Oqi Cares

PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE - WE OPERATE WITH QUALITY AND INTEGRITY TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THE ELIMINATION OF URBAN POVERTY AND EXPAND SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACK BUSINESSES, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. OVERALL, IN 2019, WE SUPPORTED 12 URBAN BUSINESSES AND PROVIDED DIRECT SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND PROVIDED MENTORING TO 24 URBAN YOUTH. THESE SERVICES HAVE PROVIDED SUPPORT WITHIN AND THROUGHOUT UPSTATE NEW YORK AND VIRTUALLY TO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE. IN 2019, THERE WAS A SPOTLIGHT PLACED ON "THE STATE OF BLACK AFFAIRS" WITHIN UPSTATE NEW YORK COMMUNITIES. ON MARCH 19TH, 2019, OQI CARES, INC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HOPETON SMALLING WAS FEATURED ON A PANEL OF 14 COMMUNITY LEADERS WHICH INCLUDED BLACK POLITICIANS, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, DEPUTY MAYOR, THE SUPERINTENDENT, POLICE CHIEF AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY LEADERS. THIS CONVERSATION OPENED UP REALIZATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR USING TECHNOLOGY, DATA, AND COLLABORATIONS. OQI CARES, PRESENTED SUCCESS IN LOWERING DEATH BY GUN VIOLENCE WHEN COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS WERE UTILIZED. SPECIFICALLY, IN THE PRIOR YEAR THERE WAS ZERO DEATH BY GUN VIOLENCE WITHIN THE CITY OF SCHENECTADY WITH THE SUPPORT OQI CARES PROVIDED TO BEGIN AND EXECUTE EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIONS. IN 2019, OQI NEGOTIATED $30,000 OF IN-KIND DONATIONS FOR THIS COMMUNITY WHICH CONTINUED TO LEAD NEW YORK STATE IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY POLICING AND EFFECTIVE YOUTH INTERVENTIONS. WE HELD 12 MONTHLY SEMINARS TO PROMOTE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND PROMOTE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. THESE SEMINARS HELPED TO PROMOTE INDIVIDUALIZED PERSONAL AND BUSINESS MENTORING SERVICES WHICH BEGAN WITH THE FOLLOWING ASSESSMENT. ONE ON ONE ASSESSMENTS - HANDOUT A BRIEF WORKSHEET OPENING QUESTION : WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR SUCCESS? MODULES M1-LETS TALK ABOUT MONEY * SETTING SPECIFIC GOALS M2-SAVING * WHERE DO YOU START? CAN YOU SAVE MONEY? M3-TRACKING INCOME * CHECKING BANK STATEMENTS M4-PAYING BILLS * PAYING YOURSELF FIRST M5-GETTING THROUGH THE MONTH * CREATING A BUDGET M6 -DEALING WITH DEBT * GOOD VS BAD DEBT M7- CREDIT REPORTS AND BACKGROUND SCREENING REPORTS * WHAT IS A CREDIT REPORT? * HOW DO YOU GET A CREDIT REPORT? * UNDERSTANDING YOUR CREDIT REPORT M8- USING AND PROTECTING YOUR MONEY M9- UNDERSTANDING THE AMERICAN ECONOMY * DO YOU HAVE A GIFT OR CREATIVE TALENT? M10-BUIDLING YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK * BEING INVOLVED AND THE PURPOSE OF A MENTOR M11 TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OQI CARES AND SIMILAR EDUCATION PROGRAMS/SERVICES * GET YOUR GED * ENROLL IN COLLEGE M12- FINDING THE RIGHT CREDIT UNION OR BANKING INSTITUTION M13-ADDITIONAL RESOURCES M14-BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM PLAN/ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS THIS INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL AND SERVED 24 CLIENTS WITH AN ESTIMATED 500+ HOURS OF SUPPORT FOR FORMER INCARCERATED ADULTS AND JUVENILE YOUTH. THESE SESSIONS PROMOTE SELF-EFFICACY AND RESULTED IN LOWERING OF VIOLENCE OR SIMILAR NEGATIVE OUTCOMES FOR SEVERAL OF THE TARGET COMMUNITIES. THIS QUALITATIVE OUTCOME IS NOT DIFFICULT TO MEASURE AS IT RESULTED IN 24 MEN OF COLOR REMAINING ACTIVE IN POSITIVE ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE BUSINESS MENTORING PROGRAM SERVED 12 URBAN BUSINESSES WITH A LONGER TERM OBJECTIVE TO ASSURE THESE ENTITIES WERE STRUCTURED PROPERLY. THESE SUPPORT PROVIDED AN ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL 400+ HOURS OF SUPPORT AND BUSINESS MENTORING WHICH RESULTED IN PROGRESS FOR EACH MEN 59% (7) AND WOMEN 41% (5). THESE BUSINESS LEADERS WERE ALL ADULTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY SETUP AND STRUCTURED EACH BUSINESS. SUPPORT WAS PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF CUSTOM TECHNOLOGY WHERE NEEDED INCLUDING: COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE AND BUSINESS PLANNING. RESEARCH STATES THAT BY 2053, THE MEDIAN NET WORTH OF BLACKS IN AMERICA WITH DROP TO $0! BLACKS IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE HAVE OUTPACED THE SUFFERING EXPERIENCED ACROSS AMERICA. COMPARATIVELY, ALTHOUGH IN THIS REGION PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION, WE FALL SHORT IN EVERY MAJOR ECONOMIC MEASURE. FINANCIAL ASSETS AND INCOME WE HAVE ABOUT 15% LESS ASSETS, 12% MORE POVERTY, AND THREE TIMES HIGHER RATE OF POVERTY FOR HOUSEHOLDS OF COLOR. WE HAVE 15% LESS ASSETS IN THE BANK, IN FACT, TWICE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT! AS IT STANDS, THERE ARE 28.7% OF HOUSEHOLDS AS OF JUNE 2018 HAVE A ZERO NET WORTH! THE ONLY WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO STOP THE STATUS QUO IS TO STOP WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS, OQI CARES, INC PRE-PANDEMIC WAS WELL POSITIONED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY GROWTH AND PLANS TO SCALE THIS EFFORT IN COMING YEARS.