be
spent by December of 2024 we are committing these funds to this program immediately
upon receipt of this grant in 2024. We will use this amount to pay for time spent by our
employment manager and our employment associate to serve clients living in Oshkosh.
The time used by these positions will be to recruit clients for Career EXCELerate, arrange
for transportation to and from the program, make 60 Oshkosh job placements, and provide
ongoing job coaching for group participants.
A portion of this funding will go to removing barriers for clients to participate in the
program. We will spend $500 per client for cash incentives to participate in Career
EXCELerate. Because participating in the program takes a significant time away from work
time cash incentives allow group participants to be able to join the Career EXCELerate
classes. We know that incentives lead to successful participation in a program because we
have seen the benefits from previous programs. A portion of the request will be used for
client resources to remove barriers to employment and will be used for transportation to
jobs for first 6 months, initial child care, and work boots. We will also use these funds to go
towards the partial purchase of a van to provide transportation for group participants to
Career EXCELerate classes as well as to job interviews.
See attached document to see our budget narrative.
To learn more about our work as an organization see our attached annual report.
To learn more about our agency’s fiscal oversight see document attached.
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PLEASE COMPLETE THE ATTACHED BUDGET OVERVIEW AND SUBMIT
WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
BUDGET OVERVIEW / INCOME AND EXPENSES
ORGANIZATION NAME: World Relief Wisconsin__________________
REVENUE SOURCE PROJECTIONS
Estimated
Funding for this Project/Program
Proposed ARPA Funding $ 153,624
Other Government Grants - list:
OACF Funding
OAUW Funding
Donations/Other Fundraising
Internal/Self-Funding
Other – list:
TOTAL REVENUES $ 153,624
EXPENSES
REGULAR OPERATING
EXPENSES
Project/Program
Budget
(PROPOSED)
Salaries & Benefits 1.0 FTE $ 72,896
Occupancy Based on 1.0 FTE $ 900
Contracted Services-
Interpretation $ 3,000
Program Materials -
Printing Based on 1.0 FTE $ 128
Professional Development $ 1,000
Supplies Based on 1.0 FTE $ 950
Computer & iPad $ 1,600
Phone and Data Plan for iPad $ 600
Staff Mileage $ 1,200
40% of Van Purchase for Client
Transportation
$ 12,000
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Client Items Employment Related
$ 20,000
Client Incentives for Program
Completion
$ 22,500
Enterprise Support $ 16,850
TOTAL EXPENSES $153,624
NOTE: Revenues and Expenses must balance
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THE APPLICATION CERTIFIES TO THE BEST OF ITS KNOWLEDGE:
1. The information submitted to the city of Oshkosh (“City“) in this application, and
substantially in connection with this application, is true and correct.
2. The applicant is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, ordinances and
orders applicable to it that could have an adverse material impact on the project.
Adverse material impact includes lawsuits, criminal or civil actions, bankruptcy
proceedings, regulatory action by a governmental entity or inadequate capital to
complete the project.
3. The applicant is not in default under the terms and conditions of any grant or loan
agreements, leases or financing arrangements with its other creditors that could have
an adverse material impact on the project.
4. The applicant has to close, and will continue to disclose, any occurrence or event that
could have an adverse material impact on the project.
THE APPLICANT UNDERSTANDS:
1. This application and other materials submitted to the City may constitute public
records subject to disclosure under Wisconsin’s Public Records Law. The applicant
may mark documents “confidential” if the documents contain sensitive information.
2. Submitting false or misleading information in connection with an application may
result in the applicant being found ineligible for financial assistance under the funding
program, and the applicant or its representative may be subject to civil and/or criminal
prosecution.
YES NO (circle one) I certify that the requested funding is needed to ensure this project will
happen in the City of Oshkosh.
Signature Christine Bodett Date 2/29/2024
Authorized representative of Applicant/Organization
PRINTED NAME: Christy Bodett
TITLE OF APPLICANT: Development Specialist
ORGANIZATION NAME: World Relief Wisconsin