Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Warr.
Hi Abby, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been part of the nonprofit sector since joining the workforce. I joined People Helping People in 2018 and now serve as the Program Development Director. I was raised by a single mom and am passionate about the advancement of women, especially in Utah, so my work with People Helping People is truly a passion project.
Before PHP, my non-profit experience has impacted multiple social issues ranging from homelessness, public safety, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, education, and political advocacy. I graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science & International Studies.
My volunteer experience includes three months of teaching English in Colombia, community outreach in Paraguay, and environmental research in Costa Rica. I’ve traveled to over 50 countries, giving me a unique global perspective that allows me to better serve PHP clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
People Helping People has been serving the community for 30 years now, and as with the rest of the world, we had to rapidly and effectively shift the way we offered our program when COVID-19 hit in March 2020. We took our historically in-person program into something entirely virtual in a matter of two weeks.
To this day, most of our program is still offered virtually – this has increased access to our services for our clients. Now, they don’t need to worry about childcare or transportation, they can participate from their computer or phone. It’s also allowed our clients to practice and develop tech skills that have become a necessity in the workplace.
As you know, we’re big fans of People Helping People. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
People Helping People is dedicated to reducing the number of children living in poverty by helping low-income women, primarily single moms, reach an adequate income through successful employment. Each year, approximately 1000 women enroll in our employment program. We have been serving Utah women for over 30 years.
People Helping People believes that every woman is capable and deserving of achieving success and self-sufficiency. We promote this by helping our clients see the benefits of work, identify and navigate barriers, understand their transferable skills, create a personal break-even, and communicate their value to employers. Each year, our volunteer-centric program works with hundreds of women and 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.
PHP’s Employment Program offers Education, Coaching, and Mentoring. The Education component offers a series of employment workshops. Workshops are repeated regularly and taught from the employer’s perspective. Mentoring and Coaching components consist of 4 Phases. Phase 1 Coaching focuses on Employment Preparation. Clients meet one-on-one with volunteer business professionals to complete employment tools necessary for a successful job search which includes understanding their transferrable skills, their breakeven, and self-sufficiency goals. Phase 2 Mentoring focuses on Resume Building and polishing Interview Skills.
Business professionals volunteer as mentors to help clients identify appropriate jobs, prepare for resume and interview coaching sessions, and explore what they learn in workshops and employer meet and greets. They help clients develop a job search plan, understand business vocabulary, practice for interviews, and apply for jobs. Phase 3 Employment Strategies supports clients during the first 12 months of a new job. This phase helps them navigate through the learning curve of a new job, manage their personal lives, prepare for promotions, and maintain steady employment for one year. Phase 4 Women’s Professional Network (WPN) focuses on getting ahead and provides ongoing education, tools, and training to increase earning potential and opportunities for members to gain leadership skills and grow their professional network.
We believe that a good job with good benefits with a good company and long-term employment support can go a long way in helping single moms become financially self-sufficient. When low-income women learn how to find a good job, keep a good job, seek raises and promotions, and eventually earn enough to pay their bills, they can stabilize their housing situations, afford better childcare, and gain access to healthcare for themselves and their families through their employers. They can also participate in company-offered training and education reimbursement programs that will help them become more valuable to their employer and increase their earning potential.
The Brookings Institution reported that significant advances against poverty in the coming years will depend on significant increases in paid quality work. They indicated, however, that the reasons are not purely economic. While work increases earning ability, and self-sufficiency, and reduces reliance on public assistance programs it is not just a means of income generation. Meaningful work provides families stability, a source of status and identity, a way to participate in a collective purpose, and social engagement outside of the family resulting in both physical and psychological well-being.
At PHP, we have seen firsthand how successful employment positively impacts the lives of women and their families. 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 lives. Because when moms do better, kids do better. When kids do better, communities do better. When communities do better, we all do better.
We are always looking for volunteers to coach and mentor our clients.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting.
Don’t let the limiting beliefs win – catch yourself in those moments and counter those beliefs within.
It’s an ongoing practice that eventually creates space for limitless beliefs instead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.phputah.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phpofutah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleHelpingPeopleOfUtah
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/people-helping-people-of-utah/
