We recently connected with Kathryn Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Kathryn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.
People Helping People (PHP) is dedicated to reducing the number of children living in poverty by teaching low-income women, primarily single moms, how to earn an adequate income.
People Helping People believes that every woman is capable and deserving of achieving success and self-sufficiency. We do this by helping them see the benefits of work, identify and navigate barriers, understand their transferable skills, create a personal breakeven, and communicate their value to employers. Each year, our volunteer-centric program works with hundreds of women and/or single mothers who are under-employed. Teaching from the employer’s perspective helps clients learn how to navigate the world of work and build the confidence needed to make changes personally and professionally. PHP is shifting the paradigm from seeing people as problems to solve, to seeing people who are capable of solving problems.
At PHP, we have seen firsthand how successful employment positively impacts the lives of women and their families. Women who become successfully employed contribute in many ways. They become tax paying citizens, support the economy by purchasing goods and services, become homeowners and send their children to college.
We believe that the only permanent route out of poverty is an adequate income. Our Employment Program, through the work of dedicated volunteers and staff, is committed to creating an environment where single moms can and will flourish both in their careers and in life.
Meet Ambi:
Before PHP-
Stagnant in a job with no upward mobility
Going through a challenging and traumatic divorce
Struggling with self-worth
PHP Pathway-
Learned how to identify and present transferable skills
Worked 1-1 with a mentor to learn how to develop a new
resume to market herself to employers
Today-
Got a great job with a PHP Employer Partner-loves her job
Received several raises
Started a retirement account, a savings account, and an
emergency fund
Paid off all debts, bought a new car
Built confidence
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was introduced to People Helping People first as a volunteer. At the time I owned a business in Holladay and in Ogden, and was asked to mentor women in their program. As a single mother myself for several years, I had no idea that a program like PHP existed in our community, and couldn’t help but be drawn to serve and work with the amazing women working to change their circumstances. Many of the situations their clients had faced or were currently facing were very relatable to me.
At PHP we talk a lot about the importance of having a support system and others that believe in you. Making changes personally and professionally is scary, especially if you don’t know where to start. I have experienced firsthand that fear and dealt with the stigma and judgements that come with being a single mother. I have benefited from a good support system and mentors along the way, many of whom helped me learn how to increase my own earning potential and financially take care of my family, a process and journey that has taken years.
Change in our life requires bravery.
The funny thing about being BRAVE is that it doesn’t come with the absence of fear and hurt. Bravery is the ability to look those fears, and that hurt, in the face and say MOVE ASIDE, You are in the way.
All our lives have been full of bravery. I have had a lifetime of it.
We all have a backstory, we all have challenges every day. And we never know what the person next to us is going through or the level of BRAVERY they are operating on.
I think a lot of what has made me successful in life and in business is focusing on successes and failures daily, trying to keep things in perspective, maintaining a great sense of humor, aligning myself with mentors along the way, and being a STUDENT of success.
I have learned that not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.
We all have a different path. There is no one size fits all method to life. It’s part of what I love and appreciate about the PHP program; Seeing each woman as unique and full of talent and capable from day one.
We provide a long-term approach to success knowing that our journeys EB and FLOW and that having continuous support is a crucial part of our journey.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Over the course of my career as an entrepreneur, and now as the Executive Director of PHP, I have had to pivot and course correct several times in order to sustain income, stay relevant, and in an effort of self-preservation, Recognizing your physical, emotional, and psychological health is essential for leading a fulfilling life and being an asset to the people around you.
A recent example of when I had to pivot was in the early weeks of the pandemic. Just months before I had stepped into the Executive Director role with PHP. Almost overnight we were boarded up in our homes, cut off from society. For the population we serve at People Helping People, those events were felt tenfold, where circumstances might have already been dire, they were now compounded with isolation and limited resources. We knew we needed a solution, and quickly, to remain connected to the clients we served. In a time when businesses were shutting doors, lay offs were abundant, and even non-profit services were limited or closed, we took our employment program, all of which had been offered in-person, and transitioned to an online format in a matter of days.
Not only did this transition help keep people employed, but it allowed our non-profit to thrive while also staying connected to clients. During this time, as we were learning new technology ourselves, we were also helping clients learn the technology to stay relevant in the workplace.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
That success is the opposite of failure. We only succeed to the degree we try, fail, learn, and pivot. Some of my greatest successes have come from doing something horribly wrong the first time (or several times), adjusting, and trying again.
People who worry about making mistakes and what others think about you when you make those mistakes, tend to shut down, not try, and might miss out on great opportunities. The people who are realistic about trying new things, knowing they might not go as planned, learn faster and tend to do better overall. Success is built on failure.
You don’t know what will work until you know what hasn’t. Remember, when you fail it’s because you attempted something.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.phputah.org
- Instagram: phpofutah
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-t-77b45316/