A Once-a-Year Gathering with Colleagues Across the Country
Each year, for the past decade, LISC National’s Income and Wealth Building (IWB, formerly FIWB) team plans a convening for Financial Opportunity CenterTM (FOC) staff and LISC staff who work with them. This year, the convening happened near Phoenix in Mesa, AZ. For two and a half whirlwind days, it was all things FOC. Far from boring speeches and mechanical data reviews, the convening was filled with deep connection, sharing of best practices, storytelling, and more, all reinforcing the importance of the work. Attendees left refreshed, inspired, and ready to take on their next challenges.
All three current FOC partners sent representatives to the event. And all three came back with new ideas and ways to strengthen our network. Selecting from a menu of workshops over multiple breakout session times, each staff person was able to tailor the experience for herself and come away with new ideas, best practices, and connections.
Additional highlights included the keynote “Wealth Justice & Asset Building” by Chloe McKenzie, several panel discussions with LISC staff and partners on green strategies and digital equity, and a “Table Talks” session where attendees could choose from a dozen topics of interest and gather at a table to discuss with others (there were two rotations and the group was completely random, leading to excellent discoveries and discussions).
Wednesday afternoon offered a tour with a LISC Phoenix FOC partner; there was only time for one and it was difficult to choose! One tour went to Arouet Foundation, a nonprofit that works with justice impacted women, educating them about health and wellness, education/career preparation, community and family integration, and goal attainment. Besides learning about Arouet’s work and mission, participants also did a hands-on activity that introduced decision-making in different financial situations, illustrating choices that people with lower incomes or justice impacted families face every day.
The other tour, with R.A.I.L. CDC, showed participants around Mesa including murals in a park (and from afar, on people’s homes as well, illustrating a cohesive community aesthetic as part of their work) and a community center/art space that is used for showcasing local artists and meeting space.
It was incredible to learn about local organizations through their own words and spaces.
Impactful workshops included how to effectively do community engagement, partnering with other agencies such as housing authorities, financial coaching for small businesses and entrepreneurs, best practices in data, the importance of the FOC model, and sharing innovative programs at FOC sites across the country. Wesley Community Center’s Esmeralda Reyna presented about unlocking data potential to enhance client engagement and program performance, and VOA TX’s LaSonya Bishop presented about embedding digital equity in the FOC model. Thank you, Esmeralda and LaSonya, for representing Houston and sharing your knowledge! Both workshops were well-received.
On Wednesday evening, there was a networking reception with plenty of food, drink, and conversation. Participants enjoyed networking, talking with new acquaintances and catching up with people we don’t get to see in person often, all under a beautiful Phoenix evening sky.
The convening proved to be a gathering of diverse people, ideas, and programs, tied together by our common work in or for FOC partners serving clients. The Houston network can’t wait for next year in Chicago!
For more information contact Ellary Makuch, Program Officer at emakuch@lisc.org