Gail Rosenblum: Where tiny steps become giant leaps

Sometimes there's only one thing to do when the world's problems seem too big to fix:

Look down at your feet.

When I first met with the tiny staff (read: one) of the fledgling nonprofit called the At Home Group, my first question was: Really? I think that was my second question, too.

At Home Group (www.at homegroup.org), housed in the People Serving People building in downtown Minneapolis, works to end unemployment among those who are homeless or precariously housed. They do it by thinking small. A new pair of work shoes. A uniform. A bus pass. A cell phone. Barber's shears.

Lack of those tools often is the only thing standing in the way of getting someone out of homelessness and into financial independence, said Katherine Olson, At Home Group's executive director and the only paid staffer. She oversees about 10 volunteers and an annual budget of about $150,000.

Many clients had solid work histories until they lost jobs in this tough economy, she said.

In many cases, "people are desperate to take care of themselves, but for one obstacle. When you ask them what they need to be employed, it's the simple, simple stuff that would cost the county almost nothing. A $20 pair of black shoes, or a black skirt and a white top." Others need money to renew a state license or to take a CPR class.

At Home Group gave Ellis Caples a small sum that allowed him to complete barber school. A few weeks ago, Caples, 38, was giving Jason Dufloth, 30, a handsome buzz cut at Webb's Barber Shop on E. 35th Street in Minneapolis. Caples doesn't work at Webb's. He owns it.

"I'm no longer a kitchen barber," a grinning Caples said. "I'm a professional."

Laid off from his job in electronics assembly in 2004, Caples, the father of two, had no idea what he was supposed to do next. "How am I going to feed the kids?" he wondered.

Master barber John Webb, who had been cutting Caples' hair for 15 years, made a suggestion: Why don't you go to barber school and help me out?

Before Caples finished school, he ran out of money. He exhausted every possible resource, then was referred to At Home Group, which covered the shortfall of around $1,000 and bought his barbers tools, too. He scored a 99 on his apprentice exam and a 93 on his master's exam. When Webb retired last month after 56 years, Caples took over.

While business is slow, Caples is determined to succeed, out of personal determination and gratitude. "Every time I needed help, and no one else would help, At Home Group saved the day," he said.

Inspiration for At Home Group came when Board Chair Mark Margolis learned about a similar concept while traveling east on business. In 2005, he got to work, pulling together an impressive group of directors who make personal donations or pledge money through their own foundations to cover operating costs. Donations from other foundations and individuals go directly to clients, Olson said.

Board member Al Brown, CEO of Cheapo and Applause Records, said he is surprised by how so little can lead to so much.

Take a cell phone, Brown said. "If you are homeless, you generally have no way of getting a callback on a job application. If you're homeless, or living in a shelter, you may not want to tell your future employer that. Just having a cell phone can make the difference."

That difference spreads far beyond those getting hired, Olson said. "They become taxpayers who call us and say, 'You've been such a help to me. How can I help others?'"

"I'm hoping to give haircuts to kids on the first day of school who can't afford it," Caples said. "I look forward to it. Anything I can do to give back."