“YOUNG CAREERIST FOR 2013”

January 23rd Kimberly Jackson, who is the Network Director of the San Gabriel Family Promise, accepted the East Los Angeles-Montebello Business and Professional Women (BPW) 2013 “Young Careerist.” Jackson grew up in Seattle, Washington, where her parents still live. She graduated from Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington and is an alumnus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

Jackson has been with Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley where she works with homeless families via an interfaith network since August 2012. In her acceptance speech Jackson talked about her experiences. She taught school in Jordan and was the founding Executive Director of Elizabeth Gregory Home in Seattle, Washington. She was the Director of Clinical Programs at the Family and Adult Service Center, Director of House of Hope Shelter, Therapeutic Foster Home Recruiter for the Greater Seattle Area YMCA and an academic tutor and mentor for the Lummi Indian Council. In 2005 she received the “Hometown Hero” award in recognition of her service to homeless families in Washington State and in 2008 she was awarded Avon’s “Hello Tomorrow Grant” for an innovative program for homeless girls. Jackson explains how she came to work with the homeless – “My first experience with the homeless was when I was 12 years old. Our church youth group served dinner once a month to the homeless men on skid row. I can remember being frightened of the noisy place with so many dirty strangers. On one visit my youth pastor asked if I would lead everyone in grace. I nervously looked around and then said the Lord’s Prayer. I can remember as if it were yesterday the deep voices of the homeless men, who one by one chimed in and said the prayer with us in unison. I remember more vividly however, how they came up to us youth afterwards to shake our hands, hug us and thank us for coming down and breaking bread with them. It was a defining moment for me, and the reason I decided to become a social worker.”

The Young Careerist/Professional Program of BPW recognizes women and men between the ages of 21 and 40 who have been in their profession or business for at least a year.

For more information about BPW or the Young Careerist Program, call Linda Wilson at (626) 307-5650.