Vernessa Robinson was constantly looking for a place to stay, finding shelter with friends and family when she could. Unsure of where to go or how to improve her situation, Robinson was introduced to Brenda Cochrin, a teacher and social worker for
Beatitude House, through a friend.
“We sat down and worked on making her a portfolio of her educational and career background,” Cochrin says. “Then we started talking about where to go from there.”
The Youngstown-based nonprofit helps homeless women get on their feet by offering transitional and permanent supportive housing as well as career and educational training.
Robinson worked with the organization on and off for three years. In 2009, she became one of the original employees of Beatitude House’s for-profit cleaning business, Green Clean. Seven women from Beatitude House and three interns, who have completed training and are working toward becoming regular employees, make $9.50 an hour cleaning homes and offices about four hours a day, three to four days a week.
Green Clean workers also participate in GED programs and computer and life skills training through Potter’s Wheel. “They help you with goal setting and how to turn things back around,” Robinson says.
Part of that is the opportunity to become shareholders in Green Clean. After employees have worked at least 100 hours, they can buy into the company for $250. Even better, the employee gets a 50 cents per hour raise that is then deducted from each paycheck until the cost of ownership is covered.
“Most co-ops would make [employees] pay for their share,” says Sr. Patricia McNicholaus, executive director of Beatitude House. “We’re small enough that we don’t have to, and most of the women can’t afford it anyway.”
Robinson credits Beatitude House with helping her improve as a person, as it has done for more than 2,000 women and children since 1991. Robinson recently graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in criminal justice and has moved out of Beatitude House and into her own apartment.
“[Green Clean] has enabled me to be self-sufficient,” she says. Thanks to donations to the Green Clean program, Robinson has her own car, for which she makes monthly payments.
Robinson plans to pursue a career as a probation officer or work in Green Clean management. “A woman just has to have the drive within her,” she says.