After receiving a $100,000 grant in 2023, this dynamic nonprofit has wrapped up its grant period with impressive results.
APRIL, 2025: Impact100 Garden State’s Grant Administration team works collaboratively with grantees during every major grant period to track milestones and set disbursements. When the grant is complete, we ask the grantee for a report highlighting all the good work that was done with the Impact100 Garden State grant.
In addition to sending their report, Servant’s Heart Ministry (SHM) of Paterson sent us a wonderful thank-you video from their Executive Director John Oostdyk, as shown in THIS VIDEO.
We’re delighted to share these highlights from SHM’s final report:
Major Accomplishments During the Grant Period
- Since being awarded the Impact100 Garden State grant, the Workmanship Trades Training & Mentoring Program student enrollment has grown steadily, from 83 students in 2023 to 124 students (expected) in 2025.
- With Impact100’s help we launched the Tile Course in 2023 and the Automotive Repair Course in 2024.
- The Impact100 grant was pivotal to helping us build the automotive workshop with an auto lift and sets of student tools.
- During the grant period, we held four semesters of the Workmanship program.
- In addition to the physical build-out of the Tile and Automotive Repair class spaces, we also created and published a curriculum for each class and recruited volunteer instructors who are experts in those trades.
- We learned a lot about what makes a successful student, and modified our student application and screening process to select students who are ready for the program and whose personal goals align with what the program offers.
- During the grant period, we have seen a budget increase of 33%, our volunteer base grew 10%, and staff numbers grew from 13 to 20.
Tile Course Results
- Since launching, the Tile Course has graduated 29 individuals (including projected graduates for the Spring 2025 semester), with a growing impact on both lives and livelihoods.
- Of those graduates, seven are now actively working in tile—some of whom were already in the construction field but have since expanded their skill set through the Workmanship program.
- The ripple effect is evident: multiple tile companies have been formed,
and alumni are now sending their own new hires back through the program for training.
Training Facility Upgrades
With support from the grant, we also upgraded our training facility. Upgrades included:
- Workshop tools, such as saws
- A dust collection system
- Safety equipment (saw stops and safety harnesses for scaffold work)
Expansion to Sussex County
Over the past two years we have seen growth in both grant awards and individual support, creating a foundation of financial stability for our program in Paterson. As a result, we have confidently moved forward with plans to replicate the Workmanship Program in Franklin.
- We are currently renovating 7,000 square feet of donated space in Franklin that will become the Sussex County home of the Workmanship program.
- As a faith-based ministry, church partners form the backbone of our programs, and we have connected with several churches in Sussex County that have committed volunteers and support to launch the program.
- The backbone of our trades education are volunteers who work in the trades themselves.
- This month we also added a part-time resource development manager, located in Sussex County, to the team to manage an already growing portfolio of relationships there.
- We expect to launch our first class in Franklin in 2026. Eventually our trades offerings there will include woodworking, critical path method construction, welding and culinary.
Big Plans for Paterson
- During the grant period, we also completed Phase 2 of the capital campaign for The Great Falls Center (our home in Paterson. This facility will allow Servant’s Heart to expand into culinary education while providing a food court for the neighborhood and for visitors to the Great Falls National Historic Park.
- We will continue to offer the Tile, CPM construction, Welding, Woodworking, and Automotive repair at our Paterson location to the local community.
- This summer we plan to begin a renovation of the woodworking classroom as part of the larger project to build The Great Falls Center but will continue that class again in the fall.
- The construction of the commercial kitchen to house a culinary arts program will take place in 2026; and we are hopeful for classes to begin in 2027.