Living Well
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Our life here
Palo Alto Is The
BEST PLACE To Retire. Webster House is now a member of Episcopal Senior Communities, the not-for-proďŹ t organization that owns and operates Canterbury Woods, Los Gatos Meadows, Lytton Gardens, San Francisco Towers, Spring Lake Village, and St. Paul’s Towers. Ideally located near the wonderful mix of shops, restaurants, and art galleries, our newly renovated apartments, gracious amenities, enriched services, and new programs make living here a style of life that offers you real peace-of-mind in a welcoming community with the advantages of continuing care. To learn more, or for your personal visit, please call 650.838.4004.
Your style, your neighborhood.
401 Webster Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
websterhousepaloalto.org
A non-denominational, not-for-proďŹ t community owned and operated by Episcopal Senior Communities. License No. 435294364 COA #246. EPWH654-01BA 052413
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And after decades in the corporate world, fellows King and Powery said the mission-driven nature of nonprofit work was a refreshing change. “You’re dealing with very passionate people solving challenging problems and it’s an exciting environment to work in,� King said. But corporate America typically is far ahead of nonprofits — even those in Silicon Valley — when it comes to the operational side of things, with frequently outdated technology and other systems. At InnVision Shelter Network, Powery has worked on implementing an online payroll system and is overseeing the rollout of new communication systems and routers to the agency’s 240 employees in 18 locations, made possible by a nearly half-million dollar grant from Cisco. “We’re starting to use more of the technology to our advantage,� Powery said, tiptoeing into systems like conference calling and Webex. “There’s a fine line between when to do it remotely and when to do it in person. Karae and I have talked about this — we don’t want to go to one extreme.� One thing that attracted him to the agency, Powery said, was “the business view they took of things. “They always have the mission in mind — getting people off the streets, getting them into supportive housing, out of homelessness, helping them find a job, case management, client services — but they’re always looking at how to make it more effective. “It’s not just ‘the mission at all costs.’ That’s what I enjoy about being there.� But as newcomers from the corporate world, he stressed that Encore fellows must “learn about the new sector, or business, you’re in. “You can’t just come in and say, ‘I was this executive at HP so I know how to do it.’ You have to say, ‘Here are some skills I have but I know nothing about homelessness. What can I learn? What can I read? Who are our partners? How does the funding come?’ “So there’s a whole new learning curve I’ve had to go through this last year, which is great. The one thing with Encore is it gives you the ability to use the skills you’re good at, and learn while you’re there.� Powery said he’s come to appreciate the complexities and different types of homelessness, including the mental health and family issues involved. “I never knew about families that are homeless,� he said. “It makes it exciting to know that what I’m doing has an impact.� N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@ paweekly.com.