Good morning everyone! 

This past week has been a busy week for me in both my work and personal life. However, while reflecting on the week, I am glad to say I was productive, and it was time well spent. (Side note: I moved into my first apartment yesterday, which is a lot closer to the Community Shelter Board, which is a plus!). 

This past week, we had a learning session at the Columbus Foundation, where we had a long discussion about power and leadership. I’ve been thinking of ways to apply what I’ve learned about my value as a human being at my organization. During one of our past all-staff meetings, we got into groups called our “strength crews,” where we were asked to imagine a plan to end homelessness given the hypothetical situation that money was not a barrier. A part of the task was to explore our team member’s strengths to optimize our power and give everyone a role in the plan that plays into their strength. After the staff meeting, we were asked to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment and meet back up with our groups to discuss what the assessment determined our strengths are as well as how they can contribute to our team. My team and I met up at First Watch for breakfast last week and brought our list of strengths to explore. While at the meeting, I kept in mind the TedTalk Dr. Lomax showed us about power and the power we have with community. At CSB, we were saddened to hear the Supreme Court decision regarding people experiencing homelessness and the criminalization of behavior associated with those who are unhoused. I have high hopes that through collective efforts, we will be able to offer support where we can during these difficult times, as we have the power to make change together.

An exciting piece of news I would like to share is we have a brand new position in the Communication and Brand department being filled by someone this week. This new addition will bring fresh perspectives and energy to our team, and I am looking forward to the exciting projects we will be able to undertake together. With this new position, the Communication and Brand department will be able to work much more effectively and efficiently, especially in developing our social media presence. I am looking forward to working with her; I am realizing how fast this fellowship is flying by! It is bittersweet knowing we are almost already halfway through the program!