Student Resources

I am writing on behalf of the Community Resource Collaborative and the work they do for the young people of Rochester. I am currently a school counselor in the Rochester City School district, and through my job, I have been able to connect many of my students with the Collaborative. The students I work with have experienced a variety of different situations, and many of them are seeking employment and guidance on how to navigate life outside of a school setting. The CRC has been instrumental in helping provide
my students with resources, workshops, jobs, mentorship and opportunities that they may have otherwise not had access to.

There are a few students who come to mind when I think of who the CRC has helped significantly. One, in particular, was a high school senior when he was first introduced to the agency. He was struggling with academics and did not have a steady home. He was anxious about graduation and his plans for after. Once meeting Janelle and the team, he was able to let them know what resources he needed and was able to get connected with housing and the promise of a job upon graduation. He has since been working, has been saving money, and was able to buy a car to help him get around. He is thriving, and has a new sense of confidence, and a bright outlook for his futures, thanks to the coordination and assistance from the CRC. Another student who has turned it around because of the mentorship and opportunities provided to him through the CRC was also introduced to them a few years ago. He had a friend who had worked with them, and connected because of him. This student was struggling with being involved in the street culture of Rochester, and was also struggling academically. Since being involved in the program, he has been able to get employment and training, provide for his family, and is on the way to earning his GED.

These examples are only two of many. The Community Resource Collaborative runs workshops and training monthly to help teens and other young adults learn about job searches, finances, budgeting and other ways to support themselves. They connect young people with resources in the community that relate to both physical and mental health, as well as family resources. The CRC provides a safe space, a mentoring community and unrelenting encouragement to those who seek them out. The city of Rochester has many things that are working against it right now, but also so many things that are trying to make the city a better place. The Community Resource Collaborative is one of those. The impact that they will have is just beginning, and I am happy to be able to connect and collaborate with them to help the young men and women of Rochester realize their opportunities and potential.
– V.C., School Counselor, RCSD

Rapid Relocation

Community Resource Collaborative Rapid Relocation program helped me at the darkest time of my life and everything felt so genuine. In March 2022, I became homeless due to an unsafe situation for my son and me. This amazing group of people stepped in when the PathStone SNUG program could not continue to pay for my hotel, they stepped in and paid and also helped me find a place. Listening to me and understanding that I could not move out of town because of school and family, they helped me find a safe and beautiful place to live that was still convenient for me and my son’s everyday needs. The thought of me and my son not being safe took a toll on my schooling and everyday life but they stepped in and took that burden off my shoulders. Now I am able to focus fully on school and making a better life for my son and me. Community Resource Collaborative’s Rapid Relocation program is also providing assistance with my rent to help me get back on my feet and get into the swing of having my own place, also helping me build my credit. Community Resource Collaborative has not just taken the burden off of me but off of my son too. Shortly after the shooting he would cry and ask when we were going home and I didn’t have an answer but because of Community Resource Collaborative I was able to give him an answer and surprise him with his own room and peace of mind. They have done more than provide shelter, they provided a brighter future. They have turned the lowest point of my life into the most beautiful part of my life and for that, I am very appreciative. – TB

Internship

When I was 17 years old I got pregnant and I went through something traumatic and knew I needed a job. I found out about the Center for Youth and I got a few jobs that I was not able to keep because I did not take them seriously. Then my case manager at the Center for Youth offered me an internship either at Rochester Animal Services or Imprintable Solutions and I picked Imprintable and that is when my life changed for the better.

I started at Imprintable Solutions going to events to sell shirts. After that, I started printing shirts on the Direct to Garment machines. I moved up into a supervisory and leadership role soon after and I was hired on by Tina Paradiso who owns Imprintable Solutions after my internship ended to continue gaining  experience. I also had my second child while I was at Imprintable Solutions and I was supported through my recovery because I had to heal from my C-section.

I met Janelle at the Center for Youth because she was the program manager of the Learn 2 Earn program that helped me get my internship. Janelle now works for Community Resource Collaborative and has a desk within the Imprintable Solutions shop and is available to help anyone with anything they need, whether they work at the shop or come in off the street. Because I was able to watch Janelle do the work she does, I realized I want to be a case manager too. I am being trained right now to be a case manager and I am focusing on parenting youth to help them get the items they need for themselves and their babies and I am also learning how to get them help through DSS and with housing. Tina has supported me with emergency daycare, transportation, food, laundry, and so much more. I was able to receive my High School Equivalency in August 2021 because Tina got a tutor for me that met me at my job to help me study. I have grown so much as a person because of my internship at Imprintable Solutions. I finally found my passion in life thanks to Tina starting Community Resource Collaborative and being able to see the work Janelle does and her taking me on to train me. I have been able to connect with so many people and grow into a better person and make connections I never knew I would be able to make.

My goals are to become a case manager and start my own nonprofit to help young parents and I know Tina and Janelle will be supporting me the whole way. I hope Community Resource Collaborative can receive grant money to support internships for more young people because I know they will benefit in all of the ways I did and they will be able to find their passion too. They do not turn down anyone who needs help and people are able to learn and grow because of all of the support offered. You can contact me by phone or email if you have any questions. – BM