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Graduation Sizzles with its Own Brand of Fireworks by Suzanne LaFetra
Coming This Sunday: New America Featured on Channel 7's
Star Volunteer: Marc Goodhue
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| Graduation Sizzles with its Own Brand of Fireworks | |||||||
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July 7th, Oakland California Just three days after the fireworks commemorating the anniversary of America’s independence, twenty-three “new Americans” reveled in another sort of celebration. Entrepreneurs from Vietnam and Latin America came together with friends and family in a ceremony that marks the first step in what they all hope will be successful businesses: graduation from the Business Planning Certificate program, the first part of the Assets for New Americans: Virtual Business Incubator program of AnewAmerica Community Corporation. For six months the participants have labored with trained business instructors Bob Steiner and John Nguyen, and have mastered the basics of computing, time management, financial accounting, and marketing. And each has completed a business plan, arguably the most important determinant for success in a new business. Graduation from the program doesn’t guarantee a thriving business, of course, but it is a key milestone. Now that the entrepreneurs have created financial plans, done the market research, and honed the tools that will lay the groundwork for their success, they will progress with AnewAmerica’s three-year asset and business development program. The graduates will continue to receive coaching, training and support from AnewAmerica as they launch and grow their businesses. This summer’s twenty-three graduates earned a certificate in Business Planning from Holy Names College in Oakland, where the ceremony took place. The July 7th graduation is a recognition of the participants’ hard work and the diligence they have shown in realizing the dreams that brought them to the United States. No silvery rockets or red and blue firecrackers showered the crowd that evening, but the colorful celebration sizzled with the pride and the booming applause of the friends and family who came to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates. |
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| AnewAmerica Featured on Channel 7's Profiles of Excellence | |||||||
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| Star Volunteer: Marc Goodhue | |||||||
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Marc Goodhue is no stranger to good works. He spent three years in Bolivia with the Peace Corps, and by day he works for the government designing flood control projects. When he came from Madison, Wisconsin to the west coast, he was looking to keep up the Spanish he had mastered in South America. He also wanted do something meaningful and find a way to connect with people. “Selfish reasons, really,” says the soft-spoken civil engineer. He punched in “Spanish” at Craig’s List for volunteer jobs, and bingo. Marc volunteers with two of AnewAmerica Community Corporation’s microbusiness clients. Carlos is opening an auto body shop, and Lourdes retails bedding and linens. Very different sorts of businesses, but both headed by entrepreneurs who were unfamiliar with computers, something which Marc, a CAD engineer, knows well. And Marc is organized. During out interview, when asked how long he’d been working with AnewAmerica, there was a long pause, filled with the click click click of a mouse. “Oh, there it is,” he said. “I’ve found the original email that I sent them. It was June 20th, 2002.” For fifteen months, his detail-oriented skills have no doubt benefited the businesses he’s worked with. The best part of working with AnewAmerica is that Marc feels he’s making a real difference. “A lot of people get caught up in their daily jobs, and feel like they’re not doing anything for anybody. You have skills, and you problem solve, but you don’t always see the results.” But when Lourdes scans in photos for her catalog and Carlos sets up the estimating software for his auto body business, Marc can see he’s making an impact. “It’s instant gratification,” he says with a laugh. To find out about ways you can become involved with AnewAmerica and the microentrepreneurs it supports, please contact us at (510) 540-7785 or volunteer@anewamerica.org. |
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| Gala & Microbusiness Exposition on November 6th! | |||||||
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AnewAmerica’s Annual Gala & Microbusiness Exposition celebrates community, diversity, and entrepreneurship. The event showcases the achievements of new American microentrepreneurs in our program, and honors leaders in economic justice and philanthropy through our Community Angel Award. This year, the event will be held on November 6th under the theme of The New Face of America. Please join us at the Holy Redeemer Center in Oakland as New America honors Bishop John Cummins, Assemblymember Wilma Chan, and John Gamboa, Executive Director of The Greenlining Institute, for their leadership and dedication to social justice. Click here for more information on the event, including sponsorships, tickets, and purchasing a program ad! |
Purchase tickets online! |
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