StepUp Ministry Creates StepUp North Carolina to Replicate its Employment Services Across the State

Press Release

RALEIGH, N.C., September 9, 2015 – StepUp Ministry, a Raleigh-based non-profit creating lasting economic and social change by inspiring adults and children in economic risk to transform their lives through jobs and life skills training, has launched the creation of StepUp North Carolina. After three years of research and planning, the StepUp Ministry Board of Directors in Raleigh has successfully launched StepUp North Carolina. This new agency will replicate the StepUp model across the State and provide financial, human resource, marketing, and best practice sharing services to the current locations in Raleigh, Greensboro, and soon Durham, as well as future locations.

Founded in 1989, StepUp Ministry Raleigh has transformed the local community by providing employment and life skills training to individuals facing major barriers to finding employment. Annually, the Raleigh site aids 350+ job placements.

With the successful replication of StepUp Greensboro, aiding 490+ job placements since its inception, the StepUp Ministry Board of Directors in Raleigh recognized the growing challenges faced by hundreds of unemployed families in many North Carolina communities. After 3 years of research and planning, the StepUp Board approved the creation of StepUp North Carolina, which now serves as the “umbrella” organization over all current and future StepUp sites. It will establish relationships with local leaders, with local organizations, and with local funders at potential sites in order to measure the level of local interest and opportunity for success. Currently in full operation, StepUp North Carolina provides support in accounting, marketing and human resources for all local sites of StepUp Ministry. For its initial 2 years, StepUp North Carolina plans to focus support on the two current locations in Raleigh and Greensboro, as well as overseeing the creation of StepUp Durham in October 2015. After this 2-year period, it will focus on replication of services throughout the State.

Local funding for StepUp North Carolina comes primarily from the recent Band Together partnership. These funds will also seed StepUp Durham with sustainable funding during its first three years of operation. The remainder will go to Band Together and StepUp Ministry Raleigh.  

Steve Swayne, CEO of StepUp North Carolina, heads the new entity, along with Keith Daniel as Executive Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships, Beth Lowery as CFO, Amy Kennemur as Human Resource Director, and Sarah Werner as Marketing Director.  

QUOTES: 

“Over the past 26 years, StepUp Ministry Raleigh developed a successful process for people seeking to improve their lives and develop stable careers. Three years ago, our board of directors decided that it was time to share this process with communities that sought a means for adults and children to transform their lives through employment and life skills training. It is exciting to see this dream become a reality,” said Linda Nunnallee, Executive Director of StepUp Ministry Raleigh.

“StepUp North Carolina will take the investment of the StepUp staff, volunteers, participants and board members in Raleigh and Greensboro and leverage the program and operational best practices across the state,” said Tom Everly, a past Board Member of StepUp Ministry Raleigh who currently serves as StepUp North Carolina Board Chair.  “We are very excited to continue to increase our capacity to prepare even more adults and children for stable and productive lives.”

 “I am very excited to see us spread the exciting work of StepUp throughout North Carolina. We have thoughtfully created a model to share the life changing services of StepUp with other communities. Thanks to the many people who worked so hard to bring the dream of serving people throughout NC to a reality,” said Andy Betts, current StepUp Ministry of Raleigh Board Member and liaison for StepUp NC. 

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