Community Action is happy to announce the recipient of our 2024 May Staff Spotlight, SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Kong Yang!
His first nominator said, "Kong always greets and welcomes clients with open arms. He is incredibly helpful in getting clients what they need in a timely manner and is an expert in what he does. He truly enjoys helping people. When at outreach events, he is always outgoing, taking that extra step to help, and making sure people are getting the services that they need."
His second nominator said, "I have had the great satisfaction of working with him. He has demonstrated great leadership skills while leading a group projects. He is also a great communicator and always willing to try new ideas and values everyone's opinion."
We are so grateful to have staff members such as Kong Yang that exemplify our mission, vision, and values! Recently we caught up with Kong to learn more about him and how he views his role at Community Action.
What is your favorite part about working at CAPRW?
"My favorite part about working at CAPRW is the opportunities it's given me to self-develop. Before CAPRW, I saw myself as an introvert. Throughout the 11 years I have been here, it has helped me develop my interpersonal skills and made me more outgoing. If you met me now, you wouldn't have ever thought I wasn't an introvert. I appreciate all that CAPRW and everyone I was privileged enough to work with, who have done for me and developed me into who I am today. I still have much to improve on as an individual, but I look forward to it every day."
Do you have a favorite memory about working with families?
"There are too many great memories, but one of my favorite ones is building an awesome work son-and-mother relationship with Malee Yang. She is a wonderful and caring person. She always made sure that I was healthy and that I was eating and eating properly. She brought so much food to feed her sons (Phengzong, Charles, and me). No other memories can top what she has done for me as a young man starting his career after college. She will forever be in my heart."
How did you discover your passion for working at a non-profit organization?
"In college, I wanted to be a juvenile probation officer. The non-profit world was never a place where I thought about working. What I thought was a trial job after college turned out to be 11 years. Thinking about the duration of my time here, I am happy to be a part of such a great non-profit organization that serves its communities. The realness of staff members, the households we serve, and our partners is a great thing to be a part of. This is what I discovered is excellent about our non-profit organization."
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time outside of work?
"I love hanging out with my family and friends. Whether that's traveling, BBQing at someone's house, trying a new restaurant, Happy Hours, watching sports, or participating in Warriors Dash. I have turned many of my coworkers into my personal close friends, and we have made a lot of great memories together. Throughout my years in Energy Assistance, I often tell new temp staff that we work with many stressful households, and sometimes, we can absorb their stress and frustration into ourselves. The last thing we want is to release that onto our coworkers, so instead, let's remember to be good to each other. I love having a good time."
