The H.E.A.R.T. Program - Homeless, Environment, Arts, Read and Trade Program is the signature program of Daughters of Zion in our overall goal of fighting poverty and improving mental well-being. The program serves low-income individuals in Shelby County and is open to everyone. The H.E.A.R.T. Program was birthed out of a grant that we received from the TN Department of Human Services to provide CNA Training to low-income individuals. It is a two-year program from 2023-2024 and due to the success of the program we applied for additional funding and expanded the services that we offer in order to meet the needs of the community.
We provide a 5-week CNA training program which enables individuals to become licensed and earn livable wages;
We provide tutoring to the children of the adults in the program mainly in Language Arts and Math;
DOZ provides an average of 50 meals per day to individuals in our community who are homeless and we provide rental and light bill assistance to prevent homelessness;
We provide an environmental and art appreciation program for families who have a member that has developmental disabilities.
There is a high demand in Shelby County for Nursing Assistants as it is a growing field and there is also a high demand from residents in Shelby County to become certified as a nursing assistant because of the potential for a high income. Proposed activities for the program will include 1. Recruitment, 2. Individual Assessment, 3. Program Enrollment – a. CNA class b. Tutoring Cless c. Environment and Art Program 4. Data Analysis 5. Program Report.
The occupational training provided by the DOZ as a Nursing Assistant will provide a bridge between the unemployment rate and the high demand for employees in the healthcare field. In addition to job placement services - DOZ will also provide job skills training such as interview skills, writing resumes, on the job performance and entreprenuership for those who want pursue business ownership and development.
. Please see following links of some of the outcomes that we have achieved so far: -1. https://shelbycountyobserver.com/building-a-brighter-future-family-first...
2. https://shelbycountyobserver.com/lock-loaded-licensed-family-first-grant...
3. https://www.facebook.com/homelessfoodtruck.
4. Data from our CNA program with the state of Tennessee https://drive.google.com/file/d/17lP2kVrI939AbABWQ9ACXHSxSzjc9f4O/view?u...
The key leaders in the program are -
1. Dr. Gerald Kiner, PhD - Executive Director. Dr. Kiner has been with DOZ since the inception in 2008 and was instrumental in the organization receiving 501 c 3 status with the IRS and certification as a tertiary instruction under the DBA William and Johnson Career College. He has more than 30 years’ experience with developing programs for low-income communities in his capacity as The Executive Director of Daughters of Zion and as a former teacher in the Memphis City School system. Dr. Kiner has an active role in all the DOZ projects and writes grants and seeks funding for the organization. He is also a published author of over 5 books.
2. Natalee Simpson - Program Coordinator. - Natalee has also been with the organization since its inception and she has over 15 years’ experience with coordinating projects in the low-income community. She has a background in Epidemiology and has used her data analytical skills to ensure project objectives are being executed and achieved. She also oversees program reporting and submissions. Natalee also writes grant proposals and seeks funding for the organization.
