Notable Accomplishments

 

  • In June of 2008, Turning the TIDE received the prestigious “Honor of Hope Award” from the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for its success in preparing individuals recently released from incarceration with workforce re-entry.
     
  • In February of 2008, the City of Philadelphia selected Turning the TIDE to be the Cobbs Creek area provider
    for the Blue Print for a Safer Philadelphia project, a youth mentoring program to prevent incarceration.
     
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  • In July of 2007, IBM agreed to become a corporate partner/sponsor for Turning the TIDE’s mentoring programs, donating their mentor place software for use in Turning the TIDE’s computer labs.
     

  • In July of 2007, Turning the TIDE was awarded a $60,000 grant from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), to continue the successful operation of its Project ECHO program for a period of eighteen (18) months. Turning the Tide will seek to serve persons recently released from incarceration with job training, employment placement services and mentoring.
     

  • In June of 2007, Turning the TIDE was awarded a Department of Behavioral Health / Mental Retardation Services "Building Recovery Capital" & "Communities of Recovery" mini-grant for $10,000. This six-month grant was awarded to allow for the provision of customized technology training to persons in need of receiving mental health services, mental health practitioners, or social service providers working in the mental health arena.
     
  • In May of 2007, Turning the TIDE received an estimated $25,000 to expand its partnership with the Family Planning Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, participating in a coalition to operate a social services program for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16, over a two year period. The program will operate year round and will provide mental health services, technology training and career counseling, sexual health education including education about HIV/AIDS, exposure to the arts and youth mentoring. The full collaborative, The Youth of Promise, which is part of a coalition which includes the Family Planning Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Turning the TIDE, The Consortium and IDDDAY, Inc., received a $25,000 planning grant and a $200,000, 2-year implementation grant.
     
  • In April of 2007, Jonathan Ford, Executive Director of Turning the TIDE was selected to receive the 2007 “Men Making a Difference” Award from the Community Leadership Training Institute of the American Cities Foundation. This award is given to men in twelve different areas including Arts and Culture, Criminal Justice, Education, Media, etc. who have chose to “Make a Difference.”
     
  • In March, 2007, Turning the TIDE participated in the Fit For Eternity HIV/AIDS Expo with an estimated 30 agencies and organizations from across the region. The expo was held at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia At the event, Jonathan Ford, Turning the TIDE’s Executive Director, presented an HIV Ministry Workshop with over 100 pastors in attendance. As part of the full day of HIV education, prevention counseling and testing and informational workshops, over 800 individuals learned about their HIV status through the use of rapid testing technology. The expo culminated with the one-woman show, Sometimes I Cry, a though-provoking presentation examining the female’s struggle with HIV/AIDS, conveyed, written and performance by actress and AIDS activist Sheryl Lee Ralph.
     
  • In March of 2007, Turning the TIDE was awarded with the prestigious “Champion of Compassion Award”, presented by the US Department of Labor – Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Turning the TIDE’ received this award as a result of its work in the employment arena, which empowers individuals, fosters self-sufficiency and success, and restores hope.
  • In March of 2007, Turning the TIDE was invited by Jay Hein, Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, to join the White House “State Strategies – Compassion in Action Roundtable.” This event highlighted promising models of innovation within state and local governments, focusing on replicable partnerships between Federally-funded programs and community and faith based nonprofits that strengthen service to the needy. 
  • In September of 2006, Turning the TIDE received a three year award of approximately $180,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, in partnership with the Philadelphia AIDS Consortium and Williams Medical Center.  These resources will support the development of the use of rapid testing technology for HIV/AIDS in West Philadelphia.    Through this partnership, the West Philadelphia Minority Health Collaborative, Turning the TIDE is building local infrastructure for the provision of HIV/AIDS services within the community.

 

  • In August of 2006, Turning the TIDE established a partnership with IBM through their World Community Grid Program.  World Community Grid's mission is to create the largest public computing grid benefiting humanity. Our work is built on the belief that technological innovation combined with visionary scientific research and large-scale volunteerism can change our world for the better.  As a member of the World Community Grid, Turning the TIDE contributes computer time that would normally go to waste, allowing Turning the TIDE to join with other organizations across the county to create a large system with massive computational power that far surpasses a handful of supercomputers.  World Community Grid’s first Project, Human Proteome Folding, is identifying the proteins produced by human genes, allowing scientists to understand how defects in proteins can cause disease, ultimately leading towards cures to those diseases. Turning the TIDE encourages all of its partners and supporters to join in the work of World Community Grid.  Additional information on World Community Grid and becoming a World Community Grid partner can be found at www.worldcommunitygrid.org. 

 

  • In July of 2006, Turning the TIDE was awarded a $75,000 grant from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), to continue the successful operation of its Project ECHO program for a period of eighteen (18) months.  Turning the Tide will seek to serve persons recently released from incarceration with job training, employment placement services and mentoring.

 

  • In October of 2005, Turning the TIDE was contracted by the Philadelphia Ready4Work program (a United States Department of Labor grantee) to develop and recruit mentors from faith based and community based organizations across the city to provide mentoring and support services to previously incarcerated persons in their program.

 

  • In August, of 2005, Turning the TIDE, in partnership with Impact Services, received a $30,000 donation of hardware and software from IBM.  This equipment was utilized in the development of a new computer lab to support Turning the TIDE and Impact Service’s joint efforts to provide workforce development services for ex-offenders and veterans.
     
  • In July of 2005, Turning the TIDE was awarded a $25,000 grant from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), to continue the successful operation of its Project ECHO program for the period of one year.

 

  • In May of 2004, Turning the TIDE was awarded a multi-year matching grant award from the Mustard Seed Foundation in the amount of $15,000.00.  The grant award is to support the continuation of our Project ECHO program.

 

  • In November of 2003, Ms. Lynn Rossiter was selected as the first ever volunteer of the month by her employer IBM.  Ms. Rossiter was recognized for her tremendous contributions to the Turing the TIDE program in west Philadelphia.  Ms. Rossiter’s story and that of Turning the TIDE was posted on IBM’s global intranet site as a model for the company’s thousands of employees

 

  • In July of 2002, IBM’s West Chester office of Community Relations provided an in-kind grant of $23,000.00 in state-of-the-art hardware and software.  The hardware included ten (10) new IBM NetVista PCs, a new network laser printer, a network server and a Little Tykes Children’s workstation.  As a result of the new hardware capabilities, Turning the TIDE is now able to provide additional multimedia and Internet applications for both children and adult learners.   IBM also provided a network copy of its market leading QuickPlace Software.  This software enables organizations to collaborate on projects, and will allow us to support replicated Turning the TIDE centers at other locations.

 

  • Additionally, IBM has provided approximately $4,000 in financial support to Turning the TIDE since its inception through it Funds for Community Service grant program.
     
  • In August of 2002. Turning the TIDE was awarded a HUD Capacity Building Grant of $1,500.00 from the Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania.
     
  • In the fall of 2002, Rev. Jonathan Ford and John Cureton, executive director and technology director, respectively, were engaged by CTCNET to organize and run their 2002 Regional conference for Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware.  CTCNet is a national membership association of over 650 community technology centers.  The conference was a success, benefiting over 70 regional non-profits and faith-based organizations.