Breaktime (organization)

Last updated

Breaktime
Founded2018;6 years ago (2018)
FoundersConnor Schoen and Tony Shu
Type 501(c)(3) organization
Headquarters63 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
Location
Coordinates 42°21′51″N71°03′43″W / 42.36404°N 71.06192°W / 42.36404; -71.06192
Website breaktime.org

Breaktime is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Boston, Massachusetts which works to reduce young adult homelessness through transitional employment. [1] [2]

Contents

Breaktime employs young adults experiencing homelessness in living wage job opportunities. The organization provides its program participants with job training, job placement and then years of support. [3] During 2020, the company employed 25 young adults experiencing homelessness, [1] who worked to address food insecurity in the community, preparing and delivering over 650,000 meals [4] to people experiencing food insecurity throughout Greater Boston. [5] Since then, Breaktime has employed almost 200 young adults in the Greater Boston Area. [6]

Cofounders Connor Schoen and Tony Shu were honored in the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 listing for Breaktime's social impact in reducing young adult homelessness. [1]

History

Cofounders Schoen and Shu met as Harvard undergraduate students while working at the homeless shelter, Y2Y, in Harvard Square. [2] Schoen and Shu founded Breaktime in 2018. [7] Breaktime became Boston’s first transitional employment program specifically tailored to young adults experiencing homelessness.


In collaboration with the Community Works Service in Boston, Breaktime launched its first program, the Double Impact Initiative, in response to the global pandemic. This program employs young adults experiencing homelessness to make and distribute meals for Bostonians experiencing food insecurity. [8] [9] The young adult associates work at local job sites like food pantries while also receiving above-minimum wages with matched savings and career counseling. [4]

Programs

Program

Breaktime's yearlong program consists of workplace training, followed by a three-month job placement at a nonprofit or small business, in addition to credit counseling. Breaktime provides support for many young adults experiencing homelessness who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or were raised in the foster care system. [10] Breaktime provides support for its program graduates for many years after graduation as well. [3]

Breaktime is partnered with a dozen small businesses. Program participants earn valuable work experience. Breaktime co-funds employee wages, so small businesses access trained workers at reduced costs.. [11]

Participants (associates) in Breaktime's program attend a 3 week training program to explore their skills and potential career paths. After completing training, associates work at a three-month job placement site with a small business or nonprofit. Upon graduation, associates continue to receive nine months of regular check-ins and financial counseling and support from Breaktime. [12]

According to Breaktime, 83% of program alumni are working and are in school compared to 12% prior to Breaktime. Breaktime alumni experience a 33% increase in wages and 77% of oalumni are now in stable housing. [12]

Fundraising and partnerships

Breaktime is a part of the City of Boston's long term plan, "Rising to the Challenge," to end young adult homelessness in Boston [4] and is one of the 54 recipients of the City of Boston's 2022 Youth Development Fund, which provides $1.25 million in funding for youth and young adult violence prevention. [13]

Breaktime is backed by supporters including the City of Boston, [14] Liberty Mutual, [1] Black Rock, [1] Boston Resiliency Fund, [14] [2] The American Heart Association, [15] Born This Way Foundation, Forest Foundation, William and Anngenette Tyler Fidelity Fund, MassMutual Foundation, John Hancock, Riley Foundation, and Martin Richard Foundation [5]

Breaktime is also partnered with organizations including the Cape Verdean Association of Boston, [2] Jewish Family & Children's Services, [2] Project Hope, [2] and Sojourner House. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in the United States</span>

In the United States, the number of homeless people on a given night in January 2023 was more than 650,000 according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Homelessness has increased in recent years, in large part due to an increasingly severe housing shortage and rising home prices in the United States. Most homeless people lived in California, New York, Florida, and Washington in 2022, according to the annual Homeless Assessment Report. The majority of homeless people in the United States have been homeless for less than one year; two surveys by YouGov in 2022 and 2023 found that just under 20 percent of Americans reported having ever been homeless.

Catching Lives is a charity based in Canterbury, England, that assists rough sleepers, the homeless and those in insecure housing. It relies on donations, volunteers and fundraising within its local community. As of 2011, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was patron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Others Might Eat</span>

So Others Might Eat (SOME) is a nonprofit organization that provides services to assist those dealing with poverty and homelessness in Washington, D.C. The organization provides affordable housing, job training, counseling and other healthcare services, and daily needs such as food and clothing to the poor and homeless. It spends the largest portion of its annual budget on affordable housing, with a majority of its residents recovering from addiction. SOME describes its mission as helping "our vulnerable neighbors in Washington, DC, break the cycle of homelessness through our comprehensive and transformative services".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Francis House (Boston)</span> Day shelter in Boston, MA, US

Saint Francis House is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, daytime shelter, primarily for the homeless, located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, and founded in the early 1980s. It is the largest daytime shelter in New England and serves as an early model of such a center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in Australia</span> Overview of homelessness in Australia

Homelessness in Australia is a social issue concerning the number of people in Australia that are considered to be homeless. There are no internationally agreed upon definitions of homelessness, making it difficult to compare levels of homelessness across countries. A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless". A person who does not obtain any shelter is often described as sleeping 'rough'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Doe Fund</span> American nonprofit organization

The Doe Fund is a nonprofit organization in the United States that provides paid transitional work, housing, educational opportunities, counseling, and career training to people with histories of homelessness, incarceration, and substance abuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenox Hill Neighborhood House</span>

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is a multi-service, community-based organization that serves people in need on the East Side of Manhattan and on Roosevelt Island. Founded in 1894 as a free kindergarten for the children of indigent immigrants and as one of the first settlement houses in the nation, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is the oldest and largest provider of social, legal and educational services on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Each year, they assist thousands of individuals and families who range in age from 3 to 103, represent dozens of races, ethnicities and countries of origin and "live, work, go to school or access services" on the East Side from 14th Street to 143rd Street and on Roosevelt Island. Their clients include indigent families and the working poor who live in the East Side's housing projects and tenements or who travel to the Upper East Side to work in low-wage jobs such as cashiers, housekeepers, nannies and laborers; 10,000 seniors; and hundreds of mentally ill homeless and formerly homeless adults. They have five locations between 54th and 102nd Streets, offer programs at dozens of East Side locations; their headquarters is located on East 70th Street.

The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation is a non-governmental organization in the United States, established in 1981 to continue the work of two Presidential Commissions. These commissions were the bipartisan National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, and the bipartisan National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. The Eisenhower Foundation carries forward the objectives and initiatives of these commissions in the private sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discrimination against homeless people</span>

Discrimination against homeless people is categorized as the act of treating people who lack housing in a prejudiced or negative manner due to the fact that they are homeless. Other factors can compound discrimination against homeless people including discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, age, mental illness, and other considerations.

Roger H. Brown is an American businessman, philanthropist, and academic administrator and former president of Berklee College of Music. Brown is also the co-founder of Bright Horizons and founder and chairman of the Salt Lick Incubator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Stoneman</span>

Dorothy Stoneman is the founder and former CEO of YouthBuild USA, Inc. and former chairman of the YouthBuild Coalition, with over 1,000 member organizations in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands. She has been widely recognized for her contributions to the civil rights movements, poverty elimination efforts, and the emergence of the youth development field in the United States. Among the numerous awards she has received, Stoneman was awarded a MacArthur "genius" Fellowship (1996), and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2007).

Berkeley Food and Housing Project is a nonprofit organization serving homeless men, women, and children in Berkeley, California and other parts of Northern California. BFHP is one of the largest homeless service providers in the East Bay.

Mary Jane "Kip" Tiernan was an American social activist.

Born This Way Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by American artist and activist Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Named after the singer's 2011 album Born This Way, and the song with the same name the foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to "make the world kinder and braver".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunger in the United States</span> Food insecurity

Hunger in the United States of America affects millions of Americans, including some who are middle class, or who are in households where all adults are in work. The United States produces far more food than it needs for domestic consumption—hunger within the U.S. is caused by some Americans having insufficient money to buy food for themselves or their families. Additional causes of hunger and food insecurity include neighborhood deprivation and agricultural policy. Hunger is addressed by a mix of public and private food aid provision. Public interventions include changes to agricultural policy, the construction of supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods, investment in transportation infrastructure, and the development of community gardens. Private aid is provided by food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and food rescue organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marqueece Harris-Dawson</span> American politician

Marqueece L. Harris-Dawson is an American politician, currently serving as the president of the Los Angeles City Council since September 20, 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, who has represented the 8th district of the Los Angeles City Council since 2015.

Covenant House Toronto is a nonprofit organization that serves at-risk, homeless and trafficked youth between the ages of 16 and 24. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is one of many Covenant House locations based in North America. The Toronto location is the largest agency of its kind in Canada, with 80 per cent of their annual funding coming from donors. The house serves as many as 300 youth a day regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or the circumstances that have brought them to their doors. Covenant House also offers services such as education, after-care, counseling, health care, employment assistance, and job training. The organization has also offered their services to more than 95,000 young people since its start in 1982.

Year Up United is an American nonprofit organization focused on education and job skills. The organization provides students without a 4- year bachelor's degree with resources, training and corporate internships with the aim of improving their job prospects and social mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizons for Homeless Children</span> Non-profit organization in Boston, Massachusetts

Horizons for Homeless Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Massachusetts which provides early education and services for children and families experiencing homelessness.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Breaktime". Forbes. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Parsons, Lian (September 9, 2020). "Breaktime Café prepares, delivers meals amid pandemic". The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Merril, Kate. "It Happens Here: West End nonprofit helps young homeless adults get a new start". CBS News. CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Militare, Jessica (March 23, 2021). "Empowering Young People and Feeding Families". Forbes. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Ward, Bob (June 18, 2020). "Boston youth-led organization fighting homelessness gets support from Martin Richard Foundation". Boston 25 News. Cox Media Group. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Breaktime | Ending Young Adult Homelessness | Massachusetts". Breaktime. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ Doyle, Terrence. "These Harvard Undergrads Plan to Open a Cafe to Help Homeless Young Adults Find Job Security". Eater Boston. Vox Media. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ Tarantal, Erika (September 17, 2020). "5 for Good: Double Impact Program trains young adults, provides meals to those in need". WCVB. Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  9. ↑ Campbell, Emma (August 31, 2020). "This youth-led startup is working to employ Boston's homeless young adults". BostInno. American City Business Journals. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  10. ↑ Oliver, Meg. "Nonprofit aims to end cycle of youth homelessness with job training". CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ Johnston, Katie (February 13, 2023). "With job vacancies high, employers seek out workers they might have previously passed over". Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Tran, Susan. "Boston Nonprofit Aims to Fight Homelessness in LGBTQ Young People". NBC Boston. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Recipients of the 2022 Youth Development Fund Grants Announced". City of Boston. Boston City Hall. October 29, 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Ending Youth and Young Adult Homelessness". City of Boston. Boston City Hall. November 24, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  15. ↑ Camire, Chris. "Harvard grad who launched non-profit to employ Boston's homeless youth up for American Heart Association grant". American Heart Association. American Heart Association, Inc. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.