{"id":44892,"date":"2018-09-04T17:30:24","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T17:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=416946"},"modified":"2018-09-04T17:30:24","modified_gmt":"2018-09-04T17:30:24","slug":"how-one-nonprofit-turned-a-golf-course-into-a-no-fail-job-training-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2018\/09\/04\/how-one-nonprofit-turned-a-golf-course-into-a-no-fail-job-training-program\/","title":{"rendered":"How one nonprofit turned a golf course into a \u2018no-fail\u2019 job training program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shawn Bennett was familiar with the feeling of failure when he was younger. Wrestling with anxiety and substance abuse, he had repeated run-ins with the law \u2013 and lacked the support needed to put his life on track.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a self-run riot on cruise control to somewhere no one wanted to be,\u201d is how he described his life after spending time in prison for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.<\/p>\n

His situation was like many that John Schmidt, a corporate executive, had in mind when he and other founders \u2013 committed members of their community looking for solutions for people living in poverty \u2013 created Riverview Gardens<\/a>. This unusual \u201cno-fail\u201d job training program in Appleton, Wisconsin, has helped more than 1,200 people, including Bennett, regain their footing and reclaim their lives. Schmidt, who has also served for years on the board of a local homeless shelter, knows any of us could face poverty, and even homelessness, because of bad luck and without a support system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a very fine line today between the haves and have-nots,\u201d says Schmidt. \u201cThere\u2019s oftentimes this perception that there\u2019s something wrong with someone who might be homeless. But most times, these are everyday people whose luck wasn\u2019t quite as good as somebody else\u2019s luck in life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The community center at Riverview Gardens, which was formerly a country club. This nonprofit program is supported in part by Microsoft TechSpark Wisconsin, a civic program that fosters greater economic opportunity and job creation in local communities across the country.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Riverview Gardens is situated on 72 bucolic acres of a former country club and golf course along the Fox River in Appleton, in the northeastern part of the state. Appleton has historically been known for its paper mills. It also has a legacy of firsts<\/a>: The first electricity for sale came from a hydroelectric plant built by a paper company executive in the 1880s. It\u2019s also home to the first telephone system in the country and the first electric trolley system.<\/p>\n

In another kind of first, Schmidt and the founding members converted the Riverview Country Club into Riverview Gardens. This private country club, Wisconsin\u2019s oldest, filed for bankruptcy in 2011.<\/p>\n

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Lettuce is grown without soil in the pool at the former country club.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About 25 acres of the site are used for the certified organic farming of fruits and vegetables including beets, potatoes, carrots, herbs, tomatoes, onions and kale. There are 20 passive solar greenhouses also on site. The country club pool has gone from a place for swimming laps to growing lettuce without soil.<\/p>\n

The hydroponic greenhouse is often tended to by individuals who are veterans who may have post-traumatic stress disorder or are experiencing homelessness. \u00a0They find it a more calming environment, in contrast to the noise and activity of the farm.<\/p>\n

This nonprofit program is supported in part by Microsoft TechSpark<\/a> Wisconsin, a civic program that fosters greater economic opportunity and job creation in local communities across the country, particularly in those outside major metropolitan centers. Appleton, with a population of about 75,000, is one of those communities, as is Green Bay, which is about 30 miles away.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Now crop land, Riverview Gardens was once home to a golf course and country club.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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TechSpark is assisting Riverview Gardens<\/a> in three areas. First, it provides technology that is being used in the hydroponics greenhouse to monitor and adjust water temperature, pH balance and nutrient levels in the pool. That should help to reduce the grow time. The technology is already making a difference, providing a more consistent harvest.<\/p>\n

Second, Microsoft\u2019s FarmBeats initiative<\/a> is being employed. FarmBeats, also an AI for Earth feature project<\/a>, uses ground-based sensors, Power BI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and TV white spaces (which leverage unused broadcasting frequencies to deliver broadband connectivity) to measure soil irrigation needs. It also helps determine the right time to apply fertilizer and other inputs, as well as how much to apply, to grow a more productive crop. Third, Microsoft is helping Riverview Gardens undergo a digital transformation. In the past, the organization has kept much of its data \u2013 records like the seed distribution log, grow crop log, even handwashing logs \u2013 on paper. Riverview Gardens is now moving some of it to electronics records for better efficiency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Riverview Gardens took 25 acres of the former golf course and converted it to a rich growing environment for fruits and vegetables, as well as a growing environment for the people it serves.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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With these tools, Riverview Gardens can increase its farm yields and raise more money from the sale of produce, which funds the program\u2019s operations. These tools also help give the Riverview Gardens staff more time to spend with the people who need it: their clients.<\/p>\n

The technology is \u201chelping us understand our farming better, our water quality better, streamlining our business processes and taking a lot of variability out of the entire operation so that we can focus on the people that we\u2019re serving, and not have to worry as much about other aspects of the business,\u201d says Schmidt.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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John Schmidt, CEO of U.S. Venture, is among the founders of Riverview Gardens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Those who participate in Riverview Gardens\u2019 program also can work in the kitchen or otherwise help with setup at events at the club, now a community center. They also work to help clean Appleton\u2019s downtown streets, early in the morning, after they\u2019ve received training on equipment used for cleanup. Or they might do maintenance \u2013 such as painting, lawn care or snow removal \u2013 at other nonprofits and businesses in town.<\/p>\n

Once participants complete 90 hours of work \u2013 known as ServiceWorks \u2013 along with ongoing counseling about job and life skills, Riverview Gardens helps them find\u00a0\u2013 and keep \u2013 jobs by following their progress for three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how long it takes you to do 90 hours, whether that\u2019s three weeks or three years, we will always accept you back into the program, and you will just continue where you left off,\u201d says Pilar Martinez, the director of community engagement at Riverview Gardens.<\/p>\n

Baked into Riverview Gardens\u2019 recipe for success is its \u201cno-fail\u201d policy. Those who may have experienced roadblocks in the past are provided the tools and opportunities to not fail.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Success\u2019 is a subjective term and can be different for many different people,\u201d says Martinez. \u201cWe look at the resiliency of the people we serve and the barriers they overcome to move themselves forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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No matter how long it takes you to do 90 hours, whether that\u2019s three weeks or three years, we will always accept you back into the program.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Shawn Bennett at Riverview Gardens\u2019 Earn-A-Bike shop. Those going through Riverview Gardens\u2019 program, as well as volunteers who help out on the farm, can earn a refurbished bike by working a certain number of hours.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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For Bennett, \u201ccoming out of prison, not having any family \u2013 there was no real support, no real comfort,\u201d he says. Bennett, 49, earned his high school equivalency diploma in prison, and is now working as a tech intern at Fox Valley Technical College, which serves about 50,000 students a year.<\/p>\n

There, he has earned an associate degree in computer support, and is working on two other related degrees. He was awarded a Fox Valley Technical College Foundation scholarship for an essay about his personal story, something he wrote after going through Riverview Gardens five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sense of community at Riverview Gardens really helped me,\u201d says Bennett. \u201cTo be in a place like this, it makes you feel like you\u2019re welcome here. You\u2019re part of something.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Carl Gustavson says Riverview Gardens made a huge difference in his life.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Carl Gustavson, 29, is also among those who found success after going through a tough time. Things became difficult for him after moving to Nashville to pursue his dream of being a musician.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was going to be like Woody Guthrie; he rode the rails and played his guitar for people,\u201d says Gustavson. \u201cI kind of had a romantic view of being a musician. But the reality is you can end up living in a tent, like I did, and just start feeling like you can\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gustavson is grateful for the help he has received at Riverview Gardens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was frustrated \u2013 by society and by my situation,\u201d he says. \u201cI didn\u2019t think it was ever going to get better. I thought I was going to be stuck in a rut forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

After completing ServiceWorks, he was placed in a job doing detail work at a car dealership last spring. He feels optimistic about the future, and at some point, says he would like to use the bachelor\u2019s degree in marketing he earned in 2011.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\u2019Success\u2019 is a subjective term and can be different for many different people,\u201d says Martinez. \u201cWe look at the resiliency of the people we serve and the barriers they overcome to move themselves forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Much of the spark and enthusiasm at Riverview Gardens comes from its staff, led by executive director Cindy Sahotsky. She is often right in the middle of the action, no matter the job. When program participants visited Sacred Heart Parish to help remove large stones where a tree once stood, Sahotsky grabbed a shovel and plunged into the work at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe values people, and she expects that if she\u2019s going to ask them to do something, she has to do her part,\u201d says Laura Savoie, the parish\u2019s business manager. \u201cShe pitches right in. And she does have high expectations. She expects you to do what you said that you\u2019d do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Riverview Gardens executive director Cindy Sahotsky, front, center, wearing a dark sweatshirt, surrounded by some of the nonprofit\u2019s staff, and Microsoft TechSpark Wisconsin manager Michelle Schuler, front, third from left.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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There is also a three-year \u201cfollow\u201d program, based on findings that show individuals who have been incarcerated and are tracked for that length of time, with guidance and counseling, have the lowest recidivism rate, according to Sahotsky.<\/p>\n

The follow program offers support with Riverview Gardens alumni who are now employees elsewhere, and also offers those employers guidance regarding behavior. For employees, it can include concerns like how to get a bus pass or feeling like a boss doesn\u2019t like a worker. For employers, it might mean getting Riverview Gardens\u2019 help coaching an employee who is taking breaks too often, or guiding an employee to be more patient in the workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people we serve are individuals who have multiple barriers to long-term employment,\u201d says Sahotsky. \u201cRiverview Gardens really came to be to address that root cause of homelessness. It\u2019s not because our folks can\u2019t get jobs. It\u2019s that they struggle to keep them because they have barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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To be in a place like this, it makes you feel like you\u2019re welcome here. You\u2019re part of something.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Sahotsky, who also oversees the COTS homeless shelter in Appleton, the same place where Schmidt volunteers, is a former corporate human resources manager. She knows how such issues can loom large for the clients Riverview Gardens serves.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting the job is just one part of that whole process,\u201d says Sahotsky. \u201cKeeping that job, getting to work, getting along with others \u2013 those are all part of it. Having expectations that people who have multiple barriers to stable employment are just going to get a job and keep it is probably not realistic. They\u2019re going to need support to continue along in this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program is free to participants. In addition to the money raised from the sale of produce grown at Riverview Gardens, revenue from the rental of the country club building for special events is used to run Riverview Gardens.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Volunteers often work on the farm alongside program participants and staff. \u201cWe believe all people have value and contribute to the community in which they live,\u201d is part of the nonprofit\u2019s credo.<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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And not only are area employers involved in hiring Riverview Gardens\u2019 clients, but many from throughout the state also come to work on the farm as volunteers. So do many residents of Appleton. It\u2019s a true partnership. Working together in the fields, no one knows the other person\u2019s title, or background, or standing. They just know one another by the smiles and first names they share.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe partnerships Riverview Gardens has with employers and the larger community, to create economic opportunities for those who need them, is one of the things that makes it so effective,\u201d says Microsoft TechSpark Wisconsin manager Michelle Schuler. She also serves on this nonprofit\u2019s board. \u201cIt\u2019s a real pleasure for those of us at Microsoft to work with Riverview Gardens to help digitally transform their services, and as a result, even more lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

That transformation, Schmidt points out, is about recognizing that any of us could be in a position in which we need retraining or other support to help put our lives on better paths.<\/p>\n

Top photo:\u00a0Microsoft\u2019s FarmBeats initiative is being employed at Riverview Gardens in Wisconsin. FarmBeats uses ground-based sensors, Power BI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and TV white spaces to measure soil irrigation needs. Follow @MSFTissues<\/a> on Twitter.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of www.ImageStudios.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shawn Bennett was familiar with the feeling of failure when he was younger. Wrestling with anxiety and substance abuse, he had repeated run-ins with the law \u2013 and lacked the support needed to put his life on track. \u201cI was a self-run riot on cruise control to somewhere no one wanted to be,\u201d is how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[60,50],"class_list":["post-44892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-news","tag-internet-of-things","tag-recent-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}