One-on-one coaching is the cornerstone of LIFT’s work. After 25 years of working with community members, and on decades of external research, we know that when done well, coaching can help LIFT members achieve incredible things and empower them to thrive.
Because of the importance of this work, we entrust it to the most dedicated and skilled professionals. At LIFT, our coaches are social workers or MSW graduate students completing their field work. Social work calls us to challenge systems, disrupt power structures, advocate for our fellow human beings, and unite the collective power of our communities, making LIFT coaches ideally suited to partner with parents and help them achieve their goals.
One such social worker making a remarkable difference is former LIFT-DC Coach Tom. With a passion for helping others that began in his teenage years, Tom’s journey into social work was driven by his own experiences and desire to work with others to overcome challenges. We recently asked Tom about his passion for social work and why he chose to be a part of LIFT-DC.
Why I Chose to be a Social Worker:
I’ve had a passion to help people improve their quality of life since I was fifteen years old. As someone who faced many setbacks in my adolescent years, I have a strong sense of purpose to lift others up from their challenges, which is how I discovered the field of Social Work.
I want to help others who may face adversity as I once did and bring hope to those in need of aspiration.
Through my field placement, I gained hands-on experience working with marginalized and vulnerable populations and work every day to become more empathetic and understanding to their needs and challenges.
Why I Chose LIFT:
I chose LIFT for my internship because I am captivated by LIFT’s values of impacting families’ lives through equity, diversity, relationships, excellence, and hope.
During my first interview, my field instructor Patrease asked me, “Tom, what does hope to mean to you?”
After taking a moment to think, I replied, “People often experience good and bad days. Some individuals have more bad days than good days. Having hope allows the person to brace through the tough moments and remind themselves better days are coming.”
I chose LIFT because I wanted to grow as a professional in the field of social work, to work in collaboration with members and to help them overcome obstacles they may have.
What I’ve Learned:
My hands-on experience at LIFT-DC allows me to work with parents, connect with them deeply, learn about their stories and appreciate their aspirations to become the best version of themselves.
I help motivate and support members striving for their meaningful goals, working with parents to plan and implement action steps. In return, members taught me to be humble, compassionate, and resilient.
Without dedicated social workers like Tom, LIFT could not succeed in our mission to empower families and transform communities. With partners like Tom, LIFT is making strides towards ending the cycle of poverty and creating a more equitable and hopeful future for all.