AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Decent Work & Economic Growth
KEYWORDS
poverty, job creation, inequality
COUNTRY
United States of America
DESIGNED BY
Veronika Scott, The empowerment plan
WEBSITE
http://www.empowermentplan.org/
The empowerment plan
CREATING JOBS THAT LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY
The Empowerment Plan is a Detroit based nonprofit organization focused on permanently elevating families from the generational cycle of homelessness. We hire single parents from local shelters and provide them with training and full-time employment as seamstresses so that they can earn a stable income, find secure housing, and regain their independence. The individuals we hire manufacture a coat designed to meet the needs of those in the homeless community. Founder Veronika took to the issue of homelessness and began spending time at a nearby warming center where the design for the EMPWR coat was born. While conducting her research, Veronika was angrily confronted by a homeless woman who stated that she did not need a coat—she needed a job. This is the moment that shaped the innovative business practices The Empowerment Plan would adopt upon establishment. We are committed to growing our impact beyond Detroit and believe our model can and should be replicated in other communities.