A deeper look at Jeremy

I started at Millwood Impact last week and I can already see how tight-knit this community is. It feels familiar, welcoming and proud. My first week at Millwood Impact was dedicated to getting familiarized with the Millwood neighborhood, teachers, counselors, the West Valley Superintendent and partners at the Hutton Settlement. Brandon is clearly beloved in this community and it is an honor to experience an extension of his rapport in the community. As I dream about the role I will play here in the Millwood neighborhood, I know it has a solid foundation within the context of years of relationship and that gives me so much hope.

I grew up in the Tri-Cities. If you aren’t familiar with the area, the three cities are Richland, Kennewick and Pasco. I have happy memories from my childhood but there were parts that were complicated and in some cases, chaotic. Growing up in the 90s, I was a latchkey kid for part of the time and I spent a significant amount of time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My mom was single when I was in elementary school, so I remember my grandparents watching us most days after school. As a parent, I can see now how challenging it must have been for my mom, raising three rambunctious boys. My mom married a great guy when I was 11 years old and they are still together today. That was a huge turning point for our family. Suddenly there was a lot more structure and much more supervision. 

There is no archetype for the kids that Millwood Impact serves, but I’ll put it this way, I definitely would have been a regular attendee of Star Club. I had so many supportive adults in my life as I fumbled through my teen years and I am so grateful for those individuals who poured into me. I wouldn’t be where I am today if they didn’t believe in me.

My wife Holly and I got married two weeks after graduation from Whitworth in 2012 (we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary on May 26th this year!) We both volunteered with nonprofit organizations in town and spent time traveling in the early years of our marriage. These experiences opened our eyes to what we really value, authentic connection and contributing to our community. We have three children, Eleanor, Margot and Malcolm and we are so grateful for them.

I have worked at a few nonprofits over the years and each has been so formative for me. One of those organizations was a small nonprofit working with youth experiencing homelessness and I spent more than 6 years there. At that organization, I worked closely with volunteers to live out the mission. Those were some of the most committed volunteers I have ever known, some had been there more than 10 years! We worked every day to recognize the dignity and worth of each person no matter the situation. No two situations are the same and I believe that my experience there showed me to always be gracious to every person I meet. 

As I step into the role of Program Director at Millwood Impact, I am so excited to use my personal experiences as well as my experiences at other organizations to build programs that live into the mission, “Address unmet essential needs for the health and well-being of the kids and families in the Millwood and West Valley community.” of Millwood Impact.