VMLC

If you missed last week's DSVP Luncheon, featuring VMLC, take a moment to learn more about their mission through this short video.

VMLC VIDEO LINK

Partner Profile: Elaine Bernstein

Addison resident Elaine Bernstein moved to North Texas in 2009 when she semi-retired from her labor and employment law practice in Dayton, Ohio. Drawn by the desire to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, Elaine also quickly established new personal, professional and philanthropic networks. She joined DSVP and immediately went to work putting her professional skills to use helping several Investees (nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts) develop human resources policies and manuals.

Elaine has also become Co-Lead Partner of VMLC, whose mission is to improve English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their children by providing programs in communications and life skills. Elaine is helping advance their vision that the ability to understand, read, write and speak English contributes to the independence, productivity and overall well-being of the learners, their families and the greater community.

Partner Profile: Scott Chase

Dallas attorney Scott Chase has been a partner with DSVP since 2007. Already a veteran of years of nonprofit involvement in the Dallas community, Scott viewed DSVP as the perfect avenue to blend his expertise and dollars with like-minded philanthropists to create an even greater impact on the community.

During his participation on the Investment Committee (the vehicle that DSVP partners use to select their nonprofit investees), Scott had the opportunity to make an even-deeper connection with Youth Village Resources, for whom he had previously provided pro bono legal advice. YVR provides job training programs, including dog training and culinary training, for residents of Dallas County Youth Village, a county detention facility for nonviolent young offenders. Scott has served as co-lead partner for YVR for three years. With DSVP’s help, YVR has undergone truly transformative organizational change, including building a robust board and strategic plan. Armed with a recent University of Texas at Dallas study (spearheaded by DSVP) which demonstrates the powerful results YVR’s training programs have on recidivism and employment prospects for program graduates, YVR is putting the finishing touches on an aggressive fundraising strategy.

Metrics are, of course, wonderful, but for Scott, the real payoff comes in hearing the stories of the impact on individual young men. A young man was recently asked what he learned from the dog training program. He thought about for a minute and said, “I learned you don’t have to abuse your kids.”