---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laura Turiano <scylla@riseup.net>
Date: Thu, Jun 2, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Subject: [omni-consensus] Proposal for GCS/YES to become member collective
To: "consensus@lists.omnicommons.org" <consensus@lists.omnicommons.org>, "discuss@lists.omnicommons.org" <discuss@lists.omnicommons.org>
Cc: ALmaz <ahana75@gmail.com>


   Application from Global Communication Services/YES Program to become a member collective of the Omni Commons

1. Mission statement
What do you do?

The mission of Global Communication Services (GCS) is to provide community service for individuals, families, and community groups toward health consulting, health benefits, cultural exchange and immigrate support here in United States and international.
The mission of Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is to advance and support children, youth, and family on academic breakthroughs in life development, job placement and other activities focusing and envisioning a community where all young people have the opportunities and access to programs without restriction of race, cultural difference or socioeconomic status.

What happens in the world because you exist?

Our program serves the community by tutoring/mentoring and providing educational workshops. We also teach cultural art history, and different languages through workshops and events.  Our services encompass problem solving approaches based on education and tapping into the cultural strengths and living experiences of African immigrants and Black African American youth and families. We help to uncover the individuals hidden talents and strengths which leads to healthy self esteem, individual and group self-reliance. Our program is open to all ethnic groups who choose to excel and claim their genius!

2. Origin and group history
How did you start?

Originally, Global Communication Services (GCS) was established in 2012 as my (Almaz’s) consulting business to provide community service for individuals, families, and community groups toward health consulting, health benefits, immigrate support. Which included language interpreting and translating services.  I had people working with me doing the same thing. As a part of GCS we taught cultural literacy for African immigrant youth, like cultural dance, language; as well as sports and hiking and camping trip to Yosemite National Park. After a long time personal experience working with immigrant families and being one of the reader for 13 afterschool programs at the City of Oakland in 2013. I seen the main problem children face especially around the low-income families and how new immigrant dealt within the public school system. At the end of 2014 decided to incorporate a few staff members to GCS and enhance the youth program, YES, which will focus on youth academic and life development support.

How does your group make decisions?

    Our group makes decision collectively by majority vote if necessary to do so. So fare we don’t have any conflicts or misunderstanding, each staff member contributes to the program cooperatively.

What have you done?

We have helped several youth with their academic work, job placement, health and wellness training. We host community based cultural events and workshops. We are a pioneer collective group with different cultural and educational backgrounds. We work collectively with community groups locally, nationally and internationally. Our staff meets at least once per month.

3. Participation in the Omni
Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs?

Our mission and the objectives of the Omni are aligned.  We both are working diligently to improve and empower individuals and the community.
We also enjoy the location of the Omni. Hosting events at the Omni would be of great value to our team.
Becoming a part of the ownership team is also a very exciting opportunity for our organization.
We would like to be fiscally sponsored by the Omni.

How does your group intend to use the space?

We intend to use the space for workshops, classroom trainings, events, rehearsals, and collective member meetings.

What are your needs?

Our need is to have space at the Omni as a member collective. We will use the space to have locked storage, books, and a table for small class meetings. We will also have larger events like fundraisers, health trainings, or music and cultural programs that we would like to hold in the larger common spaces.

4. Group finances and paying rent?
What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni?
Please include relevant financial statements, documentation of sufficient income (e.g. balance sheet, bank statement profit & loss statement).

We have about $500 from the community fundraiser events and we are planning to charge sliding scale admission for workshops, classroom trainings, and other large music events. We have been invited to apply for several government and private grants. Our anticipated largest funding source for our youth project will be coming from grants and monthly member donations.

We propose to pay $100 a month in rent plus utilities for the first three-months until we receive grants to support our program. After the first three months we will pay $200 for rent plus utilities and would like to become the stewards of the blue classroom and have priority use of that space. We do not plan to charge youth or low-income families for our services however, we do accept donations.

We do not currently have a bank account. As a fiscally sponsored project we would open a sub account under the Omni’s bank account.

5. Dedicated space
If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable?

We are proposing to steward and maintain the Blue classroom and keep a locked storage cabinet there after our first three months of membership. We would have priority for our youth classes and family consulting, and would make the space available to other groups when we were not using it.

6. Other contributions to the Omni
         This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group?

        One of the ways that we may be able to generate funds is by hosting monthly events.  At first this income may be slow yet if we continue we will look to attract sponsors and also grow our attendance of our events.

    We also plan to produce mutually beneficial community programs for the Omni that would entail youth related film screenings, concerts & workshops…

    We can help the Omni by participating on the working groups. Almaz has been volunteering with the Commons working group for about 2 months.

          We hope that this project will greatly expand the scope of the Omni’s community and increase its visibility. There is a chance that funders and donors introduced to the Omni through our Program would financially support the project of the Omni. We plan to bring more African and African American community members and others who would increase the diversity of the Omni’s community in many ways, including inviting programming for and by community groups who represent our neighborhood and community.

    Wanda Sabir of KPFA and Sophie of KPOO are also media supporters of YES.  We can mention the Omni on our radio broadcast and other media collaborations.

7. Additional information?
Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group?

          Our collective will have diverse group members, artists, business owners, educators, musicians, authors, which all those who organize and those who participate are all considered collective members. Will also have volunteers temporary member participates from deferent community groups, which include college/university students and community educators. All participates in our program would not necessarily be considered members unless they show constant involvement at YES program.

Introduce your key collective members here
Almaz Yihdego Founder and program coordinator/Tigrinya/Amharic teacher.
Noura Hassaini Child Development English/French/ and Arabic teacher
Lawrence Brisco Business development, entrepreneurship trainer through creative gardening and landscape design.
Daniel Williams Swahili and mathematics teacher
Akanke Adesokan Holistic health and culturally relevant
Responsive holistic empowering counselor and performing artist
Eden Mana health and wellness, health eating habits and nutrition counselor
Fiyory Melake chemistry and biology teacher
Mical Free art and graphic-design teacher
Baba Kala Music and cultural history teacher
Far I Shields musician, artist and author for global transformation
Melvin Cowan program fund and resource advisor
Yoel Haile student academic resource and job placement coordinator



Thank you,

Almaz Yihdego
www.globalcommunicationservices.org




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