Working Together To Change Our Community

This post will be a special one because of a group here in the Kansas City area who has been working very hard over the last few years with a focus on getting as many unemployed people in the area back to work. I have known many of the leaders in this group for awhile now and helped with teaching a few workshops on using social media to find jobs back in 2010. I have also had the honor to spread word about their programs and weekly meetings on this blog. About every week, you can see networking events, job search workshops, etc. from this group listed on this blog. I have a heart for the unemployed as I was out of work for 16 months and I attended a few meetings that this group provided and I realized I was not alone. There were others on the same journey which can be a lonely one unless you join others to support one another.

This group is now a non-profit organization and needs your help to spread word in the business community and local government level to support their vision of “Getting KC Back to Work.”  The name of this organization is New Landings and you can thank its tireless founders/leaders who banded together when hard times hit. They decided they would not do this journey alone and formed an organization that is dedicated to the economic recovery of America’s unemployed.

What is New Landings all about? Here is a short history of the organization: It is a grass roots effort that started in Kansas City to put our people back to work now.

It was 2009 and nine laid off workers made a decision that they would support one another during their period of unemployment.  It was devastating: they decided they were not going to be alone, and that they would go through it together.  They made one of the most important journeys of their lives. 

As they continued to evolve and take form, they created New Landings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving community solutions that address unemployment.  As their numbers grew and their personal resources dwindled, they realized there were many job seekers falling through the cracks.  Their vision was to provide resources and new avenues to showcase their member’s skills, and to empower the unemployed to create and engage in meaningful work.

Today New Landings has grown to over 2,700 members.  In just two short years, over 650 members have landed jobs or launched a small business, with an estimated contribution of $50M back into our community.

New Landings provides several areas of critical support for the unemployed. These include job fairs, workshops, an internet radio program, networking opportunities, and weekly meetings. In addition, they have an unique program called InturnXchange™. Through this program, they are directly putting people back to work now by creating volunteer opportunities designed to help small businesses grow so that they can hire.  Since 98% of America is small business, New Landings is providing solutions for the unemployed and small business to connect, engage and create future jobs.

So how can you help with these valuable programs and with this organization? This Labor Day weekend, New Landings is launching a push to be heard and mobilize government, business, nonprofit and the public sectors to work together in support of their programs and the unemployed.

YOU are the key. They have set up a special website called Get KC Back To Work where they have a video about New Landings and their vision. Please spread this message via every social media (e.g., Facebook, email lists, Twitter, blogs, etc.). Talk about it at lunch: invite people to stand at your computer and watch it.  Help New Landings spread the word!  Your voice counts: it is time to be heard, to be part of the solution, to work together, and support one another.

You can also help by contributing towards the many free services that New Landings provides. You can go to the Get KC Back to Work website to see the many options for supporting the programs that are provided for the unemployed.

In addition, info on how you can contact our elected officials to stand behind these programs to help the unemployed is listed on the Get KC Back to Work website.

If you are struggling with being unemployed or know someone who is, remember We believe you do not have to be alone, so let’s do this TOGETHER.

Your Voice Matters and let’s work together to change our community!