Like my peers have mentioned, it is really hard to believe that there are only two weeks left in the fellowship program. I have really enjoyed my time with Zora’s House, and I look forward to what the next two weeks will bring. 

This week I gathered all of the suggestions and edits from the Operations, Infrastructure, and Culture committee meetings, and finished a first draft of the employee handbook with the revisions incorporated into it. Although the process took a bit longer than expected, I saw how important it was to dedicate enough time to be able to structure the handbook well and effectively convey the mission and values of Zora’s House at each point in the handbook. Also, it just feels good to have gotten the first draft completed, even though there are more revisions to look forward to in the coming weeks. 

It was also very nice to see how the organization’s leadership was open to suggestions from the committee about potential changes to their policies and how they could be more considerate and caring towards their employees. The CEO of Zora’s House asked me to research different parental leave policies and develop some policy language that could be helpful for the organization when they draft their parental leave policy. This was an interesting assignment for me, and I learned a lot about how parental leave works in the US and Ohio. It was also a bit scary thinking about how to give suggestions to your boss about what they should do for their employees, especially since I’ve only worked at Zora’s House for 8 weeks. However, one thing that I am very grateful for is that the people at Zora’s House have valued my input and have made me feel like an established member of the organization since day 1. That has made my experience in the fellowship and my ability to work on the projects I have been assigned a lot better than other jobs I’ve had in the past. It also goes to show the importance of being in community with others, and why Zora’s House is so important for the women and femmes of color who are involved in the organization.