S.O.N Foundation

Family Network

2011-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

WOW,

I can’t believe that the people in my life don’t have confidence in me. It has been over ten years of me organizing, mentoring, and creating programs in my community. I don’t understand why God has put this mandate on my life. All I know is that I don’t want my children to not have opportunity to develop into upstanding citizens. I just knew once the organization achieved it 501(C) 3 status we a family would come together to change the culture in our individual communities. It has been the exact opposite people has called me everything short of idiotic. I lost so much in these street, that when I started acting right I thought people who loved me would support me to the fullest, ah not. I don’t know where to go from here, when the people who I thought should be helping me build the S.O.N Foundation, is helping other people start their organizations. I don’t want to sound like a hater or a softy, but my heart is like, WOW at the people around. In the past I would try and make them help me, but now I’m tired of trying. I’m not giving up on the purpose God has entrusted in me, but I’m asking Him to HELP me with His will.

WONDERING,

Come on People

2011-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Right,

Today was incredible, I was angry at people who say they care about youths, but don’t show it. In 2008 I was asked to help design a new elementary school in the Roseland community. At the time I didn’t understand why someone wanted me to help bring educational options to my neighbors. In grade school I was not the best student for the most part. The school is called Roseland Preparatory Academy and we have significant finical support, but my fellow colleagues are driven off sheer pride.

New Beginnings

2011-01-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Dear World:

I’m committed to updating this blog daily for the betterment of my community. Over the past ten years I’ve not wanted to ruffle any feathers. But, as I sat back and said “I’m a young buck….. Let me pay my dues” I only add on to the social capitalism going on in urban neighborhoods across America. We citizens of this great United States of America have a moral responsibility to progress our neighbors, communities, cities, states, and nation towards total equality. As an organization leader I need a platform to speak from to spread the information and to build capacity. Being a grassroots movement leader I’m focused on capturing momentum that galvanizes people around a black male’s perspective.

First, I want to talk about the City of Chicago’s race to the top campaign. The cities top job is up for grabs and our state can’t balance its budget without borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Nevertheless, we are in a great position to mobilize and redirect leadership. Our city needs a true visionary to lead us into the future. Second, our educational institutions need to be challenged, just to see if they are truly creating our leaders of tomorrow. I’ve been researching this proposed project called “The Common Core State Standards initiative” http://www.corestandards.org/Standards/K12/ and I believe we all need to rethink education here in the U.S.A. Finally, we must become civic minded and hold elected officials accountable for our nation’s stability.

The S.O.N Foundation was birth because of the death of my brother. Our goal to revitalize people, communities, and economies can’t be achieved by one man. I strongly believe you don’t have to be a rich person to change the world. Do your part to make society safe, as you go to your place of employment, as you get your education, and as you live in our communities. I encourage people to help build society and not destroy it by setting on the sideline.

Sincerely,

Robert Douglas

Executive Director

Saving Our Neighborhood……One Block at a Time

2010-09-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome,
This is from the desk of Robert Douglas the executive director of the S.O.N Foundation. In resent development we are focusing closely on all local elections. Our intentions are to educate and inform the general public about present and future community development.

COMMUNITY

2009-02-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

Saving Our Neighborhoods (S.O.N) Foundation Narrative January, 2009

The S.O.N Foundation’s mission: is to address the needs of the Roseland Community by developing programs to stimulate community revitalization, promote self-determination, rehabilitation and restoration of positive images in its citizens. The S.O.N Foundation is a 501©3 non-profit community based organization committed to saving the community one block at a time.

Founded in 1991, as a grass root organization, the S.ON Foundation has strived to provide community support to help address the diminishing and decaying of our most valuable resource.

Mr. Douglas, Sr. the founder and CEO of the S.O.N Foundation, is husband to Jacqueline S. Douglas and the father of five children. Being personally connected to the Roseland community, including his entire life, he is determined to evoke change in the Roseland community by offering community development, mentoring, educational and professional training services and overall teen and adult training in these areas. The Executive Director has grown up in the Roseland Community and has lived in Roseland for 30 years. He is a graduate of Christian Fenger High School and currently attends Chicago State University, majoring in

Description of current programs and activities:

The Roseland Community needs programs designed to empower self-esteem, leadership skills, social skills, rehabilitation, and helping to achieve academic success, employment, deterrence of gang and use of illegal of illegal drugs.
Through the S.O.N Foundation’s Prisoners Re-Entry program and the relationships with Chicago Workforce Development and Illinois Department of Employment Services, S.O.N provide mentoring and employment support to ex-offender’s to assist with their successful re-entry in to the community.
S.O.N Foundation conducts outreach to employers explaining the benefits and incentives to hire ex-offenders, building relationships critical for eliminating employment barriers.
Proposed Program Services: Construction Jobs Training, Job Readiness Training, At-Risk Youth Mentoring, After School Activities
The S.O.N Foundation has the access to additional organizations that support community development and has established relationships within the Roseland community.

Program Achievements (2007-2009)
The S.O.N Foundation facilitated early childhood education at Curtis Elementary school, where students and parents are engaged in areas of social development, the policy committee and early childhood education during 2008
The S.O.N Foundation is a member of the Chicago Youth and Services Department’s policy committee that addresses prisoner re-entry
The S.O.N Foundation received its certificate for job development with Chicago Job Council in December, 2008 which provides services in the area of employment and employment retention.
The S.O.N Foundation received a capacity building certificate that allows for workshops to be facilitated from the Safer Foundation, Chicago Illinois, a premier organization devoted to the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.
The S.O.N Foundation’s Executive Director is a member of the Southside Minister’s Coalition that serves in the capacity of job developer with the Southside Job Collaborative. In this organization he has provided job development, employer recruitment, and job retention and job readiness to Southside Chicagoans.
The S.O.N Foundation administered programs with After School Matters that targeted Roseland teens and provided them with job training in the area of literacy during summer, 2008 at the Catholic Charities in the Roseland Community. Teens, upon completion of the program eligible to work during the school year, teaching younger children how to read.
The S.O.N Foundation’s Executive Director is the Vice-President of Roseland Preparatory School, proposed to Chicago Public School started in 2008 to address the issues of low test scores, low parental involvement, drop out rates and addressing these issues at the elementary level.
The S.O.N Foundation’s Executive Director is a member of the 4th ward Aldermanic Minister’s Committee that has been addressing spiritual enrichment of the South Chicago Community.

B. Purpose of Funding Request:
Operational Development support is essential for the continued facilitation of programs that affect the Roseland community and surrounding members. The Executive Director and his Contract Administrator have embraced the Roseland Community and seeks to see a change. The problematic issues of Roseland include unemployment, teen dropout rates, sex-offenders, ex-offender recidivism, drug, substance abuse issues.

Description of capital campaign: The S.O.N Foundation is attempting to complete the following projects: an after school program involving literacy of teens, a program that involves art air brushing, an entrepreneurship/tutoring program for teens that provide them with the skills that allow them to go out and teach elementary aged students, drug awareness, teen pregnancy, violence prevention, conflict resolution, ex-offender recidivism prevention and entrepreneurship programming in the Roseland Community. Roseland has yet to recover from the effects of those decades of economic decline. The evolution and growing influence of community organizations, however, offer the possibility that Roseland might come to share in Chicago's new prosperity.
The projects that the S.O.N Foundation was involved in is an After School Matters program for the Summer, 2008 (and will continue for Summer 2009) that “Makes Reading Fun” which teaches literacy to teens that allows them to be employed during the subsequent school year as reading tutors. The students come from Roseland area high schools.
The S.O.N Foundation is in negotiation with Chicago State University to facilitate an entrepreneurship program that runs under the Chicago Public Schools, Education to Careers, small business planning curriculum. In this role, the S.O.N Foundation will seek to not only provide job readiness training but job placement for the teens upon completion.
The S.O.N Foundation will provide job placement for the teens that have completed the above mentioned program. These teens will be tracked to ensure that they are completing their area of study. They will be interviewed and surveyed to ensure that they are meeting the standards of the S.O.N Foundation that means they will meet the minimum requirements for assistance: that they graduate from high school, that they go to post-secondary programming, that they secure a job and that they meet with the S.O.N Foundation regularly (once a week) to discuss post secondary planning).
This is a collaborative program with other entities. The additional institutions/organizations that the S.O.N Foundations work with include organizations that have developed a relationship over time that have sustained the organization.

The S.O.N foundation works collaboratively with organizations in the following communities including: Roseland, West Pullman, Englewood, West Englewood, Rossmoor, Little Village, Woodlawn, Maywood, Auburn Gresham, and the Lawndale Community.

All program will be supported with additional organization support through and throughout the remaining time of grants. Because S.O.N feel so confident of this organization, S.O.N are endeavored to apply for funds that supply teens and adults with the demands of the community and the various needs that they demand that require that require action now. The S.O.N Foundation is seeking to provide programs in the areas of: Construction job training, Job readiness, At-Risk Youth Mentoring and After School Activities. The S.O.N Foundation is in a situation right now, the Chicago Public School students dying, the adults dying, the family un-unification, the single family homes, the amount of individuals on public assistance, the number of violent acts in the community, the number teen pregnancies, and community incarcerations should let you know that Roseland in a state of emergency, The community members that try to do the correct thing are constantly being deterred due to the presence of societal ills.

C. Evaluation
Effectiveness of programming:
The S.O.N Foundation will work to familiarize the community with this relationship that it has with other organizations in the community that provide other such services. It is not a joke and there are very few individuals that you would find that willingly able to walk away without looking for anything or any compensation without looking to create a criminal act to get the substances that they need. The Executive Director is one of these people that demonstrate these traits. The S.O.N Foundation will evaluate its programs on participant attrition and retention, participant attendance rates, participant recidivism rates or criminal activities beyond the program, level of educational completions, post-secondary planning and completion and family relationship re-unification, based on parental and teen involvement.
The proposed programming is anticipated to begin in 2009 through the remainder of time that funding is available.
The S.O.N Foundation uses the program methodology of direct instruction, surveying and continual evaluation, hands-on demonstration and final products/projects. The final product/project is essential because it allows participants to evaluate their own proficiencies and work toward an end goal, which builds self-esteem and re-enforces content delivery
The S.O.N Foundation will hire instructors for programming (content specialists); administration consists of an Executive Director and Contract Administrator. Upon the receipt of funds, additional staff will be hired, primarily a business manager.

Collaboration with other organizations include: The Woodlawn Organization (TWO), Westside Minister’s Association, Chicago Workforce Development One-Stop-Center, Illinois Department of Employment Services, Safer Foundation, 4th Ward Alderman, Resurrection House, God’s Gang, Hood Ministry Mission of Faith Baptist Church, Michael Reese Hospital, and DD&S Consultant Services.

Thank You All

Robert M. Douglas

S.O.N Foundation

Developing Young Minds

2008-10-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I want to remind our supporters who we're fighting for. My children are all under the age of 9yrs old. Our priorities as a family is to shape the minds of youth, respecst our parents, and give back to our communities. I'm working with Curtis Elementary School as the Head Start Area Delegate representing children and families to ensure their needs are met. The S.O.N Foundation also work with Curtis School as a Motivational Speaker on topic's such as Bulling, violence, sports, college, etc. Working with one of the cities greatest Youth Organization "Kids Off The Block" we're working to bring more community and parent involvement to Curtis School. Together we'll soon be hosting a city wide recruitment for volunteer mentors, Business Owners, Religious Leaders, and community people looking to be a part of change. I personally have a passion for Roseland and Curtis School that makes me plead for our community to come together. Looking in the eye's of young people saddens my heart, because they only need someone to show they care. I care and if you have a heart we would like you to stand and fight with us. Fight 4 Kids!!!

THANKS,

Robert M. Douglas

2008-10-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

Good morning Readers,

I want to introduce my pride and joy Jacqueline, her and I have been married 3 years. We both have businesses in the Roseland Community bring awareness to problems facing black families. My wife owns a day care center called Douglas Day Care with a wide range services for infant to teen age kids. Just recently the elementary school kids had not so good progress reports, but thanks to the tutoring program their parents had affordable options. We understand the importance in early childhood development and having well rounded children. We need everybody to play a role in educating our kids in a wide range activities. Me and my wife both grew up in the Roseland Community and had two different up brings. So, we want to provide our community with affordable programs that brings families together. The S.O.N Foundation offers kids a path to careers through mentorship. We take field trips to places an allow them to see people and things they never seen before. The difference in our program is we first write about the place we seen and then we talk about what we think it cost to run a business like that. You should see the kids faces after it's all over and the price was said.

It's early in my work day and I have meetings, so I write to you later.

Peace B Still

2008-10-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

I want to feature introduce the S.O.N Foundation to the world. The organization wants to thank all our supporters for being committed to change. We're in the Roseland Community working with youth developing their skills and turning them away from gangs and drugs. The organization was incorporated in 2006, but we've been in the community since 1991. I Robert M. Douglas started this blog, because i remember what once was in Roseland. I her to bring awareness to my community, because with out some help our youth will continue suffer. I personally am grateful to all my mentors like Dan Bassill of tutor/mentor Connection for his insight on social and community Volunteerism to combat these problems. The S.O.N Foundation is a 501(c)3 corporation looking to build a relationships with Churches, School, Parks, Business Owners, Police, and Government Officials in and around the Roseland Community. Our mentoring program is grassroots and looking for people to volunteer a safe space for the 10 mentors we have to meet with the 20 youth we have to form a group mentoring environment. Our program now is a group that meets were ever we can and when ever we can. But, the mentors are committed to changing the behaviors of the youth in our communities. And, in closing we believe if a boy sees a man he can become a man. So, let "Save Our Neighborhood" one block at a time.

PEACE

Peace B Still

2008-10-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Tutor/Mentor Connection

2008-10-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in the office of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, with Dan Bassill, who founded this organization 16 years ago. He's showing me how to use a blog and giving me ideas on how to create a leadership strategy to help kids and families in Roseland.

The links on my blog point to T/MC sites, like the May and November Conference, or the Zip Code Map, which people can use to find contact information for more than 200 tutoring and/or mentoring programs in Chicago, including the S.O.N. Foundation.

They also point to maps the T/MC is creating to help programs in a zip code build collaborations with businesses, churches, hospitals who are also part of the same neighborhood, and with volunteers who don't live in the neighborhood, but pass through every day as they go to their jobs in the city from their homes in the suburbs.

I'll be writing more articles to tell you about the organization I lead, and about way businesses, politicians, faith leaders and parents should support organizations like this. If you add my blog address to your web links, you'll connect your readers with me, and with the Tutor/Mentor Connection.

Welcome to my blog!

2008-10-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Hello we are the S.O.N. Foundation and we serve the Southside of Chicago, specifically the Roseland neighborhood.