Supporter Spotlight: Tiffany Strim
We are excited to celebrate one of our most dedicated and long-term supporters, Tiffany Strim! Tiffany has been involved with the YWRC for more than 12 years.
“I have been connected with YWRC, for over 12 years. Prior to working at Hoover with SUCCESS, I collaborated with them through previous positions in the community that I held. I collaborated with the doula program and the young moms’ groups. When I started working at Hoover, eight years ago, I took over as the liaison for the Young Moms group (and the SIGNA group that no longer meets).”
Currently, Tiffany works with us through her role as the SUCCESS Case Manager at Hoover.
“I work with students who have dropped out, and are at risk for dropping out. I outreach to the students who have already been dropped and assist them with returning to Hoover or finding an alternative within DMPS. For the students that are still enrolled, or re-enroll, I provide them with support. I monitor their attendance, behavior, grades and credits. I offer resources in the community for them and their families. I assist them with looking further into post-secondary education options.”
It is clear to us that Tiffany is not only committed to her students, but also to our organization and the community as a whole. We consider ourselves fortunate to have her as part of our extended team.
“Everything that the YWRC does for young ladies is amazing. The relationships I have built through collaborating with the young mom’s groups have been pretty special. The facilitators have shown so much love, care and compassion for the young ladies at Hoover. They go above and beyond to educate and offer them support outside the classroom. It’s truly been an honor to work so closely with such knowledgeable women.
Collaboration allows for personal and professional growth. The field of human services, social work, and counseling is very small, many services overlap, and our clientele overlap. When we have good working relationships with other agencies, it allows for a more wraparound service to happen for the people we serve. It also bridges that gap of communication, we are all here working for the same goal.”
Tiffany continues to positively impact our community outside of her work at Hoover and with us. She has provided in-home respite care to children through Iowa Family Services and The Respite Connection for six years, plays on a co-ed kickball league, collaborates with Orchard Place/Child Guidance for counseling services, works closely with iJag as a school/community partner, and teams up with Job Corps by referring students and taking them on visits throughout Iowa.
Her commitment to advocating for and assisting youth stems from her own experience of feeling disconnected to role models.
“To be honest, I did not have many role models growing up, my childhood was filled with trauma and a result of that, left me hopeless at times and isolated from those that wanted to help. It wasn’t until my adulthood and working with individuals similar to some of the experiences that I had, that I really started to shape who I was and wanted to be. I would say now, I aspire to be the very best version of myself. I try really hard not to compare myself to others. I will continue to evolve into the unstoppable woman that I strive to be.”
Tiffany’s advice to youth today is:
“Slow down and enjoy your journey, don’t be in such a rush to get to the ‘finish line’, because that line will constantly be moving. Life is fluid, once you understand that, allow yourself to move with it and be open to all the opportunities that life will bring you. Love hard, and always forgive. If you hold on to negativity, it will weigh you down, and you may miss out on awesome people, and awesome opportunities. If one door closes, trust that it just wasn’t meant for you, and as long as you keep your heart open, another door will open soon. Love yourself, be kind to yourself in every way, and have FUN! Life is amazing, if you just allow yourself to live!”
When she’s not busy collaborating with area organizations or enjoying kickball, Tiffany can be found enjoying all that Des Moines has to offer.
“The people in Des Moines are nice. There are opportunities to grow, and I find it very family orientated. For me, there are plenty of things to do here. I love a good comedy show, or live music, and there are so many great restaurants.”
Three things you may not know about Tiffany:
- Her faith keeps her grounded.
- She has three beautiful daughters that keep her goal oriented.
- She LOVES to travel.
Thank you, Tiffany, for being such a steadfast, dedicated and inspiring partner for the YWRC. We appreciate you!