About Us
About CAPs
Community Assistance Programs, known as CAPs, was incorporated in 1999 and designated as a not-for-profit by the IRS. CAPs was created to meet the needs of the underprivileged population to enhance their quality of life, an enhancement we believe begins with employment. The primary focus of program activities is employment training and job placement services designed to meet the qualifications and skills of employer partners. CAPs has two customers our job seekers in the pursuit of sustainable employment with a livable wage; our employers seeking assistance in reducing payroll costs and taxes while acquiring qualified and committed workers.
Our History
Since 1999 CAPs has had an average of 30 employees and 4 offices in Chicago and offices in Chicago Heights, and DuPage County, we have served more than 17,000 job seekers, supporting more than 4,000 businesses. Our record of success is evident that our program processes are valuable in the struggle to acquire talent that will help your company grow.
Our Mission
Our goal is to maintain a structured job placement and training method that is effective in assisting job seekers in meeting the demands of the business market. Our focus is to provide employers the benefit of government subsidies that strategically reduce payroll costs and increases business profits.
Our Vision
To provide CAPs offices in areas where there is a wealth of untapped talent that requires the CAPs methods of training, to create an efficient service delivery system that meets the needs of business and the job seeker.
Our Team
sheryl holman
CEO - Community Assistance Programs and also active “Board” member of the Women’s March Chicago.
Sheryl Holman has a Master in Public Administration and over 20 years of experience in creating, implementing, and managing employment training and job placement services designed to assist the disenfranchised populations primarily residing in south and far south communities of Chicago. As a community leader advocating for the Black community serving more than 20,000 job seekers since inception, Ms. Holman was an active member of the IDHS Social Service
Advisory Council, and was appointed by the Mayor Emanuel to the Community Development Advisory Council. As a major partner with the state of Illinois to ensure a complete count for the 2020 Census, Ms. Holman was relentless in encouraging the community to be counted. She has served on many committees representing the community bringing the realities to the table.
Currently Ms. Holman continues as a Board member of the Chicago Jobs Council, co-Chair of the Black Community Provider Network, a coalition of more than 40 agencies, and as an active member of the Women’s March Chicago. The Women’s March Chicago is a rewarding experience bringing women together from all walks of life with a common goal, “Women Rights”. Women touch every facet of life and
experience the good and bad. We learn from each other and we grow. I am humbled to be part of this historic legacy.
LaTonya Anderson has 20 years of experience with CAPs supervising staff, managing all CAPs programs and training and assisting the underprivileged, unemployed, underemployed, returning citizens, opportunity youth, homeless individuals and low-income populations with enhancing their quality of life through Job Placement and Employment Training services. Mrs. Anderson has experience in managing multiple city, state, and federally funded programs including: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP), Department of Labor Youthbuild (DOL YB), Community Youth Employment Program (CYEP), DFSS Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Reentry Services, Department of Family and Children Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA), Training for Tomorrow (TFT), Put Illinois To Work (PIW), and the State and Federal Ticket to Work Program.
Mrs. Anderson also serves on the Executive Board as a Commissioner for the City of Chicago Special Service Area (SSA) #45.
A longtime resident of the South Side, Ms. Johnson was born and raised in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. She received a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Millikin University.
Renada has worked in the nonprofit community over the past seventeen years. As Chief of Staff, Ms. Johnson is responsible for the day-to-day duties of the all office staff from all offices, ensuring the policies & procedures of CAPs are implemented and carried out properly. Working at CAPs has given her a deep appreciation for how non-profits seek to improve the quality of life for clients.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling & participating in various community-based organization events.
Theresa Huston-Williams is the Chief Financial Officer at Community Assistance Programs. She has had over 20 years of experience in Accounting and Finance.
Theresa grew up on the Westside of Chicago in the Austin community. She attended Byford and Mary Lyon Elementary School, where she realizes her love for numbers. After graduating high school, she furthered her education by attending Benedictine University where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management…but Theresa didn’t stop there. She is currently in pursuit of her Master’s in Accounting at Governors State University. Theresa joined Community Assistance Programs because she loves helping people and assisting wherever she can. Her goals align with Community Assistance Programs’ mission & vision.
Marvin Holman is a seasoned professional in recruiting jobs that can fill any position from seasonal to permanent. He continuously builds his database & he is committed to pairing business with trained candidates. His placements are made in an efficient and timely manner, and his services extend equally to practices in rural and urban areas throughout Chicagoland. Marvin is passionate about his goal of surpassing employer expectations and assisting them with talent acquisition. Marvin is a huge community activist and loves spending time with his family.
As a not-for-profit employment agency, CAPs is governed by a Board of Directors each with the experience and commitment to providing the best possible services for our customers.
Board Members
Chairman
Nineteen years of project and financial management experience with concentrations in all aspects of operations, business development, lending and real estate law.
Secretary/Treasurer
Jaquie Algee is Vice President/Director of External Relations for SEIU HCIIMK. In this capacity, she directs activities that support and foster positive relations and collaboration with faith leaders and congregations, community organizations/residents, elected officials and key stakeholders in support of SEIU HCIIMK, worker rights, as well, a variety of shared community interests and issues. Ms. Algee works to ensure that SEIU HCIIMK establishes and maintains relationships in the broader community as a committed partner.
In 2017, Ms. Algee was one of the coordinating organizers of Women’s March Chicago that brought over 250,000 people, predominately women, to the Chicago Loop area where they shutdown access to most of the major streets, in defense of their rights in the workplace, equal pay, resistance to any form of oppression, disrespect or exclusion. As a board member and leader of Women’s March Chicago, Ms. Algee helped to organize March to the Polls in January 2018 that brought over 300,000 to the Chicago Loop area, shutting it down once again! Twice in one year! In October 2018, Ms. Algee helped coordinate a March To The Polls, organized by Women’s March Chicago with a focus on 1st Time Voters. That march brought over 100,000 people and Get Out To Vote (GOTV)! January 2020 the Women’s March Chicago, along with multiple coalition members and allies held a march that focused on five areas of interest: 2020 Census, Climate, Gun’s Violence, Health and Voter Registration. This was a launch for the Primary election in March and the general election to be held in November of 2020. The goal was to encourage women and others to vote their values on issues that impact their lives, family and community. Ms. Algee was elected as the board president of March On, a national Women’s March organization. March On helped to guide and provide tools to over 300 marches that took place throughout the US and globally in January 2018 with the express purpose of mobilizing women and others to the polls. March On continued to mobilize women and others throughout a number of states for the November 2020 election, as well the January Senate run-off election in Georgia. Ms. Algee believes that women will continue to “Rise Up” to the polls and beyond for who and what they care about! Women will lead the way…
In the capacity of vice president on the SEIU – HCIIMK Executive Board, Ms. Algee participates as a decision-maker/leader. Ms. Algee’s additional board participations are: board president of Women’s March Chicago and March On, Quad Chair of the Illinois Poor People’s Campaign, board member and past president of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, vice president of Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, secretary-treasurer of Community Assistance Program, Inc., vice president of the Association for Child Development, board member of Bright Star Community Outreach, a board member of Illinois Hunger Coalition, Illinois Democratic Women, A Just Harvest, and an active board member of Kids Off the Block.
In all areas of affiliation, Ms. Algee’s commitment to the labor movement and social justice work is fueled by her strong faith in God, a love of family and inspired by a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which states “the time is always right to do the right thing”.
Director
In December 2020, Robye joined the City of Chicago’s Office of The Treasury as Assistant City Treasurer- Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer. She will oversee the role of advancing financial equity and awareness for Chicago’s citizens, small and mid-sized businesses for its 77 neighborhoods in partnership with corporations, educational institutions, and community organizations using an inclusive lens.
In 2018, Robye served as Manager for Workforce Strategic Initiatives for World Business Chicago. Her role was to unite public-private sector employers in key industry growth sectors with educational partners, community and faith-based organizations to eliminate employment barriers, provide comprehensive training, and promote targeted talent recruitment and retention best practices through the creation of inclusive workforce strategies. Robye believes that sustainable and effective talent pipelines open career pathways, with return on investments such as livable wages for individuals historically disadvantaged in employment opportunities who oftentimes live in typically disinvested communities. She is intentional about moving the needle to employment equity and economic inclusion. During her tenure, she procured almost 750 technical resources for youth services programs through corporate partnerships, identified dozens of internship opportunities, and collaborated with groups to co-host industry sector and city-wide career fairs. She developed the infrastructure for a cybersecurity career pathways program with key stakeholders for focusing on hiring the unemployed/underemployed low-to-middle income individuals to secure certifications to become a cybersecurity analyst.
In 2016, Robye was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources & Workforce Development for the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) for both O’Hare and Midway International Airports overseeing over 1500 employees, 11 functional groups, and 14 unions. She led a staff of 16 Human Resources and Workforce Development individuals. As its Workforce Development Strategist, she successfully led the development of talent growth pipeline programs for its airport industry partners, which included career fairs and career awareness events with concessionaires and the construction firms through partnerships between City of Chicago departments; Chicago Public Schools; workforce job centers; unions and advocate agencies. She partnered with contractors to hire and sponsor internships and pre-apprenticeships, especially for returning citizens, women, people of color, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from low socio-economic neighborhoods. Year-over-year participation increased over 200 percent.
Robye previously served as the EEO Officer for a Fortune 100 defense contractor, food service industry, and financial services institution.
Robye is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana where she got her first true experience of inclusion at the age of ten when she and her two sisters were among the first African-American students to integrate the previously segregated public schools as a result of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the continued racial segregation. She feels that working with people in the community, as well as the workplace, is best described by Maya Angelou with, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” She adores her four grown & gone children and precious grandchildren. She’s writing a book in this the 3rd quarter of her life!
Vice Chairman
John Griffin Jr. is the CEO of AGB Investigative Services, the largest black-owned, award winning security firm that opened in Chicago in 2001 and has grown to 1300+ employees.
