September Newsletter: Meet our SNAP Employment & Training Cohort!

Save the Date!

Applications for the REDF Accelerator will open on Monday, September 13.

Ready to take your employment social enterprise to the next level? Looking to build a community of peers? The five-month, highly interactive REDF Accelerator could be the right program for you.

22 Enterprises Selected to Prepare to Become SNAP Employment & Training Providers

We are excited to introduce our first-ever SNAP Employment and Training Technical Assistance Cohort!

This group of 22 employment social enterprises – representing 10 states – will receive specialized assistance from REDF and our partners Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) to create or significantly expand their employment and training services for SNAP recipients. By connecting the employment social enterprise sector with SNAP programs, these mission-driven businesses will be able to provide quality jobs and support to thousands of SNAP recipients seeking to regain stability and enter the workforce.

Meet the cohort

Welcome to REDF Impact Investing Fund’s Newest Borrower: Working Fields

Working Fields is a mission-driven staffing agency connecting individuals actively working on their recovery with opportunities and support to reenter the workforce. A $200K impact loan from RIIF will accelerate Working Fields’ growth plan to scale its business to 10 locations, while expanding to employ 300 temporary associates a year and several full-time employees. Learn more!

Op-Ed: Addressing Biases and Barriers Can Help Solve Worker Shortage

“There are hundreds of thousands of Californians who need and deserve the opportunity to build back better. They have so much to offer, and as a society we have so much to gain.”

REDF CEO Carla Javits shared a call to action for building an inclusive economic recovery – to refocus on peoples’ strengths, experiences and ability no matter their circumstances.

Read more in the Mercury News

Celebrating 5,000 Angelenos Employed through LA:RISE

LA:RISE (Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise) is kicking off its seventh programmatic-year and we’re celebrating the over 5,000 Angelenos who have accessed jobs, training, and support through this innovative partnership. Our 43 partners are demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships to transform lives and build more inclusive communities.

Learn more about LA:RISE

REDF ESE Partners in the News

• California prison inmates become a critical resource for fighting wildfires (PBS)
• To fill millions of open jobs, many workers need more than skills (New York Times)
• From solar jobs to electric cars, Los Angeles seeks green future for all (Reuters)
• San Diego County’s gang injunctions are gone, but neighborhood scars remain (KPBS)
• How companies can help end racial inequity (Tennessean)