Number 89 October 16, 2020 St. Louis
Justine PETERSEN Receives $200k SBA PRIME Grant
Justine PETERSEN was awarded $200k from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s PRIME program to enhance small business counseling to disadvantaged entrepreneurs and to expand outreach to rural entrepreneurs. PRIME, Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs, seeks to provide assistance to non-profit service providers so that they may bolster technical assistance to entrepreneurs in need. The SBA awarded $5.5M to 30 organizations nationwide.
JP Staffers Ramona Scott and Nikki Wilson Celebrate Employment Anniversaries
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This was a week of showering accolades and expressing gratitude, as Justine PETERSEN celebrated employment anniversaries for both Ramona Scott and Nikki Wilson. At five years and four years respectively, Ramona and Nikki are integral to the daily mission delivery of Justine PETERSEN. Ramona serves the dual responsibilities of Administrative Assistant and Resident Philosopher, excelling in both, and Nikki, as an Asset Building Counselor, is on pace to shatter her lending goal for this year. Keep up the good work Ramona and Nikki! JP would not be JP without YOU!
JP Staffer Cait Baker Participates in Panel at Housing Action Illinois Annual Conference
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“How do you handle staff turnover, or run a successful program with only one or two counselors?” That was the question of the hour at the Housing Action Illinois Annual Housing Matters! Conference.
Cait Baker, Quality Improvement Manager at Justine PETERSEN, joined three other panelists to discuss varied approaches during a session called “Starting a Housing Counseling Program: How to Overcome Common Hurdles & Find Your Niche.” Cait spoke about how JP’s Housing Department answered the ubiquitous non-profit challenges of high demand, small departments, and staff turnover with a streamlined intake process. With the implementation of this process, JP has been able to improve the quality of our counseling, increase the number of clients who purchase, and build capacity for our department.
Fellow panelists spoke on strategies for becoming a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency, creating and maintaining a quality program over decades of service, and selecting the right client management system for your organization.
Pandemic Pet Pic (the “other” PPP)
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Gray cat Grazie graces the Granite City office like no other. As photo documented, Grazie routinely sleeps on the job as Chief Recycling Officer, and prefers to first bat around crumpled balls of paper before proper recycling. That said, she was an early adopter of wearing a mask, and has served as a Covid responsible role model for both felines and fellow JP staffers.
