Program areas at Aloe Family
The mission of our Job Skills Program is to provide resilient individuals with resources for increasing their financial self-sufficiency, self-esteem, autonomy, and sense of community. Locally and internationally, we strive to empower these future leaders by offering small business loans, business skills training, and mentorship. For those taking advantage of our small business loans, we require an initial contribution from the entrepreneurs of 10% of projected costs and weekly attendance at our English and business skills classes where they learn about topics such as product and cost analysis, budgeting, bookkeeping and financial statement basics. After receiving the supplies, training, and support to create their products and launch their businesses, our entrepreneurs are required to repay 20% of expenses incurred. We educate and support the entrepreneurs in finding markets for their products within their communities. The Aloe Family Marketplace, a separate for-profit entity, exists as an additional customer to purchase and resell their products with all proceeds going back into Aloe Family programs. As of December 31, 2023, through our Job Skills Program in Mexico, we supported a total 20 entrepreneurs who are in various stages of operating their own businesses. We had an average of eight attendees in our weekly business and English classes and hosted a celebration in December for those completing the program. All of the entrepreneurs that received loans through our program increased their monthly income and are currently making regular loan repayments. In Nashville, we had a group of three artisans that met weekly with our business consultant to develop their products and businesses. We also provided resources and mentorship to help place four program participants in full-time jobs. During 2023, we completed renovations on a house in Mexico which serves as home base for our volunteers and hosts our business and English classes, as well as any entrepreneur meetings and training sessions. At the Aloe House, entrepreneurs have access to resources such as computers, printers, and other supplies necessary to help them develop their businesses. The Aloe House also hosted 12 volunteer groups throughout 2023, during which volunteers supported our Job Skills mission by teaching business classes and training our staff and entrepreneurs in their areas of expertise, as well as partnering with our staff to complete construction projects to house our entrepreneurs' businesses. We collected program revenue from the following three sources: fees paid by volunteer groups traveling to Mexico, whose efforts benefit all three of our programs, fees paid through a partnership with Dributts for reusable diapers sewn by a small group of our entrepreneurs in Mexico, and nominal fees charged to our entrepreneurs for the purchase of materials necessary for their products which are not otherwise accessible to them in Mexico.
Many of the families we serve struggle financially making health, wellness, and self-care an afterthought rather than a priority. Many of them have endured significant trauma in their lives. We believe that we cannot truly provide support for the communities and individuals we serve without also addressing these physical and mental needs. Through our Hope and Healing program, we strive to address these needs for the people we serve and be their support system in times of crisis and as they work toward a healthier future. In 2023, two of our program staff members completed a Trauma Competent Care Affiliate Training program, with the goal of our entire staff completing the program in 2024. Currently, through partnerships with local nonprofits and grocery stores in Nashville, we provide access to free, fresh groceries for the families we serve. In the community where our Nashville services are based, we distributed groceries weekly to an average of 53 families, serving an average of 239 individuals, and totaling 35,000 pounds of food. We added an additional under-served community to this program, where we distributed groceries once monthly to an average of 17 families, serving an average of 82 people each month. In Nashville, we distributed over $3,000 in donated clothing to our program participants through three free community stores hosted during the year. In Mexico, we began providing therapy for our Apprenticeship program participants. We distributed supplies and food to children's homes, immigration shelters, and individuals and families living in the local landfill. In 2023, we hosted 12 volunteer groups in San Luis, who supported our Hope and Healing Program by strengthening relationships with our students and distributing food and supplies throughout the community. We collected program revenue fees paid by volunteer groups on these trips.
We believe that education is the key to a positive future. In our Nashville program, the majority of those we serve are immigrants and refugees. The language barrier is a persistent challenge in their education, for both students and their parents. Through our Community and Education Support Program, we strive to provide sufficient and competent educational aid and to empower our program participants to improve their English proficiency. We offer twice weekly homework help for students and once weekly English classes for the adults in our program. Each Saturday, we host a "community day," during which we provide educational games and programming aimed at building a sense of community, safety, and hope. In 2023, recognizing the unique needs of those we serve and the importance of providing the best possible care, two of our program staff members completed a Trauma Competent Care Affiliate Training program. We also made adjustments to our tutoring schedules to better accommodate the needs of the students we serve. These adjustments resulted in an upswing in both student and volunteer participation. We had an average of 26 volunteers in our children's programs each week and served an average of 14 students for homework help and 29 children during our community days. By partnering with the schools our students attend, we gained access to topics being covered in their classes and were able to tailor the content we provided accordingly. All of the students in our homework help program increased their school attendance and 95% received passing grades in all subjects. Our students saw the following average increases in academic performance: 2.8% in English Language Arts (ELA), 11% in Mathematics, 7% in Science, and 3% in Social Studies. In the community we serve in Mexico, San Luis Rio Colorado, many students are unable to attend school due to lack of financial resources, transportation, or necessary legal paperwork. The Aloe Family offers transportation, classes, and tutoring once weekly to these students at the Aloe House. Students have access to technology and supplies that are not otherwise available to them. We strive for it to be a refuge for them and a place of support and hope. In 2023, we expanded our reach in the area, preparing to offer tutoring and education services in an additional under-served community called Mesa Rica. Mesa Rica has one teacher for all students in the area, resulting in lower quality of education for the students. We began investing in the community and building relationships as a foundation for our upcoming tutoring and education program. As of December 31, 2023, we served an average of five students each week in our San Luis tutoring program and continued to build relationships in the community to grow the program. In an effort to provide the best possible instruction to those we serve, Aloe Family education leaders began the process of TEFL certification for teaching English as a second language and developed a curriculum specific to Spanish speakers coming from limited educational backgrounds. In 2023, our adult English classes in Nashville were attended by an average of six program participants each week. In 2023, we launched our Apprenticeship Program for teens and young adults in San Luis. The participants in our program lack family support and financial resources to continue their education and prepare for their futures. We strive to provide support, resources, and hope by offering our apprentices housing at the Aloe House, scholarships and loans to continue their education, and coaching on the life skills necessary for a healthy and productive future. Apprentices also have the opportunity to learn a trade by working with our staff on current Aloe Family projects or through internships with our entrepreneurs. During 2023, we had three apprentices in our program. Each of them attended school regularly and are repaying their student loans. In 2023, we hosted 12 volunteer groups in San Luis, who supported our Community and Education Program by teaching English classes to and strengthening relationships with our students. We collected program revenue fees paid by volunteer groups on these trips.