History

Progress and expansion since 1965.

A STRONG HISTORY AND TRADITION OF SERVICE.

Our organization has its original roots in “The Migrant Project,” a small and dedicated group of people within the North Carolina Council of Churches who developed a much-needed plan to support the state’s farm worker population. From seed money provided by the federal Office of Economic Opportunity, the program, which was to become Telamon-Transition Resources Corporation (TRC) grew, and expanded to serve farm workers in 10 additional states.

Telamon-TRC is a private, nonprofit organization which seeks to improve the lives of those in need. Telamon has enjoyed a long and successful journey of progress and expansion since 1965. We have seen firsthand the impact that our services have in our customers’ lives, providing them with opportunities to become self-sufficient, thriving citizens in their communities.

We’ve expanded into work with youth, veterans and an array of new customers. Our programs and services in the areas of early childhood education and family support, financial education and empowerment, and workforce and career services continue to grow.  With more than 100 locations in 11 states, we are committed to our work to provide educational services that empower thousands of people each year to build better lives for themselves and their families.

Today, Telamon serves more than 13,000 customers annually through a diverse array of education, training, housing, financial empowerment and community service projects.

TIMELINE: 1965-Today

Today As we look to the future, we are excited about using our special expertise to serve diverse arrays of people, empowering communities in new ways.
2015 Telamon Corporation enters its 50th year of services to people in need, including a group of people it set out to serve upon its inception in 1965: the migrant and seasonal farmworkers who contribute so much to our country’s agricultural industry.
2015 Telamon and TRC are awarded a total of four new grant awards through the nationwide Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships funding competition. The awards expand Early Head Start access to more than 322 infants and toddlers from at-risk families in communities that Telamon and TRC serve in four states: Delaware, Indiana, North Carolina and Tennessee.
2014 The Governing Board of Telamon Corporation selects the fourth Executive Director in the corporation’s history to lead the agency – Suzanne M. Orozco.
2011 Volunteers and donors contribute $7 million in volunteer time, donated facilities, donated services, and donated materials to support Telamon’s projects and customers. This tradition of giving continues to this day.
2010 Head Start program expansions feature new Early Learning Mentor Projects, Home-Based Services, and Family Literacy Home Visiting.
Telamon’s growth continues, expanded to include 106 projects in 12 states. Project revenues increase 22% and unrestricted net assets more than double from 2008.
2009 Telamon becomes a Multi-State Organization (MSO) certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, enabling its efforts to extend housing counseling and mortgage foreclosure prevention efforts to communities in nine states.
New projects include Green Jobs Capacity Building in Maryland, Jobs for America’s Graduates in Marion County, Indiana and expansion or launch of Early Head Start services in three states.
2003 Telamon is awarded a National Farmworker Jobs Program grant for the state of Alabama, from the U.S. Department of Labor.
2000 Telamon begins to serve farmworker youth, ages 14 to 21, in six states through a newly established Workforce Innovation Act (WiA) initiative, focusing on academic and occupational success.
1996 Telamon Head Start programs serves 2,200 children enrolled in 25 centers in five states.
1995 Tennessee becomes the tenth state to receive Telamon services with the addition of the Migrant Head Start grant.
1992 The Migrant Head Start grant for Michigan is awarded to Telamon, to serve 824 children in nine centers.
1991 A grant to serve adult farmworkers in Michigan is awarded to Telamon Corporation.
1989 Telamon begins Migrant Head Start services in North Carolina under ECMHSP.
1987 The JTPA adult farmworker grant for Indiana is awarded to Telamon, which is incorporated as Transition Resources Corporation in that state, to establish unique identity from an establish business entity with the Telamon name in IN.
1986 Telamon operates Migrant Head Start in Delaware under ECMHSP.
1984 The Governing Board approves an organizational name change to Telamon Corporation.
1983 South Carolina is the next state to receive farmworker employment and training services through MSFA.
1981 MSFA provides Migrant Head Start services for the first time in Georgia as a delegate agency of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP), establishing a relationship that will grow into the future.
1979 Programs begin in West Virginia under MSFA.
1978 Delaware and Georgia become the fourth and fifth states with MSFA services.
1976 MSFA receives grant funds to serve farmworkers in Maryland.
1975 MSFA expands through a farmworker services grant to serve Virginia and North Carolina.
1972 The Migrant Project is incorporated as the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Association (MSFA), a non-profit organization with a Governing Board consisting of 17 farmworkers and 10 others.
1965 An antecedent to Telamon Corporation, the Migrant Project of the North Carolina Council of Churches submits a proposal to the Office of Economic Opportunity to aid farmworkers in North Carolina. It is accepted and funded at $256,938 and includes sanitation education and development projects, day care and homemaker services, housing, rest stop development and summer school programs.