Bevin Mercer, a Supportive Employment Specialist in our Academy of Professional Development, recently went to Japan on a social service exchange. She was chosen along with nine other social service professionals from the city of Chicago to go to Japan and engage in dialogues, site visits, and a conference on social services. The goals of this exchange included creating partnerships, improving cultural understanding, and sharing of best practices among professionals working in the same fields.
Bevin was able to visit social service agencies in Osaka and meet with government officials to gain an understanding of their social service system. She was thrilled to be able to network with Japanese professionals who share her passion for serving the homeless, women, and children. Her favorite site visit was to the Holy Home for Women, a supportive housing facility for homeless women and children, which shares a faith-based connection with New Moms.
At the end of the exchange, Bevin was asked to present at a conference of Japanese staff and government officials who were interested in finding out about new funding sources for their social services. They were quite interested to learn about how Bright Endeavors, our social enterprise, supports and enhances New Moms programs and participant experiences. All in all, it was a great professional learning experience for Bevin, and she will be bringing back what she learned to use in her work at New Moms.