In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Teresa Smith, the CEO and Founder of Dreams for Change. Since her childhood, Teresa has always been interested in human behavior. She knew she was not interested in becoming a counselor or therapist so naturally, she began working in nonprofits.
Dreams For Change is a local nonprofit that works to fill gaps in the community wherever they arise. Teresa and Dreams For Change's approach to problem-solving have always been hands-on, working to fix problems as they appear and innovate solutions to help others. One of their most prominent efforts is with homelessness. During the recession, Teresa recognized a new group of people was now losing their homes; those who had lost their jobs and sources of income. As many of these people found that shelters were not the right environment for them, they turned to living in their cars. This is where the idea of the Safe Parking program was born. Since then, the efforts to help those in poverty have expanded to mobile soup kitchens and food trucks as well as free help in filing taxes.
An excellent episode on change-making with Teresa Siles. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:
