News

& Insights

“Volunteering is all about relationship building. Not only are our volunteers great for the students and participants they are working with, but that relationship is also beneficial for the volunteer.”

Over the last five years, we have implemented a holistic vision for co-creating with community: Race. Place. Policy. Centering this work are cross-organizational teams led by PPL staff; their knowledge, professional expertise, and diverse voices drive these efforts and help us refine our focus in each area.

Co-creation means walking alongside community, investing in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations, building roots in community that create a sense of self-determination and voice for the long haul, and emphasizing the importance of ownership and wealth creation. This is equity in practice. 

Racism is pervasive in our everyday life. We know this. It is a foundation of this country built on the backs of our brothers and sisters of color. A message from PPL President & CEO, Paul Williams.

We are numb. We have been here before. Again? Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

In 2020, PPL recommitted to our Strategic Direction that focuses on Housing Stability & Career Readiness. Now is the time to drive our vision for vibrant, thriving communities that will have a multi-generational impact on previously underinvested and underemployed communities.

‘Why Housing & Jobs’ is part of a series on how PPL’s 2020 – 2022 Strategic Direction comes alive in our work. 

Our vision is to deepen and expand our housing + jobs work, to sharpen our focus on equity and engagement as ways of doing business, to commit to the importance of place, and to expand our impact on systems and policy.

Lawanda was tired of dead-end jobs and looking for something new. “PPL’s holistic approach to work training made sure the door to a new career was open and that I was ready to walk through it,” says Lawanda.

At a school of nearly 1,000 students, Robyn's social anxiety was always present and made it difficult to focus on learning. As her grades suffered, she sat down with her parents and school counselors to figure out her next step.

PPL's new Career Center opened earlier this year, but there was one thing missing; on the west side of the building remained a blank white wall. Five months ago, PPL partnered with Hope Community and Mia to create a larger-than-life mural.