This baker whipped up a way to help former prisoners nd jobs
To help former prisoners nd jobs
When Sebastian Tan of Sewickley was 6 years old, he often helped his aunt, Donna Roop, sell her homemade cookies in front of Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. in the Strip District.
Whenshe opened her bakery, My Sweet Lilly, across the street years later, Sebastian, 17, and now a junior at Sewickley Academy, helped with baking, greeting customers andrunning the cash register.
As he got older, he began working side by side with a diverse group of employees, some of whom had previously been incarcerated. He came to understand the challenges they faced re-entering the workforce and how important support, organizational assistance and genuine understanding was in helping them to be successful. It was that experience that inspired Sebastian to work on a project to prevent recidivism by creating pathways to employment for former prisoners.
He created an online platform, OutsideConnection (outsideconnection. a job site dedicated to helping re-entrants across the country find welcoming employers who will hire them.
Last month, Sebastian was named one of 25 Prudential Emerging Visionaries and awarded $5,000 by Prudential Financial to help take his innovation to the next level. In addition, he will receive an all-expensestrip to a three-day April summit at Prudential’s headquarters in Newark N.J., where he will receive coaching, skills development and networking opportunities with Prudential employees and otheryoung leaders.
The award recognizes young people, ages 14-18, who are committed to improving the lives of others. Winners were chosen based on four main criteria requiring that their solution: is innovative; will create meaningful impact and can grow beyond the student’s community; demonstrates a deep understanding of the issue it addresses; and comes from a student passionate about making change and inspiring others to act.
“Part of the reason why I felt compelled to work on this project is because I got to know my co-workers so well,” Sebastian said. “No matter where they come from, it doesn’t define them. And some of them have become great friends.”
His mother, Robin Roop, agrees. “These people are like family to us. Some of them have been with us over 25 years.”
Sebastian not only built the website, but also reached out to re-entry organizations, prison systems, reform initiatives and branches of the federal government. He worked with them to create a comprehensive database that re-entrants can use to find opportunities. In partnership with nationwide organizations such as the U.S. Department of Justice National Reentry Resource Center, Center For Employment Opportunities and REFORM Alliance, the website has provided job access to over 10,000 re-entrants in 17 states and 34 cities.
Jobs range from everything from managerial positions to account executives, warehouse
workers and retail sales positions.
Last fall, OutsideConnection offered a workshop, “Re-entry with the Coach Approach,” in conjunction with the REFORM Alliance and the Re-entry Coaching Academy. The workshop educated those working with re-entrants on how to best support them as they look to re-enter the workforce.
Sebastian believes that an important part of any job opportunities is to provide opportunities for advancement along a career path. At My Sweet Lilly, employees are hired with a focus on moving them to higherlevel positions.
“That will help with retention,” he says.
His co-workers at the bakery can move from an entrylevel position to assistant manager, and ultimately manager. All full-time employees receive medical benefits and the opportunity to participate in a 401(k).
Sebastian plans to use the money from his award to develop a small board made up of youth in the community who would help screen and hire additional employees
for the bakery. In addition to the experience, board members would receive a small stipend for their efforts.
Tan would also like to developa network of volunteers across the county, like the network he has developed in Pittsburgh, who would reach out to re-entry organizations to help them help their clients employment
Sebastian’s goal is to transfer the website to each
“source” for jobs so that they can run it on their own.
“While I developed the website, now that it’s running, the next step would be for me to move on to other projects and transition it to our sources so that they can run it on their own,” he said.