I’m Levi, the Data and Information Technology Manager at Hospitality House. My job is to collect data regarding Hospitality House’s services in the community and create reports to help acquire new grants. I also manage the IT needs for all Hospitality House offices.
In addition to my primary role at Hospitality House, I also tech Digital Literacy to guests at Utah’s Place. The course covers things like drafting a professional email, designing a resume, creating a spreadsheet, and basic cyber security. Guests who take the course enter at various levels, and I do my best to meet them where they are and make sure they can progress throughout the 12-course series and eventually graduate!
My goal with this course is to help individuals build confidence and develop employable skills. I’ve had many success stories during my time teaching this class, and today, I’d like to share a story about one of my students. We’ll call him Brad.
When I first met Brad, he had a fair amount of digital literacy and grasped the material quickly. After completing the course, he continued to attend the classes and help other individuals taking the course. I coached him on how to communicate with his classmates effectively. In this environment, he practiced social interaction in a professional environment and sharpened his computer skills. Brad’s benefit from the class extended far beyond the curriculum, as he gained confidence and critical social skills – all skills that would benefit him greatly during his job search.
Not long after Brad graduated from the course, he was able to secure and maintain employment. It’s been great to see his progression and now Brad is on track to hopefully soon find a home.
Normally at this time, we thank all the cook groups who came and cooked over the last week, but to keep our shelter safe, our cooking groups are supporting our meals by donating financial support and food, and Chef Gina is safely cooking all meals instead. We’d like to thank the Wolf Creek Co-housing, Telestream, The Gourmet Squad, Meals by Heels, Elevation 2447, the First Baptist Church, BriarPatch Food Co-Op, and SPD Markets for all their recent help.
Additionally, if you would like to help us hands-on, Hospitality House is currently hiring! We are hiring for the positions of Finance Officer, Shelter/Community Advocate, and Overnight Shelter Advocate. Please visit hhshelter.org/employment for more information on the positions and how to apply.
Due to increased COVID-19 cases and a construction project at Utah’s Place, donations of goods are still temporarily suspended to protect the people we serve and the greater community. Thanks to the members of our community who gave so generously during the holidays, we are able to enter this pause in donations with well-stocked shelves. In place of donations of goods, we encourage those who are still interested in giving to consider making a financial contribution at hhshelter.org/donate. We greatly appreciate the community’s help at such times of uncertainty. In the words of Utah Phillips, “If we all stick together, we’ll get what we need.” Thank you!