Tahonishi joined the MSC team in 2022 as our Youth GED Coordinator. She recently also started providing support to clients in our rent assistance and foreclosure prevention programs.

How does your work help the community?

Working with youth to get their GED’s means mentoring students to graduate through a series of tests. I’m helping to instill hope for a better future, whether it’s a job pathway or furthering their education. MSC’s rent assistance program helps people maintain their housing and our foreclosure prevention work provides classes to better educate homeowners or people wanting to be homeowners in their options to maintain stable home ownership.

Clients often face significant challenges as they adjust to life in a changing environment. My work plays a crucial role by connecting them to essential resources including housing assistance, employment, legal support, educational resources, clothing, and food resources to help them achieve self-sufficiency and successfully settle into their environment. We provide confidence that there are organizations out there that truly care about community, that truly want to give all the tools and resources to become a whole in unity.

What stands out to you about your work?

Since working for MSC, I have helped 42 students graduate. The majority of them still keep in contact with me, and are either in college or have well-paying jobs. Since joining the rent assistance team, I have served over 40 families in rental assistance to maintain housing stability. I am able to learn about other programs and resources to help our community more. To me helping and seeing the numbers of people I can assist; that’s a true success story.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your work? The hardest?

Waking up every morning, coming to work, thinking about who can I impact today, who can I help pour into to make someone’s day better is the most satisfying. Not being able to help everyone is hard.

What motivates you to do this work?

My number one motivation is God, living in his purpose is always my number one goal. Second would be my children. I know I’m only one person but shining my light on our community brings a better community and others wanting to help for their children’s future. I was a person in need, a young, troubled youth that had a child at a young age and I needed someone to believe in me.

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work?

I love to fish, cook, read and have quality time with my children.