Lois Napper was laid off in 2016 after seven years at the Center for Responsible Funding. She had recently earned her associate’s degree in human services and had two young children, so she was determined to make her next step more than just a job—she was looking for an opportunity to meaningfully provide for her family.
After months of job searching, Lois found out about the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative’s partnership with Penn Dental and applied. Nearly a year had passed since the Center for Responsible Funding closed its doors, and Lois was eager to reenter the workforce and tap into the suite of benefits that Penn offered.
“The program gave me a lot of interviewing skills. I was at the Center for Responsible Funding for so long, so I hadn’t been on an interview in years. I got a lot of self-confidence,” Lois shared about her experience with the Skills Initiative. “We had a session where we were able to vent about trauma, hard things in life. It was helpful right before graduation because we were able to start work with a clear mind. It was a safe space.”
It was through the application process for Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership program, which helps families in need of decent, affordable housing to build a home, that Lois hoped to take the next step toward homeownership. To her surprise, she found more than just a potential home—she found a job opportunity. The staff she met during the interview process were so impressed with her that they invited her to apply for an open position on their team. “Whoever at WPSI helped me with my resume did a great job. I’m still updating it to this day,” she said with a laugh.
Lois has now been employed by Habitat for Humanity for six years, and has been recognized for her excellence through promotions and special opportunities, including a trip to Guatemala to build homes for families there. “It feels full circle,” Lois said. “I started in the homeownership program and now I’m managing it. Some families that I helped in the program still call me for cook outs, and in January I got to go to Harrisburg to lobby for more money and share my story as a Habitat homeowner. I’m helping people make their dream of having stable housing come true. Habitat helped me with that, and now I get to help people with that.”
Lois has not forgotten the impact the Skills Initiative made, nor has the Skills Initiative forgotten her. “I feel like you [the Skills Initiative] are part of my support system, and I feel like support systems are necessary. Sometimes I have resources you guys can use, sometimes you have resources that I need. But if I’m not connected, I’m not going to know. And the fact that you remember me even though I did the program so many years ago—those are people you should stay connected to.”
Never one to slow down, Lois has plans to become program Director in five years. If you don’t want to wait until then to hear an update, you can attend one of University City District’s MIX networking events, where Lois is a frequent guest.
