17: Women of Work Skills: Empowering Future

In this episode, Julie and Stacey sit down with Tina Hubbard and Meg Novacek, two long-time members of WoW – the Women of the Work Skills. Tina reflects on how she first got connected with Work Skills and the benefits her company gained from having WSC participants as a part of their team.  Meg shares what has kept her engaged for more than a decade - the joy of helping individuals recognize their own potential and achieve success.  Their stories highlight the Foundation’s significant impact over the past 20 years, creating opportunity, challenging assumptions about people with disabilities, and proving that with the right support, anyone can thrive.     00:00 Introduction to Work Skills 01:12 Meg and Tina’s Work Skills Journey 03:40 Beyond Basic Skills: Real-World Impact 07:21 Corporate Board, Foundation, and Group Home 11:32 The Women of Work Skills (WOW) 15:09 Tours, Artisan’s Corner, and Community Engagement 19:57 The Secret Sauce: Tours and Therapies 25:29 Innovative Giving: QCDs and WOW Community 29:57 Expanding WOW and Monthly Giving 35:05 Giving Tuesday and Matching Donations 37:41 Clinical Services and Community Impact 41:31 Work Ethic, Impact, and Starfish Analogy 46:45 Final Thoughts and Call to Action   Show Links To learn more about the Work Skills Foundation check out their links below. Website: https://wskillsfoundation.org Donate here!: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=T6W5SDJ5SQZLL  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WskillsFoundation YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvB58IqpYoBV5fm3CL2RUAg Email [email protected]  Ph: (517)304-8003   Guest Links Tina Hubbard, President and CEO HDA Truck Pride Website: https://www.hdatruckpride.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hdatruckpride LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdatruckpride/ X: https://x.com/HDATruckPride Email: [email protected]   & Meg Novacek