Dennis, 45, was introduced to us by Get Out Stay Out.  We met him for the first time on Saturday, September 6th.  He was still incarcerated at Fulton Prison in the Bronx, but was on work release until Sept 17th.  That meant that he had until September 17th to find a full-time job.  If he didn’t, he would be taken off of the work release program and sent back to an upstate prison.  What a task!  To help him secure a full-time job in just 11 days.  And because he has an adult criminal record, there are very few employers willing to hire him.  The only ones we know of are those in the construction trade.  But they only hire guys with a construction trade skill.  Dennis didn’t have any.

On Saturday, we met with Dennis, gave him the tools to Dress Well, Speak Well and Show Up Early, spent 5 hours teaching him the basic skills of an Electrician’s Helper, and arranged for him to interview with an electrical contractor.   All in one day.

It is now Monday, September 8th.  The electrical contractor just called to tell us that Dennis got the job!  Work begins tomorrow morning at 8am.  If Dennis performs well, and we have every expectation that he will, he will not be sent back to upstate prison!

We needed to help Dennis secure a job in 11 days.  He did it in 2.  Are we happy, even a little bit proud?  Heck yeah!

Josh, 21, was referred to us by The Foyer. He was described as “hard-working, consistent, diligent and has an IEP (learning-disabled) high school diploma, but he can’t read. He has had and kept several entry-level jobs for long stretches but can’t seem to advance beyond minimum wage because he can’t read. He is trying to get his disability diagnosed so that he can figure out how to solve it.”

When we met Josh last week, we did a very primitive test to see if he was dyslexic. We wrote down simple words and asked him to state the letters in order. He got them all right, so we knew he wasn’t dyslexic. Then we asked him to sound out the letters. He didn’t, however, get all of the sounds right. We concluded that he wasn’t learning-disabled at all, he simply had never learned to read. We ordered Hooked on Phonics Master Reader from Amazon for $150. It arrived on Monday. And Josh began using it on Tuesday morning (yesterday). He used it for 5 hours straight. Then we asked him if he thought the program would work. He responded: “It already has.” Not really understanding this response, we asked him to show us what he meant. He pulled out a one-page story, and read the whole thing out loud to us, perfectly!

We don’t shed tears here very often. Yesterday we did.

Kendrick, 23, was referred to us by Friends of Island Academy. He had had a full-time job, but had been remanded to jail because he had missed an appointment with his probation officer. When he got out, discouraged, he hadn’t gotten a job. Instead he had moved into a shelter room with a girlfriend. The girlfriend had a baby (Kendrick was not the father), and agreed to let Kendrick stay with her as long as he took care of the baby. This was clearly a short-term fix as it prevented Kendrick from getting a job. To eat, the three begged for money near the subway stop.

When we met Kendrick, we asked him what his goals were. His first was to get out of his current living situation. Together we worked out the steps necessary for him to move. One week later, he had reconnected with his aunt and was living with her. The house was over two hours away from Manhattan, but the freedom to look for a job improved his life immediately.

Kendrick’s next goal was to get a job. After practicing our principles of dressing well, speaking well and showing up early for two weeks straight, Kendrick got a job interview as a warehouse stockboy at Century 21. He went on the interview, and got the job!

Kendrick’s next goal was to get a driver’s license. He had never driven a car before, so we arranged for him a 5-hour behind-the-wheel driving class. The recommended length of training for a brand-new driver is 30 hours . But that is 6 times as costly. Kendrick took the 5 hour course, soaked up every bit of knowledge he could, and then took the DMV road test. He passed!!

Kendrick next set his sights on a Commercial Driving License (CDL), as bus and truck drivers can make well above minimum wage. Kendrick is currently studying to pass the CDL permit test. Once he does, he will begin the CDL training program. Given Kendrick’s recent track record of success, we have no doubt that he will achieve this goal as well.

Gus, 17, recently joined the program. He was referred to us by Friends of Island Academy. When he came to us, he already had a full-time job as an overnight stockboy at Duane Reade, and had a stable housing situation, living with his grandparents. While Gus has only been here for 2 weeks, he is already exhibiting the principles of dressing well, speaking well and showing up early. With us, he opened up his first bank account and is beginning to save significantly. His goal is to get a trade skill so that he can move into a higher-paying job. He is participating in the Electrician Training Class that we have launched.

The Foundation today launches its Electrician Training Class. Master electricians teach participants the basics of the electrical trade for 12 hours over 3 classes, and then hire the best-performing students as “green helpers” on construction jobsites in Manhattan.

Mochary Foundation has partnered with the Friends of Island Academy to mentor youth who have previously been incarcerated at Rikers Island. One at a time, Matt Mochary mentors the kids recommended to him by FOIA. The goal is to have each mentee get and keep a job. The mentoring program began on January 14th, 2008. Three weeks later, Kendrick, the first mentee, got a full-time job.

Mochary Foundation partners with the Center for Talented Youth to provide a class on “How to Make Money” to CTYers from New York City who are on scholarship. Matt Mochary teaches the class from 5 to 8pm, every other Tuesday. The Foundation is also providing scholarships for 10 participants to attend CTY’s summer academic boot camp.

A redesigned Mochary Foundation website was launched today. Thank you for visiting!