During the event, a new Vocation Track was added to join two other programs that aid single women in becoming self-sufficient. The nonprofit organization supports moms and their children by providing them with a rent-free apartment and child care while enrolled in Career Track and the Education Track programs, according to its website.
The specifics
The new program is seeded with initial scholarship support from the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which focuses on promoting the value of skilled trades and vocational training.
Designed for those who are completing trade or vocational school programs or pursuing an associate's degree in STEM fields, the Vocation Track supports single women as they gain the education and skills necessary to earn a family-sustaining wage by removing the barriers they often face.
Participants in The Gatehouse Vocation Track and their children receive no-cost apartments on the nonprofit's 61-acre campus and access to quality childcare, professional counseling, legal assistance and other resources, according to a news release.
In addition to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation's initial contribution, the Fisher Global Foundation, Suzanne & Walter Scott Family Foundation and Rose Family Foundation have provided matching scholarship donations.
The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation is also contributing, bringing the total scholarship fund to $200,000, according to a news release.
Community Impact interviewed founder and CEO Lisa Rose and program director Chelsea Hinman about the 10th anniversary and the impact the non-profit has provided.
Answers have been edited for length, style and clarity.
You just had your 10th anniversary. What does it mean to reach this milestone anniversary?
LR: In one way, it feels like 10 years have blown by. On the other hand, it seems like we've been here forever. But our mission is to give women a hand up in overcoming hardships so they become permanently self-sustainable. When I think about 10 years, we've been able to offer 800 people—women and kids—hope, opportunity and the dignity of earned success. Our umbrella 501c3 is called Project HandUp, based on the premise that we really do get women ready to work at it so they are empowered to set goals and remove their barriers that keep them stuck. Then they realize the dignity of working and earning their success. They leave with a career-based income and the skills to manage their physical, emotional, financial and spiritual health. Our program is not emergency assistance or short-term, and we don't put mandates on the issues. We offer ample time, the resources and the relationships for change to be permanent. We’ve done that now for 800 people and in 10 years, and are really wanting to be around another 90 years.
What led to the nonprofit becoming what it is today?
LR: I pull it down to two things. One was being in the community, volunteering and seeing so many people stuck again, trying to overcome a trauma or a temporary hardship, and they wanted to do better. They had an inkling of a goal. Most of the women wanted the same things I do, to have a job and take care of them, be self-sustainable and be a good parent. And I thought when I was volunteering in different places, I could be in the same spot in different circumstances. I started just reading about what really helps people and empowers them to overcome trauma. The first step was starting a speaker event once a month called First Friday. It went on for eight years, from September through May. We rented out Perkins Theater and had speakers from all of the country come in who were experts in their fields. Our tagline was ‘Real life, real solutions: practical help for real life.’ About 300 women came every month. During that time, we started realizing that many people in a one-hour speaker event and a book signing really need to have a place in a program for permanent change and a bigger hand up. Step-by-step, we created The Gatehouse and now we have 61 acres and 96 apartments. We have a wonderful community that's debt-free and a child-care academy, where our kids go, as well as community kids. We're serving the community in that academy through our operations partner; we own the building and they run the program. It takes a big investment, but it's worth it.
How do you know the people or how do you find them?
CH: People hear about The Gatehouse through many different ways. We have great relationships with other agencies who will, many times, refer clients our way. As well as other organizations, churches, universities and schools, but many of our applicants find us through either our website or just a Google or social media search.
Can you talk a little bit about how that transpired and what looks like going forward?
CH: So we're very excited with the launch of the Vocation Track. With us starting the Career Track in 2015 when we opened, the goal of the program has always been for women and single moms to have the time, the resources and the support to get to that self-sustainability. But once COVID-19 happened, so many women were needing to go back to school, whether that to complete a degree, complete a vocation, or to complete some sort of advanced training to increase their earning potential. Post-COVID, we launched the Education Track in 2023 that's focused on single mother students who are completing the last two years of a bachelor's or a master's degree. We started seeing that there were women who weren't needing the full degree. They were just looking to get started in a new industry through a vocation or an associate's degree program. We launched our Vocation Track as a direct response to that need since we're seeing [some] women and single moms who aren't ready to complete a four-year degree or aren't qualified for a master's [degree] yet, but really are looking to change the trajectory of their lives and receive that permanent self-sustainability through education and training in a new industry.
How big is the need for this program in this area?
LR: For single moms who need to finish an education, only 27% of them complete a degree within six years. We are very excited about this. Half of our population are women, yet women are underemployed and unemployed, and that can stem from any kind of hardship, a divorce or domestic abuse. The need is great. One thing about The Gatehouse program that is so very special is the fact that you don't need to be coming directly from an extreme crisis, such as trafficking or homelessness or domestic violence. Our program also serves women who are experiencing those temporary hardships, such as just a single mom who's struggling to complete those last two years of a degree or a mom who is being impacted by the recession and is now underemployed because her income is no longer able to sustain her and her children. In addition to those that are coming from crisis situations, The Gatehouse program can also help those women and those single moms who are just needing that temporary reprieve from many of the major expenses, such as rent or child care, so they can get back on their feet and back into the community.
How do these programs work? Is there a wait list?
LR: What's really great is with the announcement of the Vocation Track, The Gatehouse is currently accepting applications for all three of our tracks. We're very fortunate to see many of our residents graduate throughout the year, which then opens up spots and availability for other single women and moms to take advantage of our program. Therefore, we don't have a wait list. Our applicants go through a rigorous process because we want their success. They have to do a written application and then they have a verbal, face-to-face, virtual interview before they're accepted into the program. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a crowd around you; experts who cheer you on to reach your goals, who help you break down the barriers, who help you build a brighter life for yourself and your kids. We invest in people because the change is permanent and it's worth it. We spend around $35,000 a year for a woman and two children. The Tarrant County taxpayer spends $55,000, and that figure was from two years ago. We're really saving taxpayer money, and our women are becoming not tax consumers but taxpayers. Our women graduate not on government assistance.
What has it been like to see these programs grow?
CH: As we're looking at and reading statistics from our DFW community, it's helpful knowing and it's great knowing that The Gatehouse is continuing to adapt and evolve, to meet the evolving needs of our community in an intentional way.
LR: According to Texas 2036 [a nonpartisan public policy think tank], by 2036, 70% of all jobs will require a post-secondary credential. The Vocation Track is not only an opportunity for families to change their lives, it's also an opportunity to help our city close the workforce gap. Even though we are located in Tarrant County, we serve women from Dallas County and other counties. So, we're affecting all northeast Texas.
Editor's note: The story was changed to reflect the date of the anniversary celebration.
