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Brady Market Creates Therapy, Job Training Programs The Brady Market is Creating New Job Training and Employee Therapy Programs

By Tessa Howard

TESSA HOWARD: Danielle Thomas, an employee leader at the Brady Market in Syracuse says the market is not just a market. It’s a market that saved her life.

DANIELLE THOMAS:They are making programs for our youth. I have six children, I would love to see them inside these programs I wasn’t able to have.”

HOWARD: The Brady Market is now providing a program of case managers, therapists and job training to 24 employees. The program is expected to last 12-18 months for people like Thomas to learn necessary life and job skills. The Brady Market originally opened its doors this June to provide healthy and affordable groceries to west side Syracuse residents.

THOMAS: Once I got here, I was able to gain the skills I need. To be a better parent, to be a better employer, a better person in the streets.”

HOWARD: Kevin Frank, Executive Director of The Center that owns Brady Market says he is trying to remove hardships like unemployment, transportation and childcare issues in the area.

KEVIN FRANK: You can pay them to do that work. To work on themselves. Because if you work on yourself, you can do anything.”

HOWARD: Frank tells me that every dollar spent here at the Brady Market is fed back into the community neighborhood. I’m Tessa Howard, N-C-C News in Syracuse, New York.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)— The Brady Market’s motto is “more than a market.” It’s healthy and affordable food became accessible to residents on the Westside of Syracuse this past June. Now, the market is providing a 12-18 month job training and therapy programs to 24 employees.

Employee leader Danielle Thomas started with the organization four years ago working at the Brady Farm. Now, in the training program to become a store manager, she is grateful for the organization’s support.

“It shows that somebody cares,” said Thomas. “I was in a dark place in my life and this organization’s support helped me.”

Thomas said before the Brady Market, the location was formally owned by the Nojaim Brother’s SuperMarket, a Syracuse grocery store. She said that store closed and left the Westside neighborhood without access to affordable groceries.

“It was a food desert,” said Thomas. “People were buying their groceries from dollar stores and small drug stores, it’s not healthy.”

Kevin Frank, the Brady Faith Center’s Executive Director,  believes the Brady Market is essential to removing hardships like transportation, child care and housing issues for Westside residents.

“We’re paying them to do the work, to work on themselves,” said Frank. “If you work on yourself, you can do anything.”

Frank said along with the offered and paid therapy, employees in the job program will be introduced to food catering, job leader and higher wage positions in the new program.

As an extension of the Brady Faith Center, the Brady Market connects to the long history of community service, he said.

“It checks off the unemployment box and it checks off the food desert box,” said Frank. “It was something we needed to do for this community.”

With Frank’s inspiration from Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based organization that works with community leaders, Frank slowly started to introduce therapy and group mentoring into the Brady Market practice.

“We’re doing family therapy in the back rooms,” said Thomas. “Once I got here, I was able to gain the skills I needed.”

Frank said The Brady Market is all about reinvesting in the community and showing resources that can create a positive impact.

Frank said with new employee capacity, The Brady Market will accept anyone who is looking for employment for the holiday season.

“We encourage people to seek out resources and apply,” said Frank.

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