Nuts About Ground Up

Not only does the Portland women-owned and led company Ground Up produce delicious food, but they also support our trainees by bringing them on to their team through paid internships. MJ Jackson, recently featured at the POIC Work Connections event, is a POIC trainee currently part of the internship program. She's thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity! When MJ could not complete her first internship at Ground Up, they gave her a second chance due to her excellent performance on the team.

Throughout the internship, MJ has overcome obstacles. Besides having a second job as a caretaker working the graveyard shift, both MJ and her baby tested positive for COVID-19. She was unable to work for a couple of weeks.

"I was so freaked out, and he wouldn't eat anything. It was really hard," MJ recounted. Besides the health scare, it also impacted her financially on top of the worry for her family's health.

Despite that ordeal, MJ persevered. Ground Up's training program allows her to keep learning and earning as she sets her sights on her future career path. Being impacted personally by the criminal justice system, her career aspirations are to study law and help reform the system directly. Thanks to the opportunity Ground Up provided and the support of a POIC Career Coach, MJ is on the path to a successful career.

If you would like to support trainees like MJ and help build more partnerships with local businesses, please consider giving to our Work Connections campaign. We are so close to meeting our goal - every gift helps build a better, more inclusive workforce that serves our vulnerable Black and Brown job seekers.