Providence House’s Post

Service and success through innovative education are two of my passions. I am excited about the opportunity to add value.

Thank you so much for the partnership Washington Workforce Association for your work to advance the Community Reinvestment Plan Workforce Strategies that are making an impact. State-Funded IDAs (Individual Development Accounts): Washington’s Community Reinvestment Project (CRP) reintroduces state-supported IDAs, offering low-income individuals matched savings up to $10,000 for education, homeownership, and business development. Similar to investments in neighboring states like Oregon and California, enhancing economic mobility and stability by providing essential financial tools to build long-term assets. Focus on Underemployment: The CRP and Poverty Reduction Workgroup are driving a shift in Washington’s workforce system to address underemployment alongside unemployment. Programs like the EcSA Career Accelerator provide financial incentives, job training, financial coaching, and asset-building opportunities, integrating diverse services to support long-term financial stability and prevent economic crises. Small Business Grant Program: Washington’s CRP launched its first Small Business Grant Program, focusing on equitable economic development for underserved communities. Engaging over 820 Black, Latine, and Tribal-owned businesses, the program offers grants, workforce development support, and subsidized training for hiring and skills development. Business Navigators assist with resources to drive operations growth, promote good-paying careers, and dismantle systemic barriers, fostering economic stability and job creation in historically marginalized communities.

I have a professional update to celebrate (and others to come!). I have been selected the 2024 Educator of the Year by the Minnesota State Board of Trustees. This is the highest honor award for excellence in teaching in the entire Minnesota State system. Only 4 are selected out of dozens of applications. I am grateful to have several mentors and inspiring students in my professional journey who motivated me to pursue better and more innovative ways to delivery my teaching and to connect students to more relatable experiences and real world examples with maintaining high academic rigor. Some of my innovations include mixing a traditional course on Labor Economics with a study abroad component, jigsaw activities to discussed peer-reviewed articles, simulations of immigration process experiences, Pre and Post Debates, self introductions in online courses with sharing gratitude and savoring experiences, and incorporating students to real data to analyze local issues. Further, my activities also include direct discussions on equity, disparities, implicit bias, and examples that demystify the economics profession. #IlookLikeAnEconomist

The latest news from our Executve Director.

Excellence in action…

Coming soon! Pls share if you know residents who need home repairs to stay safely in their homes.

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After a few months of exploring possibilities for my next career adventure, I've discovered the answer to the question of what I'm looking for - what will fill my cup in my next role. The answer: joy. I am a mission-driven leader. There are so many worthy nonprofits and corporate brands out there that fit my requirement of making the world a better place. But what will make the "right" opportunity stand out to me? What will motivate me to show up and give 110% every day, and leave me fulfilled at the end of a hard week? Joy. A mission and purpose and people who are filled with joy when they come to work, when they face tough challenges, and when they look at the output and outcomes of their efforts. Not familiar with this? Take a look at this post from All Access Life and you'll see what I mean. The world can be an ugly place, and when you look around to notice all the brokenness that needs our help it can get lonely and hopeless pretty fast. To date, I've had the good fortune to find organizations that either led with joy or allowed me to discover and build and amplify that joy internally and with their audiences. There's nothing like it. So employers, if you find joy in your work, in your mission and purpose, I want to talk to you. If you're looking to scale and need help building a team that believes in your purpose and shows up fully committed for that purpose, let me know. We just might make great partners.

When the algorithm places posts on my feed, I try to react honestly without regard for hurting anyones feelings. I am being targeted with content, so I am being prodded to react. I am a social justice warrior at the core. I don't give a damn what religious lable anyone wishes to wear or more realistically had it branded on them as children and are doing their best to leverage that lable into doing something worthwhile for the world, their neighbors, or themselves. It is good to see people doing good work. We need social groups like these in every town. America would be a significantly kinder, friendlier, and safer place to live. However, it is extremely difficult to comprehend local social justice when globally we as American's (both Jews and Christians) are being programmed to support mass murder and the total destruction of life and property of people overseas that we cannot see or hear or help in any real way. It matters immensely how one answers this question. Is it only regional or local social justice we care about or does that notion apply to all people, everywhere? The lables Christian and Jew have been destroyed and redefined by those who lust for power and wealth. They have manipulated of our media and our government at every level to such an extent that we now have churches and temples cheering for mass murder labeled as self defense. White Nationals are not Christian and Zionists are not Jews. Anyone joining any social justice organization should be clear about the definitions going in because even Hitler and the Nazi's had millions of innocent families engaged in what they believed were social justice groups that were entirely for the benefit of the German people.

This Recovery Month, we celebrate taking it one day at a time. Comment below on what is motivating you this month!