The Louisville Urban League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, community service organization dedicated to eliminating racism and its adverse impacts on the community. Their mission is to assist African Americans and other marginalized populations in attaining social and economic equality through direct services and advocacy. As part of a broader National Urban League network of historic civil rights organizations throughout the United States, the Louisville Urban League, like all affiliates, is dedicated to fostering economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities, with our focus on Jobs, Justice, Education, Health, Housing, and Black Business. Currently, the Louisville Urban League’s service area includes the Kentucky counties of Jefferson, Shelby, Oldham, Bullitt, and Hardin; and the Indiana counties of Floyd, Harrison, and Clark.

For more information, contact (502) 585-4622.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc. (KRM), a non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing resettlement services to refugees through faith- and agency-based co-sponsorship in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into the community. KRM is committed to offering access to community resources and opportunities and to promoting awareness of diversity for the benefit of the whole community.

For more information, contact John Koehlinger at jkoehlinger@kyrm.org or (502) 479-9180.

The Louisville Free Public Library offers a wide range of ongoing international and English Language Learning programming at the Library. LFPL’s collection includes books and movies in many languages and more than 500 learn-a-language CD sets, from Arabic to Urdu, as well as downloadable audio foreign language courses. A number of library locations also offer a rich mix of activities, including multilingual storytimes, cultural showcases, conversation groups, foreign films, and literary “salons” in several languages. During the month of September, the entire Library system celebrates Louisville’s diversity during International Month.

For more information, contact Alecia Fuller at alecia.fuller@lfpl.org or (502) 574-1611.

Russell Promise is an initiative started by Cities United and the Louisville Metro Government and is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Community Foundation of Louisville. The vision of this initiative is to build Black wealth through investment without displacement including sharing decision-making and leadership with residents; connecting individuals and families to resources leading to homeownership and traditional and nontraditional business ownership; building pathways and opportunities to strengthen existing Black-owned businesses; creating innovative connections to career-track jobs; and, community ownership of neighborhood assets.

For more information, contact outreach@russellpromise.com.

Louisville Central Community Center is a non-profit, community-based organization that offers a variety of programs and services to support adults in the workforce, along with emerging entrepreneurs. Employment services and job training for adults, money management and homeownership are just some of the services provided in addition to those listed below. Programs include:

– Working Solutions: Employer and job seeker service which helps to connect the right candidate to the right positions. Job seekers may also access other services such as assistance with resume building, search and placement assistance, and mock interviewing.

– Money Matters Club: A financial coaching club that offers 1:1 financial coaching support to help participants achieve goals in the areas of asset attainment, budgeting and savings, credit attainment and repair, and much more. This program also works to alleviate barriers to goal achievement such as low wage employment, childcare issues, housing, and transportation issues. 

– Adult Basic Education (GED): In partnership with JCPS we offer FREE GED classes to individuals interested in obtaining their GED. 

– Skill Up Webinar Series: A technology skills training program to help both entrepreneurs and family leaders compete in our ever-changing world. This webinar series is aimed at providing information about certifications in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cyber security.

– Entrepreneurship Training Program & Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Network: Offers networking and training opportunities to both budding and experienced entrepreneurs.

For more information, contact (502) 583-8821 or doingbusiness@lcccnews.org.

Cedar Lake works to to engage individuals in the community while promoting independence, self-sufficiency, and spiritual health. Cedar Lake Employment Specialists focus on aiding job seekers in obtaining a meaningful job. Specialists help job seekers to find a job within competitive employment that both earns a living wage and provides a satisfying career while building natural relationships and in the workplace. In addition, this organization offers vocational rehabilitation services to assist individuals with their goals to reach their employment outcomes. Counselors are assigned to each case to discuss guidance and assessments that focus on person-centered initiatives.

For more information, contact 502-495-4946 or info@cedarlake.org.

Adelante Hispanic Achievers is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization chartered with a mission to inspire and empower Hispanic youth to become self-sufficient, successful individuals who have the tools they need to achieve their dreams and participate as creative, educated world citizens. Their programming focuses on the holistic development of their students, including academics, career exploration, cultural awareness, plus personal and social development. Adelante provides long-term educational guidance, programming and resources to students from grades 6-12. All Adelante programs and services are provided free of charge.

For more information, contact edgardo@adelanteky.org or (502) 341-9415.

Home of the Innocents – Pathways HOME is a leader in transforming communities through programs that are trauma-responsive, innovative, and evidence-based. Their leadership is committed to developing and supporting a diverse, inclusive, values-led workforce. The Pathways HOME program provides services to young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 and their children. This program offers the kind of care and education that can make a huge difference in young people’s ability to care for themselves and their families. Their experienced and dedicated staff help Pathways HOME clients develop independent living skills, enroll in and complete education, access community resources, seek affordable housing, and access mental health services. Participants are expected to fulfill certain obligations in order to benefit from the program. These expectations include maintaining a job, completing education, and weekly contact with their case manager.

For more information, contact Paul Robinson at 502-596-1320 or probinson@homeoftheinnocents.org. 

The mission of RISE is to bring increased economic prosperity to the Greater Louisville region through education and mentoring of entrepreneurs. This organization helps immigrant entrepreneurs navigate the system and apply innovative approaches to their businesses by engaging appropriate community partners. The future plans for RISE include organizing educational and mentoring programs to help existing businesses primed for growth. The RISE Cohort is a 10-week, 30-hour course designed for existing business owners that are poised and ready for growth. This classroom-style educational course aims to provide entrepreneurs with the management skills, professional knowledge, and financial understanding necessary to grow existing businesses. In addition to our bi-annual Cohort, RISE also provides one-on-one professional consultation to prospective or existing business owners.

For more information, contact suhas@suhaskulkarni.com.

St. John Center extends care and community to homeless men, women, and children living on the streets in our city. This organization has a mission to help homeless men address the barriers to housing and self-sufficiency so they can leave homelessness for good. They offer permanent supportive housing, a day shelter and social services center, and street outreach. They are located in a former Catholic church as a haven for immigrants and have staff and volunteers that carry on a welcoming spirit to provide refuge to some of the community’s most vulnerable people.

For more information, contact Keesha Gardner at 502-568-6758 or kgardner@stjohncenter.org.

Whether you are embarking upon your first job, experiencing a career transition, or searching for a twilight career before retirement, Jewish Family & Career Services will empower you to make informed decisions regarding your individual career path. This organization will help you explore vocational options and prepare you to enter the job market with confidence with assessment and exploration, counseling and coaching, job search preparation, pre-employment transition services, re-credentialing and career laddering, resource coordination, vocational evaluation, and workshops.

For more information, contact JFCS at services@jfcslouisville.org or 502-452-6341 x120.

Americana World Community Center works to bridge the gap from surviving to thriving for Louisville’s refugee, immigrant, and underserved populations. This organization provides holistic, comprehensive programs to immigrants, refugees, and low-income individuals that enable people to overcome the challenges of integrating into a new community and of living below the poverty line. They offer workforce development programs such as mentoring, coaching and referrals, college/career readiness preparation, and more.

For more information, contact Emilie Dyer at 502-366-7813 or emilie@americanacc.org.

Catholic Charities of Louisville has programs that serve immigrants and refugees, new/expecting parents, people seeking job training, trafficking survivors, and, the aging and residents of long-term care facilities, regardless of their background or faith. This organization also focuses on West Louisville residents in need of emergency assistance programs by providing the most basic of human needs such as food, clothes, rent, and utilities assistance as they move from struggling to self-sufficiency so they can fully engage in our community.

For more information, contact TaKiyah Betts at tbetts@archlou.org or 502-637-9786.