Wishes Granted

10/04/02

By Stephanie Siegel - Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer

Thanks to federal taxes, the Austell Community Taskforce has a $100,000 grant to help South Cobb teens make
money.

It's one of 10 grants, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, awarded Sept. 25 to help Cobb as well as Douglas and
Cherokee county residents become employable.

Out of 140 proposals from across the country, only nine such initiatives were chosen for funding by the U.S. Department
of Labor. Cobb got $655,000, of which $470,000 was awarded to 10 local groups. The rest will be used by the Cobb Compassionate Communities Program to administer the program and to put on a "Faith-Based Organization Summit."

"We are excited," said Charles Walker, Austell Community Taskforce chair. "We've been struggling trying to get
the business community to hire these kids.

"Last year we received $10,000 from Cobb Community Enhancement under the faith-based ministry program for
STEADY (Success Through Employing Able Dedicated Youth). STEADY provides youth with occupational skills
training and resume writing help. We partnered with Blessings Ministry in Mableton, and the curriculum came from
the Boys & Girls Club.

"We were able to employ about 25 children," he said. "One worked at Washington Mutual Bank. So there were some
good jobs. Two or three were with the Cobb-Douglas Regional Board doing clerical and administrative work. Tod
Citron, the director, said he'll hire another five this year."

STEADY is one of the workforce development programs the taskforce will operate this year. Finance 101 is a financial
literacy program designed to teach basic financial planning. "Everyone is going to get the Finance 101," Walker said.
"They'll get to choose from the others."

The others are an entrepreneurship program providing youth with basic business skills and knowledge, and
"SportsWise," an athletic occupational skills training program to teach youth the business of sports.

Also, Walker hopes to encourage local businesses to hire the program's graduates by paying half their salaries.
"We should be able to give a stipend for at least 20 kids," he said. "We'll pay for 20 hours if the business will pay
the other 20."

The programs will serve 150 kids at the South Cobb Recreation Center and the Grant Boys & Girls Club in South Cobb.
The taskforce may have two new Austell church partners for this program, Walker said: Mt. Sinai and Vision for Souls.
Cobb Microenterprise Council is another partner.

Friday was his advisory board's first planning meeting since the funds were awarded. "We hope to be fully operational in November," Walker said.

The Austell Community Taskforce was formed in 2001 by the United Way, Cobb Family Resources and Cobb Community Collaborative to improve quality of life and education in South Cobb.