96 percent.

It is a big number, so big that it almost sounds made up.
But that was our success rate in our pre-employment training programs last year.

Back in 2018, 76 percent of our 33 graduates reached a successful outcome. Last year, 96 percent of our 301 graduates became employed, enrolled in further training or education, or engaged in specialized supports such as mental health or addictions treatment.

People often ask me, sometimes with genuine disbelief, how we do it.

At Ve’ahavta, our approach to poverty is different. We begin with an unwavering belief that people are not defined by their past and what has happened to them. We believe that every person has the power to transform their lives and shape a brand new future for themselves.

From there, we offer the training, the skills development, and the personal growth opportunities they need to move forward. We also supply them with the practical supports – financial, social, and emotional – that help build long-term stability.

We build their resiliency by holding high expectations – because we believe in their potential. We help them up when they fall, give a gentle push when they need momentum, and celebrate every win along the way. We keep believing in them until they are ready to believe in themselves.

Our commitment to growth and learning doesn’t stop with the people we serve – it applies just as much to our staff team and how we operate as an agency. We relentlessly examine every aspect of our work. We listen to our clients in focus groups, interviews, and surveys so we can continually strengthen our programs. We study our operational data to understand how each improvement affects the lives of our clients and the way we deliver our services.

We are always asking how we can do better, how we can reach more people, and how we can create the greatest possible impact.

Our aim: to help every person who needs us.

By continually improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our work, we create stronger outcomes for more people in the most responsible way possible. That is how we are now serving 10 times as many people as we did in 2018 with a budget that has grown by less than 1.5 times.

This is what’s behind that big number – that 96 percent success rate: an approach that works. It works because it’s rooted in our belief that people can transform their lives, it’s supported by data driven interventions, and it’s delivered with unwavering commitment by people who refuse to give up on others.

As a supporter of Ve’ahavta, you make this possible. When you invest in people through Ve’ahavta, that is what you are doing – you are not alleviating the effects of poverty. You are helping people change their lives.

Your gift is used with intention, discipline, and respect. Every dollar is directed toward the most efficient and effective accomplishment of our mission to create the deepest possible impact on the greatest possible number of people. This is my promise to you.

If you have not yet made a gift this year, I invite you to take that step with confidence and be our partner in helping people transform their lives.

With deep gratitude,

Cari Kozierok,
CEO, Ve’ahavta