StepUp Durham Inaugural Impact Luncheon Raises over $25,000 for Job Seekers

Tables Set

Special thanks to Farmer's Table Restaurant Group and its catering arm, Southern Harvest, for donating a delicious lunch.

Guests Arrive

Bil Kalkof and Sam Miglarese make their way to Trinity Avenue Presbyterian's fellowship hall for lunch.

Checking In

About 160 guests and over 20 volunteers signed in to support StepUp Durham.

Connections

Guests mingle and wait for the program to begin at 12:00 PM.

StepUp Overview

Dr. Elizabeth Adams, StepUp Durham Vice Chair of the Board, addresses guests and provides an overview of StepUp's history, values, and program model.

StepUp Panel

Bishop Clarence Laney of Monument of Faith was kind enough to moderate StepUp's panel of employers, participants, board members, and community partners.

Get Onboard

Mel Williams opened the panel with a song, singing: "This train's a'coming...get on board!" He then referred to StepUp as the new train in town that is leading people to better employment outcomes, and why he supports StepUp's work.

Sharing StepUp Stories

Guests heard from Kizzy Bell (HR Director at Croasdaile Village), Jajuanna Chavis (StepUp Participant & CNA at Croasdaile), Fred Stoppelkamp (StepUp Board Member & Workforce Development Manager at Urban Ministries of Durham), and Mel Williams (Coordinator for End Poverty Durham).

Employer Perspective

Syretta Hill (StepUp Durham's Executive Director) stands next to Tom Meyer (Owner of Farmer's Table Restaurant Group) as he addresses the group as a StepUp employer. Tom generously donated over 200 plates of food for StepUp Durham guests, in addition to catering staff. 

Over 160 people gathered at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church to learn about and celebrate StepUp's impact on unemployment and underemployment in Durham. With the help of 18 Table Captains, 30+ volunteers, 11 corporate sponsors, and 4 congregational sponsors, StepUp Durham raised just over $25,000 for job seekers.

This money will be used to support the employment journeys of over 20 StepUp participants, providing for each person: 32-hours of pre-employment training, personalized employment counseling, access to StepUp's network of 40+ employers, supplies necessary for work (ex. work boots, hard hat, uniform, etc.), and ongoing post-employment support. 

Volunteer Opportunity:

Love event planning? Think it may be fun to be as a Table Captain? StepUp is seeking passionate folks to join the 2017 Impact Luncheon Planning Committee, as well as future Table Captains. Contact Erin Roesch at 919-973-0890 ext. 226 if you're interested!

Special thanks to our community partner, ReCity, for loaning their photographer, Philip Revak, for this event!