Create a local CHAPTER
If your organization or business would like to create a local chapter in your area, please contact us at (920) 217-4056 or click on the contact icon below
NOW AVAILABLE
When you donate $10 to the Swan House you will receive a calendar with photos that feature many of the volunteers and donors who helped make the Swan House project a success. It is a great piece of history and a visual reminder of the importance of the Swan House mission in our community. Your donation will also help to support this valuable work. To get your calendar(s) and/or find out more about us, please contact us at (920) 217-4056 or click on donate icon and type in your gift and receive your own donors package for supporting this valuable work.
Thank you for your support and have a great 2009!
LYNDA GARRISON IS THE CHICAGO SWAN HOUSE RECIPIENT AND RECENT GRADUATE OF Saint Xavier University, CHICAGO, IL.
USG Donates Building materials-Drywall and Durarock for entire house.
Thank You USG for making it a GREAT DAY at The Swan House.
This reintegration pilot has trained inmates in construction trade skills with hands-on experience in the actual construction of a house, while providing community service for a non-profit organization. Attainment of these job skills will enhance the inmates' ability to gain employment and earn a living wage. Life coaches will assist inmates in this transition to encourage a responsible life skill in the community, thus enhancing community safety.
Swan Corp 1, Inc. and its consultants, provided a construction skills training pilot in conjunction with the Entrepreneurs of Color Council, Inc.’s project to construct a unit of affordable housing in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The housing unit was built for The Swan Group, a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. Upon completion, a family headed by a single parent pursuing a four-year degree will be awarded a housing scholarship to reside in the home.
In August, 2007, the second group of nine inmates began participating in this pilot. For 12 weeks, they received innovative classroom training at The Swan House. This training included industry awareness, carpentry, blueprint reading, employability training, career path planning, and motivational speakers.
Eight of these inmates successfully completed the classroom training phase. During the twelve weeks, each participent volunteered to do community service 2 days per week by working on the Swan House while they gained field experience. During their community service on-the-job training, the inmates worked with life coaches, and developed competencies in electrical, plumbing, drywall, cement finishing, and advanced carpentry, and on job retention skills.
After twelve weeks eight inmates successfully completed the program, each participant obtaining a future work release job.
FINDINGS:
While the majority of participants entered this program with little or no construction skills, they were able to gain these skills with relative ease. The area of greatest difficulty for participants appeared to be in the area of employability. They initially struggled to demonstrate productive workplace communication, teamwork, and general good work ethic. The majority of participants had never held a job outside of an institution prior to their involvement with this program.
Overall the consensus of the inmates participating in the project was that skills were developed. Inmates that had never worked a full time job felt that the program taught them life skills, reliability, and dependability. They also found that this project taught them diversity skills in a team concept.
Swan House Builds Homes for Single-Parents Pursuing Higher Education
CHICAGO, IL. – Oct. 5, 2006 – The Swan House awarded its first house Give Away to nursing student Lynda Garrison, a single parent who is a full-time student at Saint Xavier University (Attached is a photo of the recipient Lynda Garrison, Chris Swan Founder, Jim Rose Co Founder and Jane Swan of The Swan House.).
Archives
Jim Rose remarks/First Swan House Awarding
October 5, 2006
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO A MORNING THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE SWAN GROUP HAVE ANTICIPATED FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, THE FOUR OF US WHO ARE LEFT, CHRIS, JANE, VERNA SWAN, AND MYSELF, HAVE LAUGHED, CRIED, BLED, AND SWEATED THRU THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS, THE SWAN HOUSE.
WE BEGAN THIS JOURNEY ON MOTHER'S DAY 2000, WHEN I MET CHRIS SWAN WHILE GRIDDLING PANCAKES FOR MOTHERS AT A SOUTH SIDE RESTURANT AS PART OF REAL FATHER REAL MEN COOK. WHILE GRIDDLING, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR DREAMS. TO BUILD A HOME FOR A SINGLE PARENT MOM. CHRIS SAID, LETS MAKE THIS DREAM COME TRUE. SO, WE FORMED THE SWAN GROUP. CHRIS PUT TOGETHER SOME LOCAL FOLKS IN BANKING, CONSTRUCTION AND UTILITIES AND OFF WE WENT. THRU CHRIS SWAN'S CONTACTS, WE RECEIVED THE LAND FROM THE HERITAGE BANK AND THE REGIONAL REDEVELOPEMENT CORPORATION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERDALE BURNED THE EXISTING, CONDEMMED HOUSE DOWN AND CLEARED THE LAND.
IN JULY OF 2002, WE BROKE GROUND AND BEGAN CONSTRUCTION.
MARTY OZINGA STEPPED UP AND WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED, DONATED THE CONCRETE WHICH WAS POURED, AND AWAY WE WENT.
OVER THE NEXT 4 YEARS, THE SWAN HOUSE STARTED TO TAKE SHAPE. WE RAISED MONEY THRU SUPER BOWL PARTIES, AND A BARBECUE. BUT IT WAS THE CHARITY OF MANY OF YOU IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. CHRIS AND I FILLED IN THE GAPS WITH MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKETS AND SLOWLY THE SWAN HOUSE GREW.
ABC 7 TV TELEVISED OUR EFFORTS WITH NUMEROUS LIVE REPORTS OVER THESE 4 YEARS AND THAT BROUGHT US MORE CONTRACTORS AND THEIR SUPPLIES.
ONE COLD DECEMBER DAY IN 2004, CHRIS WONDERED WHERE WE WERE GOING TO GET OUR FURNACE, DUCTWORK, AIR CONDITIONING. THE NEXT DAY, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM BRIAN DWYER OF PRESTIGE HEATING AND COOLING AND ONE MONTH LATER, JANUARY 15TH, 2005, HE BROUGHT HIS CREW OVER AND INSTALLED EVERYTHING.
THEN, OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO FINISH BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS BREAK-INS. TOM MINTZ OF TOM'S REMODELING HAS BEEN WITH US EVERY WEEKEND OVER THESE LAST TWO MONTHS DONATING HIS PRICELESS EXERTISE IN FINISHING THIS PROJECT.
IN THE FINAL WEEKS, THE PLUMBERS COUNCIL CAME IN, AND WITH THERE CREW,TIED IN ALL THE PLUMBING, WASTE, AND VENT LINES TO GET US TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY. IN MY OPINION, THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE WE MUST OVERCOME AS AN AMERICAN SOCIETY IS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OUR SINGLE PARENT MOTHERS HAVE. TO ME, THEY HAVE THE TOUGHEST JOB IN OUR WORLD. TODAY, FOR ONE SINGLE PARENT MOM, ONE OF THOSE PROBLEMS, THE BIGGEST WE FEEL, WILL BE ERASED. TO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT TO RAISE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS WHO MIGHT JUST HELP US SAVE THIS TUMULTIOUS PLANET.
AND NOW, IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I INTRODUCE THE MAN WHOM THE PROJECT IS NAMED FOR. A MAN WHO SPENT OVER 15-HUNDRED HOURS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. A MAN WHOSE VISION IS PERFECT FOR OUR TIMES. A MAN WHOSE CHARACTER IS WITHOUT QUESTION. WHEN YOU DRIVE 3 AND A HALF HOURS, EACH WAY, EVERY OTHER WEEKEND FOR 4 YEARS TO MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE, YOU ARE EXTRAODINARY. THIS MAN IS A CHICAGO NATIVE, WHO LIVES IN GREEN BAY WISCONSIN, WHOSE COMPANY, SWAN CORP ONE, LAID EVERY BRICK FOR THE RENOVATION OF LAMBEAU FIELD ATRIUM. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SWAN GROUP, AND MY BEST FRIEND, CHRIS SWAN.
Newspaper Articles
Read the following articles about The Swan House. In order to view them, you will need the free Adobe® Reader plug-in. If you do not have the plug-in, click here to download it.- The Swan House :: The Business News :: March 27, 2006
Videos
Watch the following videos about The Swan House. In order to view them, you will need the free Macromedia® Flash plug-in. If you do not have the plug-in, click here to download it.- The Swan House 2006 (Filesize: 30Mb)
- Electrical Clip #1 :: Channel 7 News
- Electrical Clip #2 :: Channel 7 News
- Exterior Walls Clip :: Channel 7 News
- Floor Clip :: Channel 7 News
