Yesterday I heard Dr. Mimi Silbert speak about Delancey Street and the Delancey Street Foundation. Her entrepreneurial model leads the country for its residential self-help organization for substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others that have hit bottom. She has built an empire grossing 20 million dollars a year and has never accepted any government assistance. They earn revenue by operating 20 businesses, all run by the residents of the various homes; located in New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
She started Delancey Street with 4 residents and a $1,000 loan. The name came from her own childhood home on the lower east side of Manhattan where immigrants like her parents came to live the American dream. She spoke about her parents owning a small convenient store where her father was the pharmacist, her mom was the book keeper and she was the person making sundaes. Her and her extended family worked together to get out of poverty. This is the model she built for Delancey Street. There are no therapist, no staff, only residents helping other residents.
She said in the beginning she would ask, “Who has ever cooked?”, and whoever raised their hand would become head chef of the Delancey Street Restaurant and Café. This continued throughout the various businesses they created.
All of the business’s ran by Delancey Street teach marketable skills ones they can use after their 4 year stay. In order to leave they must obtain a GED, get a job and a place to live. Silbert wants each resident to leave with 3 marketable skills to ensure their success.
She is one of the most amazing people I have ever heard speak. She has 2 PhD’s and is completely unpretentious. She said in order to be a good boss you need to be willing to do the work and set precedence. She is out there moving, painting, cooking, and doing whatever it takes for them to succeed.
One of my favorite stories she told was about a teenage girl just getting out of jail for prostitution, she was a 3rd generation prostitute. It is all she knew. Mimi went around to every private school in the San Francisco area asking if she could attend for free; and in return she and the other residents would do whatever was needed.
They all said no but 1. The school said you can paint this building and build an indoor play gym. She said, "we didn’t know how to do either but we figured it out". This woman has now moved on to college, graduate school and is now a MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST.
Another story I liked was when people arrive they are without family. Almost all of their relatives are also criminals, so the holidays are a horrible time. To help the situation she created a tree lot business. This is where all residents first work. They cut and sell Christmas trees and make 4 million dollars from Thanksgiving to Christmas. She said the best thing to give a depressed person is something to do. You work them 12 hours a day and they don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves. She also said they create social skills they didn’t have before. Brilliant.
She started Delancey Street with 4 residents and a $1,000 loan. The name came from her own childhood home on the lower east side of Manhattan where immigrants like her parents came to live the American dream. She spoke about her parents owning a small convenient store where her father was the pharmacist, her mom was the book keeper and she was the person making sundaes. Her and her extended family worked together to get out of poverty. This is the model she built for Delancey Street. There are no therapist, no staff, only residents helping other residents.
She said in the beginning she would ask, “Who has ever cooked?”, and whoever raised their hand would become head chef of the Delancey Street Restaurant and Café. This continued throughout the various businesses they created.
All of the business’s ran by Delancey Street teach marketable skills ones they can use after their 4 year stay. In order to leave they must obtain a GED, get a job and a place to live. Silbert wants each resident to leave with 3 marketable skills to ensure their success.
She is one of the most amazing people I have ever heard speak. She has 2 PhD’s and is completely unpretentious. She said in order to be a good boss you need to be willing to do the work and set precedence. She is out there moving, painting, cooking, and doing whatever it takes for them to succeed.
One of my favorite stories she told was about a teenage girl just getting out of jail for prostitution, she was a 3rd generation prostitute. It is all she knew. Mimi went around to every private school in the San Francisco area asking if she could attend for free; and in return she and the other residents would do whatever was needed.
They all said no but 1. The school said you can paint this building and build an indoor play gym. She said, "we didn’t know how to do either but we figured it out". This woman has now moved on to college, graduate school and is now a MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST.
Another story I liked was when people arrive they are without family. Almost all of their relatives are also criminals, so the holidays are a horrible time. To help the situation she created a tree lot business. This is where all residents first work. They cut and sell Christmas trees and make 4 million dollars from Thanksgiving to Christmas. She said the best thing to give a depressed person is something to do. You work them 12 hours a day and they don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves. She also said they create social skills they didn’t have before. Brilliant.
She is amazing; truly inspiring.
If everyone could do a fraction of what she has already accomplished; imagine the world we would live in.
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