SOUTH BRONX OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
555 BERGEN AVE, BRONX, NY 10455 www.sobro.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: OUR MISSION IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SOUTH BRONX BY STRENGTHENING BUSINESSES AND CREATING INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC, HOUSING, EDUCATIONAL, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS. SOBRO WAS FOUNDED IN 1972 BY A GROUP OF BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. OUR TASK WAS URGENT: REVERSE THE FLIGHT OF BUSINESSES AND JOBS FROM THE SOUTH BRONX. IT WAS THE FIRST AND MOST FUNDAMENTAL STEP TOWARD REBUILDING A COMMUNITY WHOSE NAME EVOKED IMAGES OF BURNED BUILDINGS, CRIME, POVERTY AND DRUGS. BUT AS SOBRO BEGAN TO EVOLVE, IT BECAME CLEARER THAT COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION REQUIRED A MULTI-FACETED EFFORT. TODAY, WE ADDRESS ALL ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: ASSISTING BUSINESSES TO GET STARTED AND GROW, TRAINING RESIDENTS ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO LEARN AND DEVELOP, AND CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL SPACES THAT REVERSE BLIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY.

SBOEDC'S MISSION IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SOUTH BRONX BY STRENGTHENING BUSINESSES AND CREATING INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC, HOUSING, EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS.

THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROVIDED AFTER-SCHOOL, SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH SERVICES TO 1,955 YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 24. IN-SCHOOL AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS ASSISTED A TOTAL OF 1258 ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH HOMEWORK AND TUTORING, COLLEGE PREPARATION, ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. ADDITIONALLY, SUMMER INTERNSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO OVER 1163 YOUTH THROUGH OUR SYEP PROGRAM AND 148 FOR SYEP/WLH PROGRAM DURING THE WINTER. PARTICIPANTS WERE PROVIDED ACADEMIC SUPPORT, CAREER AWARENESS TRAINING, WORK SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING. THE SOBRO TRANSFORMATION ACADEMY, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THE YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM AND YOUNG ADULT JUSTICE SCHOLARS PROGRAM, SERVES AT-RISK YOUNG ADULTS TO EARN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY (HSE) DIPLOMA, LEARN CONSTRUCTION AND JOB-READINESS SKILLS, AND RESOLVE PERSONAL BARRIERS TO SUCCESS WITH OUR MASTER SOCIAL WORKER. WE HAVE ALSO ACQUIRED A YOUTHBUILD SITE IN HARLEM AS WE AS A STARBUCKS FOUNDATION AND YOUTHBUILD USA FUNDED BARISTA TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH. SOBRO SERVED 89 PARTICIPANTS LAST YEAR. YOUNG ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN THE TRANSFORMATION ACADEMY CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED ENTREPRENEURIAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING OPPURTUNITIES, THROUGH OUR INNOVATIVE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: SOBROX GRO URBAN FARM: WHERE YOU LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF URBAN FARMING THROUGH THE OPERATION OF A HYDROPONIC ROOFTOP FARM AND THE SOBRONX PRINT SHOP: WHERE THE YOUTH LEARN SCREEN PRINTING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CONCEPTS THROUGH THE OPERATION OF A BUSINESS LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT OF VENTURE CENTER, SOBRO'S SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR.

SOBRO HAS MORE THAN A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE DEVELOPING AND MANAGING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, EVIDENCED BY OUR PORTFOLIO OF OVER 700 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE HOUSING AND OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND OFFICE SPACE IN THE BRONX AND UPPER MANHATTAN. SOBRO'S HOUSING DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS INCLUDE REHABILITATING EXISTING BUILDINGS AND CREATING NEW BUILDINGS IN VACANT SPACE TO TRANSFORM BLIGHTING INFLUENCES INTO BEAUTIFUL AND VIABLE SPACES FOR LIVING AND WORKING. ONE OF SOBRO'S GOALS AND PART OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOMENT IS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF RENTAL HOUSING FOR LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME FAMILIES. TO THIS END, WE BUILD NEW HOUSING, REHABILITATE VACANT PROPERTIES, AND PREVENT DETERIORATING HOUSING STOCK FROM BECOMING ABANDONED. SOBRO CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 350 UNITS IN ITS PIPELINE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, WITH PROJECTED TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS OF $250 MILLION. SOBRO BUILDS ATTRACTIVE, HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS THAT OFFER RESIDENTS A PLEASANT LIVING ENVIRONMENT OF WHICH THEY CAN FEEL PROUD. OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS ARE CONSTRUCTED TO NYSERDA AND ENTERPRISE GREEN COMMUNITIES SPECIFICATIONS, MAKING THEM AFFORDABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND.

N FY2018, SOBRO HAS PROVIDED CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS, PLACING THEM INTO EMPLOYMENT AND DELIVERING JOB- READINESS TRAINING, WHICH INCLUDED A CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING COMPONENT AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATION IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, SOBRO'S OUTCOMES FOR ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES HAVE CONSISTENTLY SURPASSED PROGRAM EVALUATION TARGETS.DURING THE PAST CONTRACT PERIOD, SOBRO HAS ACHIEVED THE FOLLOWING: -HELD 2 ABE AND 1 HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY CLASSES SERVING 61 STUDENTS-HELD 2 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES SERVING 43 STUDENTS-TUTORED 22 STUDENTS-HELD 2 SPANISH CLASSES SERVING 37 STUDENTS-280 PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED THE SERVICES OF OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION-177 SUCCESSFULLY RECEIVED CREDENTIALS-204 RECEIVED JOB ENTRIES (TRAINING AND DIRECT)

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