Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment & Training Program
Named after a “Strong Black Woman,” the late Doris Ward, who served as San Francisco Board of Supervisors President and the San Francisco Tax Assessor, The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment & Training Program began in San Francisco in 2011 and has added a parenting and civic engagement component to the job readiness curriculum of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., San Francisco Chapter (NCBWSF).
The program, which has served over 270 citizens in San Francisco (with a 60% employment rate), engages unemployed/underemployed women and provides a $25.00/hour stipend for program participation.
Created by Jackie Wright former chapter member and chairperson of the NCBWSF signature fundraising event, Golden Girls ‘Bridging the Generations’ Hats and Gloves Tea that was instituted by NCBWSF President Emeritus I. Lee Murphy Reed, the program received the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.’s National Economic Development Program of the Year Award in its inaugural year of 2012. Wright’s vision for the program came from her experience as the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter San Francisco County Office, where it was instilled that “each one, teach one.” The training and uplifting values of the Red Cross model served as an example for paid training opportunities centered on the San Francisco Chapter’s programs and services.
In 2018, the program was named to honor Doris Ward, a long-time member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. San Francisco Chapter, who died peacefully on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Ms. Ward was a lifelong advocate for jobs, education, and housing.
The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment & Training Program objectives are to bring to fruition:
- Black female trainees who obtain workforce skills by enrolling in hospitality/restaurant industry/retail skills trainings
- At least 70-80% completed vocational training (completion of 12+ instruction hours per trainee)
- At least 70% obtainment of employment by completing their job shadowing training for a 90-day period
- 70% placement in unsubsidized employment.
*Although San Francisco visitor spending is expected to net a 42% decrease from 2019 to 2021 due to COVID-19 [SF Travel], San Francisco Black women have an opportunity to obtain individual skills during the City’s imminent rebuilding.
NCBWSF Program participants will: (1) Obtain skills relevant to one of the City’s most primary industries, tourism (through its connection to the food/hospitality industries); (2) Improve the City’s overall economic condition; and (3) Work towards individual self-sufficiency.
In the year 2021 as the City of San Francisco and NCBWSF respond to the onslaught of changes brought on by the 2020 Pandemic, The National Coalition of 100 Black Women is honored that its previous years of work has resulted in receiving a Dream Keeper Initiative Grant as a result of the leadership of NCBWSF 2nd Vice President, Ridwana Bentley, from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The grant will allow the program to continue to evolve.
President and former National Board Member, Dr. Maxine Hickman and the entire San Francisco chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., salute San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Evan Davis, Kate Sofis, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and all the team at OEWD for its assistance to NCBWSF as it advances equitable and shared prosperity for San Franciscans by growing sustainable jobs for underserved women.
The Doris Ward Workforce Development Employment & Training Program speaks directly to NCBWSF’s mission, where gender equity and sociopolitical advancement drive meaningful change to benefit women of color. For over 30 years, NCBWSF has supported SF’s Black women through programs that elevate their quality of life, drive solutions to their issues of concern, and build their own personal and professional development, all leading to overall empowerment. Meeting each of these core values, The Doris Ward Workforce Development/Job Training Program is an exemplary model for driving fair pathways to good-paying jobs and to addressing challenges to diversity and inclusion in the lives of San Francisco’s Black women.
Thank you for your interest. You can be a part of the solution by spreading the word and investing in hope for the future with a financial donation: https://ncbwsanfran.org/donate/.
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Doris Margaret Ward was born on January 27, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois, to Robbie Floyd and Jesse Keys. Ward’s grandparents, Joseph and Julia Floyd, migrated from the South and settled in Gary, Indiana. Ward grew up in Gary and lived with her grandparents after her parents divorced. Ward’s family also owned a grocery store in the community. Ward attended integrated Frable School from kindergarten through twelfth grade. While there, Ward was a member of the debate team and was queen of the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago. She also became interested and active in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. Ward attended Indiana University and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. During and after college, she participated in sit-ins at bars and other public areas in Indiana.
Ward started her career as a teacher, taught in Indiana for ten years and then moved to California. In 1968, Ward decided to continue her education and attended San Francisco State University. After that, Ward began her political career in 1972 when she became a trustee for the San Francisco Community College District. In 1979, Ward became a county supervisor, and in 1990, she became president of the Board of Supervisors. In 1996, Ward was elected San Francisco County Assessor-Recorder. In 2000, Ward served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, representing California. In 2006, Ward retired.