FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/27/20
UPLIFT NORTHWEST ANNOUNCES GINA HALL AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Gina Hall to become first African American woman Executive Director at Uplift Northwest, formerly known as Millionair Club Charity, providing jobs to men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness
SEATTLE, WA - Uplift Northwest, a 100-year-old Seattle nonprofit providing job opportunities to men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness, has selected Gina Hall to become their new Executive Director starting in November 2020.
Hall is a South Seattle native with years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Community and Donor Relations at Seattle Goodwill where she fostered a culture of philanthropy and created the annual Glitter Gala, Seattle Goodwill’s flagship fundraising event that raised over half a million dollars in 2019. Prior to her 13 years of service at Seattle Goodwill, Hall served as Resource and Community Development Director at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.
As Hall transitions into her new role at Uplift Northwest, she is excited to lead an organization that recently underwent a full rebrand (formerly Millionair Club Charity). She believes the launch of the new name and new brand presents the perfect opportunity to showcase a century of crucial work that’s been carried forward by a strong staff, a committed Board of Trustees and a mission that has legacy in this region.
Uplift Northwest has provided job opportunities and job-readiness support services to men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness since 1921. The organization provides jobs to over 1,000 men and women annually in addition to preparing workers through job training, work certifications, career coaching, work clothing, meals, hygiene services, and additional medical support through community partners.
Uplift Northwest Board President Chris Gehrke says of Hall, “She has a demonstrated history of successfully working with the local community while creating an inclusive and engaging environment for staff, volunteers, donors, and clients. We are excited to have her uplifting personality and ideals leading us into the next 100 years of success as an organization.”
Hall explains, “I’ve always been passionate about rebuilding, realigning, and restructuring programs and organizations. Uplift Northwest is a bit of a secret in this region, but it’s a force to be reckoned with. I’m excited to reintroduce this mission to the community, and I know it’s going to be a rewarding and fulfilling endeavor.”
No stranger to hard work or overcoming barriers, Hall is the oldest of three siblings and daughter of two African American Louisiana-born parents who fled the institutionalized racism and oppression of the Jim Crow laws in the South. Hall’s parents each worked multiple jobs, and they often supported extended family members in their home. Thanks to her parents as role models and the greater opportunities afforded to BIPOC men and women in the Pacific Northwest, Hall now lives with the understanding that all human beings, no matter their background, want many of the same things, like a decent job, to take care of their families, and to do well by themselves.
Hall will become the first African American woman Executive Director at Uplift Northwest, and she intends to prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all work moving forward. She believes it is a privilege to serve those who have been underrepresented, and says, “We need to build one unified voice that recognizes the value of what diversity brings to our community.”
Uplift Northwest’s organizational model has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hall is prepared to adapt. She recognizes that while some jobs and companies are no longer available to Uplift’s workers as career opportunities (hospitality, event staffing, etc.), there are emerging job fields that are relevant to this new economy. Hall will be working to assess Uplift Northwest’s job training programs to ensure workers have the best opportunity to both help themselves find viable employment and help best serve their community’s needs.
Hall will work to build partnerships in both the public and private sectors so that Uplift Northwest can leverage its skills with organizations who can help achieve employment and economic stability in the region. She wants to grow awareness for Uplift Northwest as a community partner that bridges the needs of individuals with the needs of community partners.
“This work is critical. It is urgent. And we are well-positioned to be a leader to provide hope, training, and sustainable employment opportunities,” Hall continued. “This work is going to take all of us, and we are here to stay.”
Hall extends an invitation to the community to get reacquainted with Uplift Northwest, join the cause, and help serve the individuals who are living in poverty/experiencing homelessness.
As a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Uplift Northwest relies on donations, grants, and support from community partners to provide its services free of change to clients.
For more information about Uplift Northwest, please visit www.upliftnw.org or email info@upliftnw.org.
Hall is a South Seattle native with years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Community and Donor Relations at Seattle Goodwill where she fostered a culture of philanthropy and created the annual Glitter Gala, Seattle Goodwill’s flagship fundraising event that raised over half a million dollars in 2019. Prior to her 13 years of service at Seattle Goodwill, Hall served as Resource and Community Development Director at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.
As Hall transitions into her new role at Uplift Northwest, she is excited to lead an organization that recently underwent a full rebrand (formerly Millionair Club Charity). She believes the launch of the new name and new brand presents the perfect opportunity to showcase a century of crucial work that’s been carried forward by a strong staff, a committed Board of Trustees and a mission that has legacy in this region.
Uplift Northwest has provided job opportunities and job-readiness support services to men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness since 1921. The organization provides jobs to over 1,000 men and women annually in addition to preparing workers through job training, work certifications, career coaching, work clothing, meals, hygiene services, and additional medical support through community partners.
Uplift Northwest Board President Chris Gehrke says of Hall, “She has a demonstrated history of successfully working with the local community while creating an inclusive and engaging environment for staff, volunteers, donors, and clients. We are excited to have her uplifting personality and ideals leading us into the next 100 years of success as an organization.”
Hall explains, “I’ve always been passionate about rebuilding, realigning, and restructuring programs and organizations. Uplift Northwest is a bit of a secret in this region, but it’s a force to be reckoned with. I’m excited to reintroduce this mission to the community, and I know it’s going to be a rewarding and fulfilling endeavor.”
No stranger to hard work or overcoming barriers, Hall is the oldest of three siblings and daughter of two African American Louisiana-born parents who fled the institutionalized racism and oppression of the Jim Crow laws in the South. Hall’s parents each worked multiple jobs, and they often supported extended family members in their home. Thanks to her parents as role models and the greater opportunities afforded to BIPOC men and women in the Pacific Northwest, Hall now lives with the understanding that all human beings, no matter their background, want many of the same things, like a decent job, to take care of their families, and to do well by themselves.
Hall will become the first African American woman Executive Director at Uplift Northwest, and she intends to prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all work moving forward. She believes it is a privilege to serve those who have been underrepresented, and says, “We need to build one unified voice that recognizes the value of what diversity brings to our community.”
Uplift Northwest’s organizational model has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hall is prepared to adapt. She recognizes that while some jobs and companies are no longer available to Uplift’s workers as career opportunities (hospitality, event staffing, etc.), there are emerging job fields that are relevant to this new economy. Hall will be working to assess Uplift Northwest’s job training programs to ensure workers have the best opportunity to both help themselves find viable employment and help best serve their community’s needs.
Hall will work to build partnerships in both the public and private sectors so that Uplift Northwest can leverage its skills with organizations who can help achieve employment and economic stability in the region. She wants to grow awareness for Uplift Northwest as a community partner that bridges the needs of individuals with the needs of community partners.
“This work is critical. It is urgent. And we are well-positioned to be a leader to provide hope, training, and sustainable employment opportunities,” Hall continued. “This work is going to take all of us, and we are here to stay.”
Hall extends an invitation to the community to get reacquainted with Uplift Northwest, join the cause, and help serve the individuals who are living in poverty/experiencing homelessness.
As a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Uplift Northwest relies on donations, grants, and support from community partners to provide its services free of change to clients.
For more information about Uplift Northwest, please visit www.upliftnw.org or email info@upliftnw.org.
MILLIONAIR CLUB CHARITY (MCC) CHANGES NAME TO
UPLIFT NORTHWEST AHEAD OF ORGANIZATION’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
UPLIFT NORTHWEST AHEAD OF ORGANIZATION’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 / SEATTLE, WA – The Millionair Club Charity, with a near 100-year history of providing jobs, services, opportunities and hope to Seattle’s impoverished and homeless community, announced today a new name and brand identity that will better position the organization to expand its compassionate work for the next 100 years.
As of today, the organization will be named Uplift Northwest with a continued focus on providing empowerment through employment to more than 1,000 men and women annually in the Seattle area.
The new name and brand, a culmination of a two-year effort that included deep research and community listening, were selected and designed to more clearly and effectively represent the organization’s uplifting focus to both current and future stakeholders.
“Uplift Northwest is more than just a new name and logo,” said Dr. Christina Gehrke, Board Chair of Uplift Northwest. “It clearly represents the work we do and what we hope to achieve. We believe that through support and compassion we can and will help lift people up towards a better place through employment opportunities, supporting services, and a true belief in everyone’s potential.”
Uplift Northwest’s primary focus is to provide dignified temporary work opportunities and support services to men and women who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. In addition to providing temporary employment, the organization also provides a wide array of necessary support services at their Belltown neighborhood location that include meals, showers, laundry services, transportation, career coaching, healthcare, computer training and vision care. In 2019, the organization also helped 115 workers receive housing assistance, whether through Uplift Northwest’s affordable Kasota apartment complex, references to housing providers, or income verification.
An Uplift Northwest worker said of the organization and those who support the mission, “Thank you for seeing in me what I don’t always see myself. You gave me more than just a meal; you showed me how I can get myself a job and find a way out of homelessness.”
Workers who join Uplift Northwest are assigned a wide variety of jobs based on their experience, interest and skill set that include hospitality, sanitation, litter abatement, day labor, landscaping, and food service, to name a few.
Uplift Northwest’s employer partners have included many of the region’s top organizations, such as: First & Goal Hospitality, King County, Seattle Mariners, Compass Group (providing food service for Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon and other regional companies), Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Marriott, Mayflower and Fairmont hotels, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), and Seattle’s Metropolitan Improvement District.
“While our name is changing, our mission and focus is not,” continued Gehrke. “As we move forward, we will strive to honor the legacy of Martin Johanson, our founder, as well as the tens of thousands of people who have supported us over the past 100 years as we worked to change the lives of the less fortunate in Seattle’s community.”
In addition to introducing a new name and logo, which will begin rolling out this week, Uplift Northwest is working to bring the new brand to life in creative ways, including partnering with VIA Architects on a facelift to the façade of their long-term Belltown building and the creation of a permanent mural inside the building that symbolically illustrates the organization’s history and services developed in partnership with Seattle-based Overall Creative and muralist Forest Kell. More information about these exciting new projects will be shared on Uplift Northwest’s website and social channels over the coming months.
As a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Uplift Northwest relies on donations, grants, and support from community partners to provide its services free of change to clients.
For more information about Uplift Northwest please visit www.upliftnw.org or email info@upliftnw.org.
As of today, the organization will be named Uplift Northwest with a continued focus on providing empowerment through employment to more than 1,000 men and women annually in the Seattle area.
The new name and brand, a culmination of a two-year effort that included deep research and community listening, were selected and designed to more clearly and effectively represent the organization’s uplifting focus to both current and future stakeholders.
“Uplift Northwest is more than just a new name and logo,” said Dr. Christina Gehrke, Board Chair of Uplift Northwest. “It clearly represents the work we do and what we hope to achieve. We believe that through support and compassion we can and will help lift people up towards a better place through employment opportunities, supporting services, and a true belief in everyone’s potential.”
Uplift Northwest’s primary focus is to provide dignified temporary work opportunities and support services to men and women who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. In addition to providing temporary employment, the organization also provides a wide array of necessary support services at their Belltown neighborhood location that include meals, showers, laundry services, transportation, career coaching, healthcare, computer training and vision care. In 2019, the organization also helped 115 workers receive housing assistance, whether through Uplift Northwest’s affordable Kasota apartment complex, references to housing providers, or income verification.
An Uplift Northwest worker said of the organization and those who support the mission, “Thank you for seeing in me what I don’t always see myself. You gave me more than just a meal; you showed me how I can get myself a job and find a way out of homelessness.”
Workers who join Uplift Northwest are assigned a wide variety of jobs based on their experience, interest and skill set that include hospitality, sanitation, litter abatement, day labor, landscaping, and food service, to name a few.
Uplift Northwest’s employer partners have included many of the region’s top organizations, such as: First & Goal Hospitality, King County, Seattle Mariners, Compass Group (providing food service for Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon and other regional companies), Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Marriott, Mayflower and Fairmont hotels, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), and Seattle’s Metropolitan Improvement District.
“While our name is changing, our mission and focus is not,” continued Gehrke. “As we move forward, we will strive to honor the legacy of Martin Johanson, our founder, as well as the tens of thousands of people who have supported us over the past 100 years as we worked to change the lives of the less fortunate in Seattle’s community.”
In addition to introducing a new name and logo, which will begin rolling out this week, Uplift Northwest is working to bring the new brand to life in creative ways, including partnering with VIA Architects on a facelift to the façade of their long-term Belltown building and the creation of a permanent mural inside the building that symbolically illustrates the organization’s history and services developed in partnership with Seattle-based Overall Creative and muralist Forest Kell. More information about these exciting new projects will be shared on Uplift Northwest’s website and social channels over the coming months.
As a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Uplift Northwest relies on donations, grants, and support from community partners to provide its services free of change to clients.
For more information about Uplift Northwest please visit www.upliftnw.org or email info@upliftnw.org.