CommunityWorks

Bolstering the workforce in Southeast Colorado Springs

In the wake of the chaos of the COVID pandemic, many organizations entered this past year with a sense of uncertainty. Financially bruised by the economic crash that followed what felt like an eternal lockdown, many small businesses emerged from the pandemic with trepidation. Fortunately, CommunityWorks has forged a path through extreme adversity, and is entering the new year with incredible momentum.

Founded in 1995, CommunityWorks is a nonprofit whose mission revolves around tackling the inequity that plagues vulnerable populations, by facilitating government funded programs for at-risk young adults in impoverished areas. The pandemic created and exacerbated myriad barriers; now CommunityWorks is excited to welcome 2023 by rolling out new programs and projects that address opportunity gaps and inequity. Here are some of our 2022 highlights: This past year, CommunityWorks managed to not simply survive but grow, as vulnerable populations continue to feel the fallout from COVID. In the face of this growth and the ever-evolving challenges that come with it, we quickly recognized the need for new and innovative solutions focused on transportation and training. We launched the pilot of our own shuttle service between select partners and our participants, and additional funding was allocated for bus passes, gas vouchers, bicycles and other forms of microtransportation. This year shows great promise as CommunityWorks revs up to unveil even more programs.

One of the many ways we’re addressing the pressing issue of job accessibility is by completely redesigning CommunityWorks’ flagship application, The CommunityAnchor. This app aims to cut barriers to job accessibility and retention by serving as a virtual hub where participants can access myriad free trainings, workshops, classes and other education resources for professional development.

To give participants a competitive edge in the workforce, CommunityWorks has partnered with industry experts to make sure the app’s trainings cultivate core skillsets these employers desire most. This extension of our training opens new opportunities for our currently incarcerated individuals as well as for participants in rural communities where these resources are exceedingly scarce or underdeveloped. This year will also mark the launch of CommunityWorks’ TAP IN program, which also tackles barriers to job accessibility by giving employers and participants tools to interact harmoniously in person and via classes.

Finally, CommunityWorks will roll out several projects orchestrated by our newest department, the Business Development Community. Though relatively new, the BDC has begun to make incredible waves for underserved entrepreneurs and charitable organizations. By leveraging our participant employee base, the BDC hopes to broker deals with local employers and partners that will also boost job accessibility and reduce barriers for the community as a whole.

This is only a snapshot of all the incredible things we accomplished in 2022. We’ve already hit the ground running in 2023 and we’ve set the goal of doubling both in size and in the availability of resources we offer to the community as a whole in the coming decade.

With CommunityWorks’ continued growth, 2023 will bring new opportunities, new innovations and a newfound sense of community. Learn more at commwrks. org or call 303-433-0300.

Juaquin Mobley is VP of programs for CommunityWorks and serves on the board of the Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce.