Oakridge Neighborhood
Oakridge Neighborhood exemplifies the essence of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI). Oakridge Neighborhood’s mission is to create pathways to success for the ethnically-rich community of adults, children and families. Oakridge Neighborhood’s programs impact hundreds of people daily, helping them succeed and become financially independent in their quest to enjoy a secure and happy life.
Training and Education
The Oakridge Neighborhood community is made up of 1,100 residents, with 300 section eight townhomes and also housing specifically for seniors, with 39 senior living apartment homes. The population is 53% children and 72% refugees and immigrants from 26 countries speaking 39 languages. The average household income for a family of four is $17,389.
The Oakridge Neighborhood Family and Workforce Programs move families to sustained self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Programming focuses on intensive case management and developing job readiness skills. Case managers work with clients to establish an individualized plan of action, identify and provide needed services, and track and monitor their progress.
The leadership team at Oakridge Neighborhood continuously identifies important needs and addresses them with new programming in training and education. For example, Oakridge Neighborhood recently launched a Workplace 101 class created to work with those new to the workforce, helping them better understand workplace norms in the US, so they are best equipped to maintain employment. In the last year, Oakridge Neighborhood retained additional multilingual employees to provide increased language capabilities, case management services, and implemented the use of WhatsApp Groups to effectively and quickly communicate with residents in multiple languages and mediums.
Oakridge Neighborhood also demonstrates their ongoing commitment to DEI in the following ways:
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Two board positions are reserved for individuals with “lived experience” and currently receiving services at Oakridge Neighborhood
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Programming is provided in a culturally responsive and language specific manner
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Staff in each department reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of clients
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A total of nine languages are spoken by the diverse staff professionals, including: English, French, Arabic, Kunama, Somali, Tigrinya, Amharic, Dinka, and Nuer
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The eight member cabinet (staff senior leadership team) is comprised of:
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Female - 80%
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Male - 20%
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White - 37%
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African/African American - 62%
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Immigrant/Refugee Background - 20%
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