STRIVE

Many of our neighbors in Birmingham’s underserved communities face societal barriers to employment. But where some see only problems, STRIVE sees only opportunities and solutions. That’s why STRIVE International was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Community Foundation to establish its third program in the Magic City.

The organization, which originated in Harlem in 1984 and opened an office in Atlanta in 2020, is a national leader in workforce development and training, focused on guiding BIPOC, young adults, returning citizens, and those who are transitioning from public assistance to financial independence toward promising careers and financial empowerment.

Quiwintre Frye is the executive director in the Birmingham office, which began its pilot cohort in June. “In the very beginning, individuals will work with the instructor for attitudinal change, career readiness, personal development, and wellness,” she says. “And in the first three weeks, before they go to occupational training, our coach will work with them a lot to identify any barriers that they have that would prevent them from actually being successful at work.”

To Frye, the Community Foundation is much more than a program funder – it is a connector, a partner, and a friend. “I’m definitely a newbie in this space, you know, as executive director, and Gus Heard-Hughes, Senior Vice President of Programs at the Community Foundation, graciously put together a roundtable which has connected me with individuals that I didn’t even know needed to be connected with,” she says. “So it’s definitely a strong partner because it goes beyond that funding stream. And that’s what I appreciate. I can say I have a friend of STRIVE in the team the Foundation has built and the interactions they have with us and with other community organizations.”

But for Frye, the most important thing is the Community Foundation’s fundamental belief in a new program that will provide financial security to so many of our neighbors in Birmingham. “As I think about our mission for providing economic empowerment for those with the largest barriers to employment, when I think about the population that affects – we service mostly Black and Brown individuals, those who have been maybe formerly incarcerated, and those who may have a physical disability – for me, the Foundation simply understanding the mission and vision that we have drives home their efforts to foster economic opportunity for all in Greater Birmingham.”