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 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.
more than 10 years with CAPs, manages and coordinates all administrative office activities.
original corporate Board with CAPs over 20 years, manages client payrolls, Information Technology, and all facility, and equipment operations.
more than 10 years with CAPs, working his way up through several agency positions. Maintains our relationship with hundreds of employers and supervises subsidized and unsubsidized employment.
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
Secretary/Treasurer
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!