Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Eskew.
Hi Allison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I fell into my job quite backward. When I moved to Austin from East Tennessee in 2010, it was (like many Austinites I’ve found) because I just wanted to move. I had a college degree in Communications with a track in video and photography. Still, naturally, I was working as a bank teller when I heard about a small nonprofit starting up called ReWork Project. I was drawn to its mission and started showing up to volunteer. Volunteering quickly led to becoming the Assistant Director; within a year and a half of showing up, I became the Director. I’ve had to learn everything along the way, and I’m still learning all the time, but I’ve now been here for ten years, and it’s been a privilege to work with every single person I’ve come across while doing this job.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It was a rocky start here with a lot of learning, figuring out what works and doesn’t work for the people we aimed to serve. We weren’t aware of anyone serving the homeless community this way, so there wasn’t a clear model to follow. On top of figuring out how to carry out our mission, we’ve encountered several operational challenges over the years. From staffing to the location to funding, there have been a lot of obstacles to overcome and a lot of re-evaluating to do, but I think it’s only made us better.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
ReWork Project has a woodshop in South Austin. We work with a small group of folks from the chronically homeless community to help them break the cycle of repeat homelessness through increased self-sufficiency and renewed self-respect. While here, they learn a skill (woodworking), work within job-like expectations, earn a small income, and most importantly, experience a secure, consistent and trauma-informed environment. This is important because unprocessed trauma (which many in this community have experienced from a very young age) is a barrier to success. Still, to heal, they must first begin to shift out of survival mode, which can be a long and delicate process.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
We’re a 501(c)3 nonprofit supported by individuals in our community. You can donate to our program or purchase any of our products at www.reworkproject.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: reworkproject.org
- Instagram: @reworkpro
- Facebook: facebook.com/reworkproject
