Laurie Harvey didn’t give it a second thought when Oprah’s Angel Network came calling for information about the Center for Work Education and Employment a few months ago.
Now she’s thinking a lot about how a $25,000 gift from the Angel Network will be put into service helping low-income adults enter the workplace.
“This is an outstanding acknowledgment of our program and what we’ve been doing for 22 years in Denver,” said Harvey, the program’s executive director.
The Angel Network donation is part of proceeds from ticket sales to the Denver stop on Oprah’s 2005 Live Your Best Life Tour this weekend. Founded in 1997, Oprah’s Angel Network supports nonprofits worldwide that help individuals live their own best lives, a spokeswoman said.
Since 1982, the center has helped more than 8,000 low-income adults build educational foundations and land jobs that hold long-term career potential. The organization’s clients typically are single parents between the ages of 20 and 45.
The program provides education ranging from GED preparation and basic computer skills to training in medical terminology and customer service. Follow-up training and support are provided for two years after placement.
The gift equals 5 percent of the money the center receives in donations each year. About half of the nonprofit’s $1 million budget comes from foundation, individual and corporate donations; the rest comes from job-training contracts with Denver and Adams counties.
