People Helping People

People Helping People (PHP) is dedicated to reducing the number of children living in poverty by teaching low-income women, primarily single moms, how to earn an adequate income through successful employment.

People Helping People believes that every woman is capable and deserving of achieving success and self-sufficiency. We help women recognize the value of work, identify and navigate barriers, understand their transferable skills, create a personal breakeven plan, and effectively communicate their value to employers. Through a volunteer-centric approach, our program works with hundreds of underemployed women and single mothers each year. By teaching from the employer’s perspective, we equip women with the tools and confidence to succeed in both their personal and professional lives. At PHP, we are shifting the paradigm from seeing people as problems to solve, to seeing people as natural problem-solvers.

PHP’s Employment Program offers Education, Coaching, and Mentoring. The Education component consists of regularly offered employment workshops taught from the employer’s perspective. Mentoring and Coaching follows a structured, four-phase model. Phase 1 Coaching focuses on Employment Preparation. Clients meet one-on-one with volunteer business professionals to complete key employment tools, understand transferable skills, determine personal breakeven points, and set self-sufficiency goals. Phase 2 Mentoring focuses on Job Search Readiness. Volunteer mentors help clients identify appropriate jobs, prepare resumes, practice interview skills, explore learnings from workshops, and create strategic job search plans. Phase 3 Employment Strategies Network (ESN) supports clients as they navigate job expectations, manage personal challenges, prepare for promotions, and sustain long-term employment. Phase 4 Women’s Professional Network (WPN) provides ongoing training, leadership development, and networking opportunities to help clients grow their careers and earning potential.

Recent research from the Brookings Institution emphasizes that meaningful progress in reducing poverty will continue to rely on expanding access to quality, paid work, but not solely for economic reasons. While stable employment increases earning capacity, promotes self-sufficiency, and decreases reliance on public assistance programs, work is also a critical source of identity, purpose, and social belonging. Quality jobs that offer autonomy, dignity, and opportunities for advancement are linked to improved mental and physical health outcomes, stronger community engagement, and a greater sense of stability for families. Employment must be valued not just as a means of income generation, but as a foundation for individual well-being and collective prosperity.

At PHP, we’ve seen firsthand how successful employment transforms the lives of women and their families. When women achieve meaningful employment, they contribute in powerful ways: they become tax-paying citizens, stimulate the economy by purchasing goods and services, pursue homeownership, and open doors for their children to attend college.

We believe that an adequate income is the only permanent path out of poverty. Through the dedication of our volunteers and staff, PHP’s Employment Program creates a supportive environment where single mothers can thrive both professionally and personally. Because when moms do better, kids do better. When kids do better, communities do better. And when communities do better, we all do better.