Mr. Tadashi Baumgardner

I’m a “people person”, a hard worker, a thinker, a problem solver.

Now I just need an interview.

I always worked. Never a year went by that I didn’t work. I hit bottom, rock bottom, and now I am starting all over. I don’t live for myself anymore; I live for my daughter.

I am a college graduate and played college football. I earned my LPN (licensed practical nurse), and was really successful in the business world. But I got caught doing stuff that was very lucrative but, let’s just say, not right. At the same time I got into a fight, was critically wounded, and I lost it all. I lost everything. I can’t even see my daughter because she lives in California and that’s where I want her raised, but I can’t be there. I am required to stay in New York State and it kills me.

I realize now that the material things I loved so much didn’t make me and they won’t break me. Obviously I’m not going back. I am paying my dues and it can be brutal. I have no home, lost my car, my possessions, and I can’t see my baby. But I can’t get caught up again even though it is really hard for someone with a felony conviction to earn a living.

I don’t understand how, in order to stay out of jail you have to have money to pay for mandatory programs, child support, and other things, but it is almost impossible to get a job. What options are left? I’m not going back to a life of crime – ever – but this is a tough position to be in.

I would really like to have my own business, maybe contracting, something where I work with my hands. I am hoping that Yonkers Green Connection will provide me with the extra technical skills I need. I’m happy to work for someone else as I plan out my future. I’m happy to work at all. I need to get a job with benefits, reestablish myself, and take care of my daughter and my family. That’s my focus and that’s my goal. I have the skills: I’m a “people person”, a hard worker, a thinker, a problem solver. Now I just need an interview.

Ms. Veronica Elliott

Hungry

“Hungry.” I love that word so much, I really do. I am hungry – starving! When you’re hungry you have two choices – die, or go out there and get what you need by making it happen. I have a plan and a back-up plan and a back-up plan to that.

I hadn’t used math in such a long time so I had to learn it all over again. I can weatherize, I can sheetrock, I can build a roof. I was totally shocked to learn that you can calculate everything you need to get a job done and that means efficiency and savings. I am now a very precise person – I can calculate everything – how much gravel do you need to fill in a hole? How much sheet rock exactly?

What started as a way for me to get a new career has turned into some home improvement projects. We were going to hire someone to renovate the home office but now I’m doing it. My kids were like, “are you really going to do that?” Of course I am.

What I really want to do is build or weatherize buildings for seniors. You hear in the news that sometimes seniors die of heatstroke or frostbite in their own homes. Heat or A/C is going in, but it goes right back out. I’d like to work to fix that. Greyston really cares about people, they actually give us a chance to make a difference and I want to make that difference, for myself, my family, for others.

Mr. Gregory Hunter

“They saw my true potential and

never stopped believing in me.”

Why did I come to Yonkers Green Connection? Because I didn’t have a job and I didn’t have the skills I needed to get a job. My life is on track now. I just had a new baby, she’s 4 months old. My older kids are doing well, so I have my family but I need a job. I need benefits; I want to pay social security. I have a purpose. If I wasn’t supposed to be here I wouldn’t be here. I was shot in the chest when I was a teenager but even that didn’t convince me to change my ways.

I’m sad it took me this long to figure it out, but I’m not sad that I am here, now. I have been through a lot and I am blessed to be here.

My girlfriend and my mom and my sisters, they have held me down. They saw my true potential and never stopped believing in me. They waited for me to get it and now I got it. I’m hungry, I’m famished, and as long as you’re hungry you’re not going to stop. I cannot be complacent.

I know it may take some time to get a job, but I have a plan. After I graduate Yonkers Green Connection I am going get my Commercial Drivers License (CDL) to make myself more marketable and to continue a regular schedule of daily productivity. It feels so good to be productive. How can I be a real man if I don’t achieve every day, if I don’t take care of my family?

Mr. Lawrence Rose

I’m Holding on to a Grain of Hope

I’ve always worked in the periphery of the construction industry but I’ve never really been able to break into the field. The Yonkers Green Connection will definitely help me get my foot in the door. I worked as a car mechanic for eight years so I have experience in the technical trades, but a lot has changed since I was working then. There have been a lot of new innovations and we learned them at BOCES. The teacher was right there with all the new techniques so I upgraded what I already know.

I am really motivated to do this. I had some trouble but I put that behind me. I’m not the kind of person who would let bad experiences hold me back. I am looking forward to re-establishing myself as a positive influence.

Katherine and Nicole are really dedicated and that makes me enthusiastic to make their jobs easier.

I hope that this program would be available not just on a local scale but on a national scale. I hope programs like this are made available to re-train and enhance training for everyone who needs it, especially since we will soon see a regenerated workforce.

Are you available to start Monday morning at 7:30?

On Monday, August 17^th, 2009 Sylvester will begin his job doing weatherization for Green Star Energy Solutions! His last job – a great experience, was temporary but this isn’t!

Some of the buildings he will be working on will be those owned by New York State, saving tax dollars and saving the earth as well!

Sylvester explained:

I interviewed with Chris Puleo in the conference room at Greyston. He asked about my work ethic, punctuality, and respect for the people and places I would encounter in my work. I assured him that I can “speak the customer’s language” and get the job done.

Chris is looking for people with supervisory skills. He wants someone he can rely on. I told him about my skills with saws, sheet rock, and green weatherization. We had a conversation and Chris shared what its like working with clients and what I can expect.

I am feeling excited. I’ve been doing pick up work since graduation but this is the beginning of my new career.

I’m excited and ready to work. I never gave up. I always called, sometimes twice a week – even just to say hello, just to keep my name fresh in their heads. It’s really nice that they got the computer in the YGC office. I have been going in there to fill out applications for jobs on the computer.

Miss Dukes is a blessing. They’ve been kind. I didn’t think that they would extend their hand as far as they have. They write letters and fax info. They are helping me to get my license. They’ve don a lot and I appreciate that.

School is coming up and my son will need some things. Now I will be able to get them for him.

You're Hired!

Remember Ralph?

Remember Sylvester?

They both started working this week at:

Visit Green Tree's website here!

Congratulations, gentlemen!

Ms. Jenia Whitney

Jenia Whitney

“Everything is going green and I’m going green, too!”

I saw the flyer for this program at Greyston’s Child Care Center, and Mrs. Brown encouraged me to apply. I have my commercial driver’s license. I can drive all kinds of vehicles: dump trucks, flat beds, forklifts, vac trucks. If I take the education I’ve gotten through the Yonkers Green Connection program and add it to my experience, I’ll be in a great position to market myself in the green construction industry.

I grew up in Yonkers, so I remember Greyston from way back. I knew the mission and always wanted to be a part of it. Now I am. Mr. Line from BOCES was great, excellent. I knew how to do math, but he taught us how to apply it, a very important skill! I’ve learned how to read blueprints, create a business plan, and so much more. Miss Dukes taught us that we are all replaceable. It’s up to you to be hungry and want this, or someone else will have that hunger.

“Green” is the new era of working today and any training that a person can get in this field is an asset to both their personal and professional life.

Mr. Sylvester Williamson

“Do You Have Any Homework, Dad?” – Sylvester’s 9 year-old son

I saw the flyer on the ground in Getty Square and thought that this might be the right program for me. I thought, “what am I going to lose?” I can’t lose too much more than I already have. I called Miss Dukes for what felt like 1,000 times, but we played phone tag. She finally caught up with me at 5:30 on a Sunday night. I had to hurry up and test, get my paperwork together, and jump into the program. She said that she could see I was hungry and persistent. She’s right. The Yonkers Green Connection program is different from other programs because everyone has a reason to learn: to get a job.

If I went into the field right now I’d know how to do the job because of two reasons: the teacher did an excellent job, and we all helped each other – these guys are no joke – they are disciplined. On the bus rides from BOCES back to Yonkers we would elaborate on the coursework, tutor each other, read the materials, and study.

My son watches me in this program and I am a positive role model for him. He’s on the strait and narrow, and you can thank his mom for that. This program has changed my relationships. I am definitely more positive, and also, I can fix stuff around the house! Even my son knows I’m going to accomplish the goals I set for myself. He says he can’t wait for Christmas this year. My success in this program demonstrates that I am committed to making positive changes in my life.

Everything will come in its time. I’m pretty sure that all I have to do is keep trying, keep my hopes up, and take it one day at a time.

Group Graduation Picture

A much nicer photo of our amazing grads.
Also pictured are Steven Brown, President and CEO of the Greyston Foundation,
and Mayor of Yonkers, Phil Amicone

GRADUATION!!!

Congratulations to the first graduating class of Greyston's Yonkers Green Connection!

In random order:

Mr. Travis J. Simmons

Mr. Sylvester Williamson

Mr. Ralph Veal

Mr. Timothy Norfleet

Mr. Clayton Jenkins

Mr. Andra Gray

Mr. Curtis Faulk

Mr. Raymond Cruz

Mr. Kenneth W. Peace, Jr.

Mr. Steven T. Ray, Jr.

Ms. Torsha Lane

Mr. Robert Richardson

Mr. Anthano Stewart

Ms. Jenia Whitney

Mr. Timothy Joyner

City of Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone (r) congratulates Ray Cruz (l) on his great accomplishment.

Two very important gentlemen: Frank Treglia (l) from Green Tree Energy, who promised to hire at least 2 YGC graduates! and Geoff Line (r), who taught the YCG class at Northern Westchester BOCES.

Please check back soon for more graduation pictures and lots more stories about YGC participants. Thanks for your support!

Mr. Raymond Cruz

You are what you think.

Yonkers Green Connection is an opportunity to make a difference and change my life around.

I grew up without a dad and that definitely had an impact on my life. I acted like a knucklehead and I did 15 years – why lie? It’s the truth. I don’t want to go back. I can’t go back. I can’t go back to the same people and places. I need to make personal changes and educational changes – I need to be around the right people.

I have already beaten the odds and I will continue on that track. When I was leaving prison, the parole board told me that I’d be one of those guys back in the system. They are wrong. I am still out, being a productive citizen; I work as much as I possibly can, take GED classes, come to YGC every day, and I take care of my responsibilities. I have a dream, a goal. I want to start my own company and with the education I am getting here I know I will make it. All I want is to be financially stable, to take care of myself and my family. It’s hard to get back on my feet but I will.

You are what you think. If you can visualize something, you can make it happen. I visualize my success and I don’t entertain negativity.

Timothy Norfleet

“We fight hard for our reasons,

But we won’t fight hard for our goals.”

We don’t use the word “excuse,” we use the word “reason.” We use it to get over, to pamper: “the reason I didn’t....” “the reason I couldn’t...” In Yonkers Green Connection there’s none of that. Ms. Dukes wouldn’t even entertain it. So now, we don’t look for reasons, we look for goals. We search for ways to reach – to exceed – our goals.

I am proud to be a part of this group – the 15 Elite –, and prouder still to say that I genuinely like and respect everybody in this group. They are the most talented, interesting people I have ever seen. We all have very different personalities, be we are one team. We count on Ms. Dukes and it feels great to know that she counts on us, too.

Ms. Dukes helps us shine. When we first came, we were 15 talented people, but even we didn’t believe why we were picked. Some of us had damaged self esteem due to our life experiences. She saw it. Whenever we feel like we’re going to fold, she doesn’t pamper us, she makes us face our fears.

This group is like taking a pebble and tossing it in the water. The positive effects of this program will ripple through us, through our relationships, families, communities and thorough generations. By working hard and achieving we will make it easier for others who come after us and that’s ok. A legend is someone who leaves something behind, who makes a mark, and everyone in this group is a legend.

Miss Torsha Lane

The Weatherization Experience:

Although the word “weatherization” is new, the concept is practically ancient. The most important information I’ve obtained throughout my training as a weatherization technician was simply this: know who you are. Know your self worth. Become your title and nothing else for your employer’s expense.

I must say, that at first the idea of handling such bulky equipment was nerve wracking, but when properly taught how to handle the equipment in a safe way it gave me the confidence to tackle my fear head-on. Today I can confidently say I am a weatherization technician all the way. Yay me!

The Elite 15:

Thankful is the only word I could think of. How blessed am I to meet such a distinct and flavorable group of people. Our backgrounds and pedigrees might be different but our hunger and drive are remarkably the same. I challenge you to get to know the Elite 15!

Westchester Business Journal

Robert Richardson and Ralph Veal

See the front page article about Yonkers Green Connection in the Westchester Business Journal online by clicking here!

Miss Katherine Dukes, Case Manager/Job Developer

All people need someone to believe in them...
and I believe in them.

Nothing is impossible. It can all be done; you just have to believe that it can. Then you make a plan, pull up your boots, and get going.

My goal is to leave a legacy. I want my son to be able to say that his mom made a difference, and this program will be an important part of my legacy. I believe in every single person in this program. I can tell who has the hunger for it, and that’s why they are here. I knew some of these guys before – I’d see them hanging out while I was on my way to work. And now they are doing something phenomenal. I see pride in their eyes as they work in the classroom, and it’s really amazing to overhear them talking casually about square roots, and blueprints and HVAC systems.

It is my goal to restore the urban family to its rightful, successful, whole place. I understand the process because I came through it. I was in the welfare cycle; it was degrading and limiting. I had to answer to everybody and I was imprisoned in the system. All I needed was a chance, but it was frustrating because there are very few programs for people who just need a break, a break from oppressive poverty. It is hard to find a way out. The day my son was born I looked at him and realized that I could not go down to First Avenue and First Street with my baby in my arms asking for a handout. So I got a job, took three busses every day to get there, and stuck to it until I got a better chance. This many years later, look where I am!

I am doing my part. Everybody has to do their part. I know that once they graduate, they will do their part, too.

Andra Rashad Gray

My name is Andra Rashad Grey – aka – Dray Day. I was born in the U.S. and raised in Bermuda, California, and New York. I made lots of bad decisions the fast life, the street life. After 12 months of incarceration my mind was rejuvenated – not for the better but for the worse and here is when decision making can either make you change or break you. Later, with the faith of Jehovah God I am still here.

I am presently working as an Apprentice at the Greyston Bakery and one day at an employee meeting Miss Katherine Dukes came in with an offer, or better yet, with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse: a Weatherization Technician / Green Construction training course. I was a little skeptical about pursuing the training due to my past (which for me, still feels present), but with the spirit of Jehovah, the Bakery, and myself, I made it my business to be hungry. After being out of school for a decade the entrance test was a real challenge. Miss Dukes called to tell me that although I did well on the test, the 15 people who scored highest would get in and I scored 16^th. My heart was shattered but with the discipline and understanding I stayed humble and told her thank you and that I appreciated the chance because in my head I understood that only means I have to work harder and my journey of doing right had just begun. The very next day I had a message on my phone saying that I was accepted to the program!

My experience is an opportunity and chance that many of us don’t get to better ourselves in our communities – more positiveness, more jobs. So for those who want to make a change in their lives, but don’t know how, follow my footsteps.

Welcome!

"Give me a chance and I'll take it from there."

The mission of the Greyston Foundation is to support low-income individuals and families as they forge a path to self-sufficiency and community transformation. Greyston is an entrepreneurial and spiritually grounded organization that operates an integrated network of not-for-profit and for-profit companies in Southwest Yonkers (Westchester County, New York) providing jobs, workforce development, housing, youth services and health care.

We recognize that employment is the foundation for self-sufficiency, and having access to opportunity - especially in these uncertain times - is what lots of folks need to move forward on their path. That's why we are proud to introduce the Yonkers Green Connection, a workforce development program that trains participants and places them in employment in the emerging "green collar" sector.

Over the next several weeks you'll meet some great people in this program. Please check back often to support them in their progress and learn more about the program!