Fall 2009 Social Enterprise Development Class

Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA)
Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) TROSA is an innovative, multi-year residential program that enables substance abusers to be productive, recovering individuals by providing comprehensive treatment, work-based vocational training, education, and continuing care.

Project: ELI students are partnering with TROSA to develop a grocery store that will provide residences with marketable job skills and valuable customer service experience. At the same time, the initiative will provide an additional source of revenue for TROSA programs and strengthen ties with the Durham community.

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club serves children in Durham’s “Bulls Eye Zone”, a concentrated area of crime and gang activity in Durham. The Boys and Girls Club offers a number of after school and summer programs for children of all ages.

Project: ELI students are partnering with the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club to create a safe and beneficial environment for the teens of the Bulls Eye Zone. The proposed project envisions an after school space with programming geared towards the teenagers’ needs. By providing ample physical space along with academic and social programming, the project hopes to give Durham youth the opportunity to make the most out of their lives.

Durham Economic Resource Center (DERC)
DERC helps to address adult poverty in Durham by providing discounted products to non-profit and faith-based organizations, providing job training, and serving as a community organizer to build strategic partnerships that address root causes of poverty.

Project: DERC is working with ELI students to develop a job placement strategy for hard-to-employ Durham residents. As part of this strategy, the ELI team is working with DERC to develop resources that can encourage small business development in Durham and subsequently expand job opportunities in the community.

Durham Council for Senior Citizens
The Durham Council for Senior Citizens has six satellite centers across the city and county of Durham. It offers various services for senior citizens including Adult Day Health Center, Information & Case assistance, and Health Promotion.

Project: The Non-Emergency Medical Volunteer Driving Program attempts to develop an affordable and reliable transportation service for senior citizens. The program will utilize volunteers to provide transportation for senior citizens needing routine treatments for health issues like dialysis or non-emergency doctor appointments.