Hood County, Texas is a rural community with many under-served people. While the average household income (see Relevant Demographics) is over $69,000, our poverty level is over 10%. The Granbury Independent School District reports that 56% of its students come from economically disadvantaged families. 40% of our current students are in families that have household incomes below the poverty level. 76% of them have annual incomes of less than $12,000. Many of our current students live with special circumstances:
- 2% are battered women;
- 9% have at least one disability;
- 7% are in drug rehabilitation; and
- 9% are single parents.
Many of our people do not know that they are valuable and have a low view of their potential. Generational poverty plagues our County. We are committed to reversing this through education and training. Our guiding principle is that God created everyone to work. He designed all of us with gifts and talents to subdue and steward the earth through work. We help our students realize their worth and develop their potential so they can find their purpose, meet their economic needs, and worship God through their work.
Through our programs, we seek to bring prosperity, hope, and transformation to the under-served of Hood County and the surrounding areas. As our graduates intmoveo the workforce or advance in their careers, they become stable in their families and our community and contribute to the well-being of our area. Click here to view a summary of the measurable outcomes from our programs. Your funding will enable FTC to reach more people and expand our programs to other needed functional areas (e.g., basic auto mechanics, basic farming techniques).
The people in the following demographics find it difficult to attain sustainability in our current post-pandemic state.
- Those who qualify for government assistance are harmed by reduction in food distributions and services, due to supply shortages and the number of residents that now are requiring assistance.
- Those who lack facility in English
- Those trying to enter the workforce for the first time or re-enter the workforce
- Those bouncing from job to job, never developing adequate job skills
- Those working unskilled or few-skills labor jobs wanting to move up, but who lack a plan and do not know how to formulate such a plan.
- Those with disabilities.
- Those that have been released from incarceration or who have completed rehabilitation and are wanting to start off on the right path.
- Single parents
- Veterans
- Battered women. Our programs provide a safe environment and support services to these ladies. The largest demographic living in poverty in Hood County are females 18-24 followed by females 45-54 and then females 35-44. With employers reducing their hiring, these ladies are at risk of not finding sustainable income to support their children.
- Seniors wanting to update their job skills as the economy is forcing them back to work.
- Those who lost jobs due to the pandemic and who have decided to be their own bosses and are looking for guidance on how to start a business.
FTC is beneficial to all these people. By completing our programs, our graduates embrace the dignity and value of work and are equipped with the practical skills that will set them on the way to long-term employment and sustainability. Chart 1 highlights the classes we offer. Click here for class descriptions. Participants may avail themselves of as many of these programs as they need. Graduates receive a certificate of completion at graduation from each class.
All our programs are provided free of charge to participants and at no cost to the public.
Response to COVID Pandemic
The impact of the government-imposed shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant, particularly for sectors such as leisure, hospitality, restaurants, retail and support services. Many individuals working in these industries lost their jobs. This included a large portion of the unskilled labor force. Forward Training Center primarily serves this population.
The shutdowns and related drop in our revenue also impacted FTC’s ability to fully serve the community.
To adapt to the circumstances, FTC temporarily shifted its in-person classes to virtual platforms, allowing individuals with smartphones, tablets or computers to participate remotely in our job skills program, Jobs for Life. This transition provided continued training opportunities despite the closure of many agencies. In addition, the shift to remote operations was successful in ministering to the public during the interim.
As the economy slowly reopened, it became apparent that previous job opportunities were no longer available. FTC stepped in to equip students with more marketable skills for re-entering the workforce and thus minimize the harm they experienced.
Tragically, FTC also lost two valuable volunteers to COVID-19, further impacting its operations and support network. Moreover, the volunteer base has declined significantly since 2019, with a sharp decrease in volunteer hours from 2,668 to 588 in 2021. Many volunteers of retirement age remain fearful and hesitant to return to meaningful voluntarism due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the pandemic.
Considering these challenges, your funding would assist FTC to meet the growing demand for more comprehensive and practical training programs. It would also help offset the financial losses and support the organization’s recovery efforts as we continue to serve individuals affected by the pandemic and strive towards a more sustainable future with updated software, equipment, and technology enhancements for the best outcomes.
Job security and economic well-being have a bearing on mental health. We must not fail to address the need for overcoming the fears and insecurity’s our county residents have. FTC’s programming and our approach to teaching new job skills and job readiness also builds up confidence and hope for a bright future. This is very valuable to the students, considering the harm they have endured and are enduring to recover from the COVID 19 pandemic.