Category Archives: GW Team

Growth Works is always looking for hardworking and caring individuals to help us live out our mission in the communities we serve. One of our staff members took the time to share their experience and thoughts on joining the Growth Works team.

“I recently transitioned to a new workplace and for the first time, felt confident in the knowledge and skills that I could bring to this new role. As I began training, that feeling slowly began to fade. For three years, I did all I could to excel in my previous position, learning each aspect of the facility I served in, eventually becoming someone who had mastered the role and could provide training to my colleagues.

I knew that as I entered into this new space, I’d need to transition back to being a learner, finding ways to listen and understand that I wouldn’t have all the answers right away. Despite knowing the perspective I needed to take, I’ve still found myself feeling inadequate and overwhelmed by the differences of the new systems, tasks, and even faces.

Though it’s been a hard transition, I’ve realized that mostly has to do with how overwhelmingly positive my workplace is and how genuinely helpful my coworkers have been.

While I may have never pictured myself moving across the state away from my established community, I am so thankful to be in a work environment that truly cares for me, not only as their employee, but as another human. This alone has made such a major difference in my mental health and, in turn, my work and personal life.

Our work world is changing, day by day, but I think we can all agree that flexibility and genuine care for employees is becoming the priority for most workers out there. We say all humans deserve to be heard, seen, and cared for, in all spaces. Why is this limited when it comes to the place we spend most of our time and effort in each week?

Money, benefits, long term goals, and passion are all important to finding the best role for you. But these days, I’d like to think that who I’m surrounded by, the way that I feel in my work environment, and how I’m supported outweigh most of those categories. Maybe I’m the odd one out, but my work means so much more to me than a paycheck. I’m thankful to have a workplace where I mean so much more than a paycheck too.”

If you are interested in joining the team and making a difference at Growth Works, visit our Careers page to learn all about our incredible benefits and open job positing.

Our Juvenile Advisory Council had a meeting and a team building event last month and they continue to work on creating opportunities for youth in the juvenile justice system to be successful.  We held our meeting at Five Senses Escape Room in Novi and hands down we all had a blast and competed against each other to solve the starships problems to survive in space. Everyone worked together and solved each problem and made it out alive!! Five Senses is highly recommended. 

The Juvenile Advisory Council (JAC) is a youth engagement program that involves former youth with direct experience in juvenile justice system who have developed initiatives to improve the system for those who are currently in the system or may find themselves engaged in the future.

Members of the Juvenile Advisory Council created a handbook for youth and parents who are in the Wayne County Juvenile system or on the verge of entering it. This handbook can be found on the Growth Works Resource Page.

For more information about the JAC, please contact Sarah Parker at Sarah.Parker@gwcares.org.