Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s 2GEN Summit
Erin Minor, CEO of Harvest House, recently participated in an educational summit hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Ascend at the Aspen Institute. The summit aimed to promote the 2Gen approach, which focuses on improving the lives of both children and adults. The approach takes a holistic view of the family, recognizing that parental educational attainment and income are critical factors in children’s academic success.
This event brought together local educators, social service providers, philanthropists, analysts, government workers, and policymakers to discuss how communities can help low-income families advance their education, escape poverty, and build better futures for themselves and future generations.
Erin Minor, CEO of Harvest House Shares On Guest Panel
Erin Minor participated in a panel discussion at the summit, highlighting factors that can facilitate or impede successful educational outcomes for students and parents. Minor emphasized valuing and believing in an individual’s lived experience, dreams, goals, and aspirations. She stressed that empowering individuals to follow through with their goals while providing guidance can help them reach their destination.
At Harvest House, Erin and her team have adopted this approach by changing their mindset and language, providing choices and opportunities for individuals in need. Erin said, “Our job is to be there for them and act as a guide rather than taking control of the situation. They are driving the ‘car,’ and we provide them with the map to help them reach their destination. Sometimes, our opinions, ideas, or head knowledge can get in the way.” By acting as a guide and empowering individuals, we can help them drive their success. Harvest House has been very successful in assisting individuals to achieve their goals through this approach.
Erin also shared that Harvest House staff embarked on an incredible 8-week journey of Trauma-Informed Care training with Mandy O’Malley of Resilient Retreat to help with this mindset. Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” -the individual’s lived experience. The principles of trauma-informed care are used throughout the organization to ensure that clients and staff feel physically and psychologically safe and decisions are made with transparency to build and maintain trust.
Anne Mosle, Head of Ascend At the Aspen Institute Returns
The keynote speaker, Anne Mosle, head of Ascend at the Aspen Institute, returned to Sarasota to open a dialogue between the families in need and service providers and help inform a community conversation about areas of focus to address in the coming years.
The summit also heard stories from families directly impacted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the 2Gen approach.
Overall, the summit was an essential step towards promoting the 2Gen approach and improving the lives of low-income families in the community. By valuing and empowering individuals and adopting a trauma-informed care approach, organizations like Harvest House can help individuals achieve their goals and build better futures for themselves and their families.
