Pioneer Valley Rebuilders

Bill Thompson is the licensed construction supervisor. At any given time he is working with one-to three trainees.

Pioneer Valley Rebuilders is a not-for-profit construction company. It provides job training for people coming out of the Hampden Country Sheriff's Department after serving their sentences for non-violent offenses. The "Earn to Learn" program gives people a second chance, and an alternative to recidivism. Gene Kennedy is the Executive Director. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he cited the challenges facing those about to be released from jail. "When someone comes out of jail, the chances are good that they have less opportunity than they did when they went in. The Hampden Country Sheriff's Department is extremely progressive," said Kennedy, "one of the best in the country as far as getting people into programs because it's proven to work." About four years ago, the umbrella organization, The Pioneer Valley Project, was approached by a number of faith-based groups in Springfield concerned about the lack of training available for people in their churches. In response, Pioneer Valley Rebuilders was formed. "It made sense for me to go to the Hampden County Sheriff's Department," said Kennedy "because when you are in jail you have time, you don't have the pressure of having to pay bills and you are in a period of 'downtime' because you don't have the usual distractions." By the same token, for those who are motivated to learn the environment can be conducive. "Once you find a person who is ready to learn, and has created the emotional and mental capacity to learn, we can take them on to our crew." Bill Thompson is the licensed construction supervisor. At any given time he is working with one-to three trainees who have three months left to serve at the jail. The trainees, who are in pre-release, are picked up at the jail each morning at 7:00 am, five days a week, and taken to the job site where they work an eight-hour day and receive a stipend along with the hands-on training. They are returned to the jail at the end of the day. The Sheriff's Department handles most of the selection process. "We pretty much want [the trainees] to be able to read a tape measure, know some basic math, decent eye-hand coordination, and some previous exposure to the trades," said Kennedy. "Our charge from the Sheriff's Department was to mirror the work world as closely as possible." The training program, which prepares the trainees to be carpenters' helpers, averages ten weeks and takes place at various locations provided by other non-profit organizations. "Once they are done with their sentences, they are done with us and we graduate them," said Kennedy. "We provide an evaluation of what they have learned, along with reference letters and referrals." The Sheriff's Department is responsible for job placement. "In two years we have enrolled thirty-three people. We have graduated sixteen people and placed fourteen," said Kennedy. "From the time they are enrolled to the time they graduate, we lose about fifty percent of them, and that fifty percent loss comes within the first three-to-five days." It happens that inside the Sheriff's Department prospective trainees say they want to be given a chance but once they get to a work site and realize what lies ahead of them, they "self-select out." In October, Pioneer Valley Rebuilders received a grant from the John Merck Fund to train women in minimum security at the women's facility in Chicopee. The program is designed to provide five women with safety and tool training at the facility for two weeks and then move to a job site for further training that is similar to that currently received by men. Kennedy has a Master's degree in non-profit management and served in AmeriCorps Vista before relocating to the Pioneer Valley. Virtually single-handedly he started the program in 2004 and has guided and managed it for the last four years. Headquartered at 235 Eastern Avenue in Springfield, he recently received the 2008 Community Employee Award from the Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts for hiring and training an employee with autism. Currently in the early stages of a fund raising drive, Kennedy can be contacted at 413-827-7060 or gene@PVRebuildersCDC.org. For more information, they have a web site at www.PVRebuildersCDC.org.