Cara Program

BUILD AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMY BY DEVELOPING EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS TO ADVANCE TRANSFORMATIVE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY SUCCESS.

TRADITIONAL TRAINING & PLACEMENT PROGRAM IS CARA'S TRADITIONAL SERVICES WHICH INCLUDES A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING LIFE-SKILLS TRAINING, SPECIALIZED JOB-SKILLS TRAINING, AND PERSONALIZED CAREER PLACEMENT SERVICES.SOUTH SIDE CAMPUS (SSC) IS CARA'S SOUTH SIDE CAMPUS AND PROVIDES TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS SIMILAR TO CARA'S TRADITIONAL PROGRAM. THE SSC ALSO OFFERS DROP-IN FINANCIAL AND DIGITAL LITERACY TRAININGS AND REFERRALS TO WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.EMPLOYMENT RETENTION ENSURES THAT PARTICIPANTS OF CARA HAVE THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR LONG-TERM SELFSUFFICIENCY.CARA OFFERS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COACHING THROUGHOUT EACH PARTICIPANT'S FIRST YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE: REGULAR ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH EMPLOYED PARTICIPANTS ABOUT ON-THE-JOB SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES; AND DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL LONG-TERM GOALS, INCLUDING GOALS RELATED TO HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND DEBT REPAYMENT. AS A RESULT, OVER 70% OR MORE OF EMPLOYED CARA PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING THIS SUPPORT REMAIN IN THEIR FIRST JOB PLACEMENT FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. IN ADDITION TO EMPLOYMENT RETENTION SUPPORT, CARA'S CAREER ADVANCEMENTPROGRAM SUPPORTS PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE NOT ONLY ACHIEVED STABILITY IN THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES, BUT WHO ALSO SHOW AN EXCEPTIONAL DRIVE TO GROW IN THEIR CAREERS. ONCE PARTICIPANTS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND ARE ESTABLISHED PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, THEY MAY OPT IN TO CAREER ADVANCEMENT SERVICES.

CARA WORKS, LLC A WHOLLY OWNED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY STARTED IN 2018, WAS ORGANIZED TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF CARA CHICAGO BY SERVING AS EMPLOYER OF RECORD FOR WORKERS EMPLOYED IN TRANSITIONAL JOBS THROUGH OTHER SOCIAL ENTERPRISES.

TCP STAFFING, LLC (TCP STAFFING) DBA CARA CONNECTS, A WHOLLY OWNED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY STARTED IN 2011, WAS CREATED TO MANAGE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE TRANSITIONAL JOBS ASPECT OF CARA CHICAGO. CARA CONNECTS EMPLOYS PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE WORKING TRANSITIONAL JOBS FOR CLEANSLATE AND CARA CHICAGO AS WELL AS SELECT COMPANIES OUTSIDE OF THE ENTERPRISE. IN 2013, CARA CONNECTS EXPANDED TO BE A CONTRACT STAFFING FIRM DEDICATED TO SOURCING QUALITY CANDIDATES TO FULFILL CRITICAL ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS WITHIN CHICAGO'S GROWING JOB MARKET BY PROVIDING TEMPORARY AND TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT OPPORTUNITIES.

CLEANSLATE CHICAGO, LLC (CLEANSLATE), A WHOLLY-OWNED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY STARTED IN 2005, PROVIDES EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS ACROSS CHICAGO. THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED AS A VEHICLE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES TO EMPLOYMENT - PARTICULARLY INDIVIDUALS WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS TO GAIN ON-THE-JOB WORK EXPERIENCE AND INTENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES THROUGH TRANSITIONAL JOBS. CLEANSLATE IS A COMPLEMENT TO CARA AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS. FOR TAX PURPOSES, CLEANSLATE IS TREATED AS A DISREGARDED ENTITY AND WILL BE INCLUDED IN CARA CHICAGO'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND TAX REPORTING. UNDER APPLICABLE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, CARA CHICAGO IS REQUIRED TO PREPARE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITH CLEANSLATE