I cannot tell you how many times I’ve sat down with a young man at OLC or on the block or at a basketball court or at the corner store and heard, “Nate, I really need a job, right now.  It’s not safe out here on the streets.  I’m ready for something else.  Can you help me out?”

A job is a lifeline to a new life.  A job allows a young man to provide for his own basic needs, for shelter, food, clothing and transportation.  Here at OLC we work hard to mentor and develop leaders in a way that encourages the whole person: body, mind and spirit.  In the course of one on one meetings, Bible studies, prayer groups, basketball leagues, music studios, workshops and Real Talk events, we have been reminded that it is hard to develop and grow as a human being without consistency in the practical aspects of life.

So…how can we do more at OLC?  We are starting case management as a pilot project.  Case management is a formal process of identifying practical goals (such as enrollment in school or finding a decent job) and the steps to achieve those goals.  We have detailed consent forms, intake forms, case plans and weekly meeting forms being filled out every day.  We are writing new resumes and planning interview workshops with mock interviews.  Last week a young man was hired at a new job through his work with our program, hopefully the first of many.

This formal case management goes hand in hand with the mentoring and discipleship that we do.  We continue to focus on character and personal growth, teaching a way of life that Jesus taught us, the way of faith, hope and love.  We recently took some of our young adult leaders to Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles to learn from their stories and their programs, and we were impressed at their effectiveness in job training while also keeping a relational focus and caring for the deeper needs and the souls of the people in their programs.

We hope to ramp up this program as soon as possible so that we can effectively serve the young men that are already connected to OLC and the other young people in our neighborhood.  We are looking for gift cards as incentives for completing steps in the program, hygiene products (deodorant, shampoo, soap, lotion, toothpaste), and three Chromebooks to work on resumes and online applications.  We need funds to hire a case manager on a full time basis in the near future.  There will also be opportunities for volunteers to participate in mock interviews, assist in completing resumes and provide transportation to local job fairs.

Please keep OLC in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward!


Grace and peace,

Nate Millheim for the Oakland Leadership Center