To celebrate National AmeriCorps Week, we spoke with PPL's AmeriCorps members to learn about their role at PPL and what they look forward to as they continue to serve our community. Click on each photo below to learn more.
“Working closely within the community has always been a dream of mine,” Jaylen says. “I am excited to be a part of PPL because I believe this organization does a great job of breaking down the cycle of poverty and putting the community first.”
“Volunteering is all about relationship building. Not only are our volunteers great for the students and participants they are working with, but that relationship is also beneficial for the volunteer.”
Over the last five years, we have implemented a holistic vision for co-creating with community: Race. Place. Policy. Centering this work are cross-organizational teams led by PPL staff; their knowledge, professional expertise, and diverse voices drive these efforts and help us refine our focus in each area.
Co-creation means walking alongside community, investing in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations, building roots in community that create a sense of self-determination and voice for the long haul, and emphasizing the importance of ownership and wealth creation. This is equity in practice.
Racism is pervasive in our everyday life. We know this. It is a foundation of this country built on the backs of our brothers and sisters of color. A message from PPL President & CEO, Paul Williams.
In 2020, PPL recommitted to our Strategic Direction that focuses on Housing Stability & Career Readiness. Now is the time to drive our vision for vibrant, thriving communities that will have a multi-generational impact on previously underinvested and underemployed communities.
‘Why Housing & Jobs’ is part of a series on how PPL’s 2020 – 2022 Strategic Direction comes alive in our work.
Our vision is to deepen and expand our housing + jobs work, to sharpen our focus on equity and engagement as ways of doing business, to commit to the importance of place, and to expand our impact on systems and policy.
Lawanda was tired of dead-end jobs and looking for something new. “PPL’s holistic approach to work training made sure the door to a new career was open and that I was ready to walk through it,” says Lawanda.
