Meet the Staff: Lindsey Jenkins

WHAT DREW YOU TO ORIGIN SC ORIGINALLY? AND HOW HAS THE ORGANIZATION CHANGED SINCE?

Originally, I took a job with Origin as an AmeriCorps Vista. Prior to taking the position, I had recently spent most of a year volunteering in a very impoverished area of the grenadine islands. Upon my return to the United States, I realized just how much the community that I grew up in, needed help dealing with poverty too. So, when considering the position, the organization’s mission and vision, centered around financial stability and homelessness prevention, resonated with me deeply. 

The organization has changed quite a bit on the outside but still feels the same within. When I took the job as a VISTA the organization was called Family 

Services Inc. and it had a completely different look. We have since rebranded and now are known in the community as Origin SC. 

What has surprised you the most about working at Origin SC?

I think I still am surprised by all the different departments that make up this organization. For example, I didn’t realize that we had a Family Violence Intervention program until after I began working here. In addition to that, I feel like we are always trying to find new ways to make a difference in the community. Since I have started working here, we have added a new student loan debt management program as well.

What is an experience that has really shaped who you are? 

More recently, I would say the entire year as an AmeriCorps Vista definitely shaped where I am today. It was very tough financially and there were times I wanted to give up. I had to work two jobs to make sure the bills were paid. However, it made me more compassionate for some of the people we serve, the people working really hard but still struggling financially. It also made me more self-aware in terms of what I am able to overcome and achieve if I work hard. Usually, the most difficult experiences are able to bring about the biggest change or growth within us. 

How has Origin SC helped you in your career development?

My experience at origin has definitely offered the opportunity for me to grow and obtain experience in different areas. After my year as a VISTA, Origin hired me to work in the administration department. I have learned a lot in this position and in my year as a VISTA. 

What is the one thing in this world you are most proud of?

I am proud to work for an organization that really strives to help people within our community.  Also, I will be a new mom this coming July. I am proud that I get an opportunity to start a family with the person I love. 

National Women’s History Month

In 1980, the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) was founded in Santa Rosa, California by Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan to broadcast women’s historical achievements.

Their first objective was to lead a coalition that successfully lobbied Congress to designate March as National Women’s History Month, now celebrated across the land.
Today, the NWHP is nationally known as the only clearinghouse that provides informational services and educational and promotional materials which recognizes and celebrates the historic and diverse accomplishments of women.

Today, the NWHP is nationally known as the only clearinghouse that provides informational services and educational and promotional materials which recognizes and celebrates the historic and diverse accomplishments of women.

20 Facts About Women:

1. In 1975, fewer than 47% of mothers with children under 18 years old worked. Today, 71% of them work. In the 70s and prior, the idea of women working outside the home was frowned upon, to say the least, and women who did so worked as maids, seamstresses, took in laundry, or worked in one of the traditionally female-dominated fields. Today, not only do more women work outside the home, they hold a wider variety of jobs – some even working dominant positions in both business and the science and technology industries.

2. While women now have the right to vote, women are still heavily underrepresented in the political sphere. Currently, women only hold 17% of both Congressional and Senate seats, and 18% of gubernatorial positions in the U.S.

3. In 1950, women comprised less than 2% of the U.S. military. Today, approximately 14% of active members in the U.S. armed forces are women.

4. Over 60 percent of college degrees awarded in the U.S. every year are earned by women. In fact, women are more likely than men to get a high school diploma, and the numbers are only expected to rise in the coming years.

5. One of the highest IQs ever recorded, via standardized testing, belongs to columnist and author Marilyn vos Savant.

6. While larger numbers of women are moving into the workforce, they are still taking on traditionally female positions like teaching, nursing, and social services. These three industries alone employ nearly one-third of all female workers.

7. Susan Kare developed most of the interface elements for Apple Macintosh, and helped developed the bulk of the small icons early Mac users clicked on every day. Though Kare left Apple in the 80s, she is still working with and improving innovative technologies and design.

8. Roberta Gibb was the first woman to run and finish the Boston Marathon in 1966. Of course, she did not get official credit for it, as women were not allowed to enter the race until 1972, but her wins in ’66, ’67, and ’68 seriously challenged long-held beliefs about the athletic prowess of women.

9. Virne “Jackie” Mitchell-Gibson, a pitcher, was the first woman to play baseball professionally. While women still do not have much of a presence in baseball today, Mitchell proved that it wasn’t because they could not play. During an exhibition game, she struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Her performance most likely played a part in baseball commissioner Kenesaw Landis’ ban of women from the sport later that year.

10. In 1921, American novelist Edith Wharton was the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence, a story set in upper-class, “Golden Age” New York during the 1870s.

11. Queen Victoria ruled one the largest empires in the history of the world, at one point controlling land on nearly every continent. This included countries such as: India, Australia, Egypt, Kenya, Canada, and British Guiana.

12. African-American performer Josephine Baker was working in France during WWII, but not only as a singer, dancer, and actress. She was also helping the war movement, smuggling numerous messages to French soldiers. She often hid messages inside her dress or concealed with invisible ink on her sheet music. Baker’s work in the war is only part of what makes her such an amazing figure, as she was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture, perform in a concert hall, and played a big role in the Civil Rights Movement.

13. In 1756, during America’s Colonial period, Lydia Chapin Taft became the first woman to legally vote with the consent of the electorate. While all women did not enjoy this privilege until 1920, Taft was allowed to vote because her husband, a powerful local figure, had passed away right before a major town vote. She was allowed to vote in his stead.

14. The first woman to run for U.S. president was Victoria Woodhull, who campaigned for the office in 1872 under the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. While women would not be granted the right to vote by a constitutional amendment for nearly 50 years, there were no laws prohibiting one from running for the chief executive position.

15. The first female governor of a U.S. state was Wyoming Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross, elected in 1924. Wyoming was also the first state to give women the right to vote, enacting women’s suffrage in 1869.

16. The first female member of a president’s cabinet was Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt (more commonly known as FDR). She remained in office for the duration of both of FDR’s terms and helped put together the labor programs needed for the New Deal to succeed.

17. On May 15, 1809, Mary Dixon Kies received the first U.S. patent issued to a woman for inventing a process for weaving straw with silk or thread. Before then, most women inventors did not bother to patent their new inventions because they could not legally own property independent of their husbands.

18. Jane Addams was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize because of her work with the Hull House (a settlement-house for European immigrants that provided educational, recreational, and other social services to the community in which it is established) alongside Ellen Gates Starr. She was a public philosopher, writer, leader, and suffragist who will forever be known as one of the most influential and prolific women in American history.

19. The first woman to rule a country as an elected leader in the modern era was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, who was elected as Prime Minister of the island nation in 1960 and later re-elected in 1970. She is still one of only a handful of female heads of states, though numbers are growing with female leaders being recently elected in countries like Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rice, Lithuania, and Gabon.


20. In almost every country in the world, and for nearly all causes of death at all ages, the life expectancy for women is higher than men. Scientists are not entirely sure why this is the case, but believe it might have to do with the presence of estrogen in the body, improving immune function.

Spring Clean and Cash In!

Looking for ways to make some extra cash this spring? When was the last time that you wore that leather jacket that you've had since forever? Or used those golf clubs in the corner of your garage? You know that old couch you're dying to get rid of? Sell it!

With just a few clicks, you can make quick cash right from your smartphone or tablet by using apps such as Poshmark, Letgo, OfferUp, Gone, or Carousell. Simply create an account, take a picture of the item(s) you want to sell, and post. It's easy! Read on for more information about each app.

Poshmark

Available on: iOS and Android Devices

Cost: Free to download; takes a flat commission of $2.95 for all sales under $15, or a 20% commission for sales of $15 or more; buyers pay a flat rate of $6.49 for expedited (1 – 3 day) shipping for all orders.

Poshmark focuses on women’s clothing and accessories, but can also be used to buy and sell men’s and children’s items. Users who sign up create a virtual "closet" where they can display items they'd like to sell.

In order to create a listing, simply use your phone to snap a photo of the item you want to sell (you can add up to four photos), filter it with one of the app's photo filters, write a short description about the product, and answer a few questions (such as size, color, brand, original price, and listing price). When you make a sale on Poshmark, you're provided with a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label. Once your sale has been packaged, you can drop it off at a USPS mailbox or schedule a free pickup with USPS.com. You can receive money from your sales via direct deposit to your bank account or request a mailed check.

Users looking to buy items on Poshmark can search for specific items, or browse the listings of other "Poshers" they've chosen to follow. Items are sold for up to 70% off the retail price and include designers such as J. Crew, Coach, Michael Kors, Anthropologie, and Gucci. Purchases can be made using a credit card or Paypal account. Users can also pay for items using any credits that they have earned on the site from their own sales.

LetGo

Available on: iOS and Android devices

Cost: Free to download; sellers keep 100% of sale; no shipping costs, because interactions are in-person.

Letgo is designed to allow users to buy and sell items in their local area such as cars, electronics, clothing and accessories, sports memorabilia, movies, books, music, home and garden items, and more. 

Unlike similar apps, Letgo discourages sellers from shipping items to buyers. Instead, the app encourages users to interact via a private chat feature to arrange an in-person sale. Of course, you should always meet in a public, well-lit place; and use/receive cash and document each transaction. 

Listings show the approximate location (but not the exact address) of where the item was posted, so buyers can judge how far it is from their home.

To create a listing, sellers can upload up to five photos of the item, write a description, and establish a price. The app also allows you to create a commercial to advertise your listing (sellers simply choose a fun video template and the app does the rest for you).

OfferUp

Available on: iOS and Android devices

Cost: Free to download; sellers keep 100% of sale; no shipping fees because interactions are in-person

“In the race to reinvent the Craigslist experience, OfferUp has emerged as a leader.” – Forbes

Like Letgo, OfferUp does not offer shipping options. Instead, OfferUp encourages users to message each other on the app to arrange a sale and meet up in person to complete the transaction. The approximate locations of where items are being sold are shown so people can browse listings in their local area. Again, you should always meet in a public, well-lit place; and use/receive cash and document each transaction.

An additional feature of OfferUp is the optional TruYou Program, which allows users to validate their identity to help increase confidence among buyers and sellers. To take part in the program, you must verify your Facebook profile, scan your driver's license (a state-issued I.D. or U.S. passport is also valid) and take a selfie. Of course, you should always use precaution when copying and giving official documents or information to people/companies/organizations, such as your state-issued I.D. or U.S. passport, as identity theft can occur. 

Gone

Available on: iOS devices

Cost: Free to download; no commissions deducted, though Gone determines the price of your product; no shipping fees for sellers

From laptops, phones, and tablets to e-readers and smartwatches, Gone can help you receive cash for your electronic items. The best part? The app will do just about all the work for you!

With the app open, simply snap a picture or record a video of your used electronics, gadgets, or small appliances and hit upload. If Gone determines that an item can be resold, the company will make you an offer. If you accept the offer, Gone will pick up the item from your home or send you prepaid shipping materials and a printed label to drop off at any UPS location. It will also list the item and find a buyer for you, so you can just sit back and relax. As long as your item passes inspection and sells successfully, you'll receive your payment via Paypal, Debit Card, or Amazon.com Gift Card according to your preference. If your item doesn’t sell in 30 days, you'll have the option to lower the price or receive your item back at no cost.

Carousell

Available on: iOS and Android devices

Cost: Free to download

“Buy and sell with friends, people of similar interests, and communities that you care about!”

Take up to four (4) photos of what you wish to sell, list your item(s), and sell via chat room. Carousell is not involved in the payment process; therefore, you are solely responsible for sending/receiving payment and documenting those transactions. They do list options on how to give/receive payment: bank transfers, mailed payments, in-person transactions, and Paypal. They also list Singpost to help you figure out postage rates.