FinAbility is growing! Last September, we welcomed Joleen Fuller as our new Program Officer. With a strong background in advocacy work, Joleen brings invaluable expertise to our team as we continue expanding our impact. We recently sat down with her to learn more about her role—here’s what she had to say.
A: Hi Joleen! It’s so lovely to meet you. Would you be willing toMe tell me a little bit about you and your new role?
J: Yes! I am Joleen Fuller and I am the new program officer at Finability. My role involves being the main point of contact for all of our programs, so right now that is classes, workshops and mentorship. We're also getting our Savings Matching Program going and have lots of exciting ideas for things in the future, so for right now I'm doing a lot of on-the-ground-work and then partnering with Stacy, where together we're figuring out how we want to move forward.
A: Is there one specific challenge you're looking forward to tackling in this new role?
J: We're really focusing on our Savings Matching Program right now. Come quarter one in the New Year we will be launching that in the pilot phase, so I'm really excited to be able to offer actual financial support to our survivors who are also in the mentorship program.
It’s cool to support the work they're doing with their mentors by providing actual financial matching. Being able to create savings is such a hard thing to do, so helping them meet their goals is really exciting.
A: What about FinAbility’s new savings program is distinct–what sets it apart from other programs that are commonly offered to survivors?
J: I think that's a great question about FinAbility in general because I've worked in a lot of programs supporting survivors in a lot of different ways, but I think what really sets it apart is that it's sliding into a niche. There's a lot of great Crisis Support in the Portland area for survivors, but there's not a lot of support post-separation, so FinAbility really fits that need for survivors.
Obviously, we know that while financial abuse is happening it's so heart-wrenching and hard, but there are a lot of longer-lasting consequences of financial abuse, so being able to support people when they're safer and are trying to get back on their feet and meet their goals is really important.
I also think we do it in a trauma-informed way, meaning we're not just providing financial services to folks, we're doing it specifically knowing we're working with survivors and understanding what people might have gone through which I think is really important. For example, when I'm talking to mentees in our financial mentorship programs, I often hear them talk about feeling behind or feeling a sense of shame around their finances, so it's really vulnerable for people to come to our program and share if they’re struggling so they can get help.
It's ultimately up to us when we create our programming to understand how people got to that point and the effects of trauma so being able to provide services through that lens is really important.
A: You mentioned your background in working with survivors. Is there a particular experience in your career previously that will especially influence the way you approach this role?
J: I have done almost every role you can do as an advocate, and I'm just so grateful because I get to talk to so many survivors. All those roles have taught me that listening and trying to meet people where they're at is one of the best ways to support survivors. I feel like I've been really lucky and honored that people have trusted me and have let me kind of walk with them through really intense situations.
What always strikes me about working with survivors is the complexity that people come to the table with, so I think FinAbility being able to not recreate services that other programs have but to provide support in a different way helps to address some of that complexity that people deal with.
A: What is your long-term vision for FinAbility programs?
J: First of all, I think Stacy, the board, and the SAC [Survivor Advisory Committee] are very open to listening to what survivors are needing. In particular, I would say that mentorship and our financial classes and workshops are really scalable. You know, this is something that can be done outside of Oregon and I think being able to provide a template for other organizations and other states to do this sounds really exciting. It's the same with savings matching. I think it's something that, provided you have the right funding, is really scalable.
We're also talking about potentially starting a support group. It’s something that Stacy has talked about for a long time that's been identified as a priority. We see in our classes when folks are talking about what they're going through or sharing resources that have helped them, they share ideas and support with each other. Providing a more formal space to do that would be a meaningful way to connect folks and create more community around all of this.
A: Given that FinAbility has such a variety of programs to offer, how do you measure the success and efficacy of a program?
J: Personally, I think we obviously want to reach as many people as we possibly can. In terms of something measurable, we really value feedback from our past participants. I do a lot of following up with folks and I think what helps me to continue to feel excited about doing this work is those small stories of success that people have. For example, seeing a mentor-mentee duo meet and work through challenges together, showing our mentees that they can work through whatever they're doing… Those little moments are really gratifying. I love those personal stories, and I think they're a great measure of success.
A: You mentioned these personal stories–are there other things that particularly inspire you about working with survivors?
J: It's definitely those stories. I just think the fact that people can come to us and trust us by admitting they don't have any savings or their credit is bad is really powerful. Their opening up makes me feel really inspired by people who are motivated and trust us.
A: What advice would you give to somebody who is looking to support survivors through either advocacy service or volunteering?
J: If people really want to be an advocate, then as hard as it is, I think going to your local shelter and volunteering is so important. That's how I started. I did everything from organizing cabinets, to working a crisis line, to providing child care… I just think you learn so much. I will say, if you don't do this work, it can feel a little overwhelming, especially if you are a person who doesn't necessarily want to be an advocate but still wants to provide support for survivors. In that case, I think it's really important that we become aware that we are walking through a world alongside a lot of people have been affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.
Wherever you are, it's always important to understand what resources are available in our community. What's the main number that people can call in your community? If you suspect that someone you love is in an unsafe situation, what do you do? Everyone should know the national hotline and move through the world understanding how many people are affected by this issue.
A: We’ve got a light-hearted personal question to wrap up… what's something about you that most people wouldn't guess just by looking at your professional background?
J: I really love music and I really love dancing. I grew up dancing, and as an adult I've done a lot of different dance classes, so that brings me a lot of joy. I don't take as many classes now that I'm a mom and I have a full-time job, but there are a lot of impromptu dance parties in my house which are really fun! Even sometimes it's just me dancing and my kid is like “oh my God, what are you doing!”
I also really love making mixes. It's my love language, so I make lots of mixes for friends and family and there's always music playing when I'm doing work.
A: Do you have a favorite artist or favorite song currently?
J: So many. I’ve been listening to a lot of Suki Waterhouse right now.
A: What excites you the most about the next year with Finability?
J: I'm really excited about our new program savings match, and I'm excited about growing our mentorship and starting a support group. I'm also excited about hopefully making our services a bit more tailored to specific populations.
I know we want to get more into rural communities, and we want to work with tribal communities more. Anywhere where we can utilize the amazing services that already exist to help provide our services as well. Even just in general, we've had a lot of growth and success and I think just kind of harnessing and continuing that is exciting.
We’re grateful to Joleen for sharing her story and passion with us. Her dedication to advocacy and financial empowerment makes her an invaluable addition to our team, and we can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have!
The interview with Joleen took place on December 27th, 2024. While the interview has been edited for clarity and length, every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of the interviewee's words.
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