Amid nationwide labor shortages and high turnover, employment experts say fostering an equitable workplace is key to finding and retaining workers.

To help, Florida Gulf Coast University is launching the Building Equitable Workplaces: 2024 Summer Workshop Series, a free program aimed at equipping Southwest Florida businesses with strategies to create inclusive work environments.

Meagan Baskin, director of the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute at the university, said the workshops will address topics such as gender equity, generational differences and using AI to address equity challenges.

"And when employees feel that equity," she said, "they're more likely to be satisfied with the place where they work, they're more likely to stay in that organization and talk positively about that organization, which brings in new workers."

Business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce stress the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Baskin noted that professional development is crucial for employee retention and job satisfaction, and encouraged businesses to visit the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute website to register for the workshops on June 14 and July 24.

Chrissann Ruehle, provost faculty fellow for artificial intelligence at the university, is leading a workshop focused on the challenges and opportunities of using the technology to shape the workforce.

"It's almost like today's candidates need to write for two audiences," she said. "They may be writing for an AI screener and then later on down the road there will eventually be a human screener, so sometimes biases can creep into the hiring and selection process."

Ruehle noted that while AI offers efficiency, equity and diversity within the design teams are essential to catching potential problems.

Baskin added that the workshops, valued at around $100 each, can save employers as much as $600 if they attend all six sessions.

Churches are often seen as cornerstones of their communities in North Carolina and elsewhere, but Swansboro United Methodist Church in Onslow County has elevated that role to a critical lifeline for disaster response and recovery.

Combining faith, preparation and strategic partnerships, the church has become a hub of support for both its local community and regions far beyond.

Since launching its mission during the devastation of Hurricane Florence in 2018, leaders say their efforts demonstrate how faith-based leadership can help mobilize resources and rebuild lives.

Layne Harpine, D.M. - Swansboro's director of community life - said the church continues to rise to meet these challenges.

"It could be the immediate response of people that are certified to get out there and do assessments in homes, in communities," said Harpine, "whether it's putting tarps on roofs, whether it's providing shelters, food, and support, clothing."

Swansboro UMC's Disaster Recovery Center operated for 18 months after Hurricane Florence, staffed by a team managing everything from construction to casework. Harpine said these efforts not only provided immediate relief, but also laid the groundwork for longer-term recovery in the region.

Harpine said the church has also become a hub for disaster training, partnering with United Methodist organizations and local agencies to equip volunteers.

He said this ensures teams are ready to respond when disasters strike.

"The Emergency Response Training Certification gives you a badge that you can go out and be the first people out and about doing these assessments, doing responses and then getting people to plug in," said Harpine. "We just didn't do it for ourselves. Through partnerships, Swansboro United Methodist Church should be the hub for that type of initiative, that type of training."

Lead Pastor Laura Thompson said disaster relief is all about teamwork, requiring collaboration and resilience, and the belief that no one should have to face the challenges of disaster recovery alone.

The church recently stepped in to help western North Carolina, sending essential items to support those recovering from devastating storms there.

"It's something that takes all of us, and you know, the proverb stands - if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together," said Thompson. "So, we're learning that this is not something that we can do alone, and it is not something that is efficient and speedy work."

Their efforts reflect a recent Duke Endowment report, highlighting how rural Methodist churches play a critical community role by mobilizing resources, delivering essential services and acting as trusted pillars of support in times of need.




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AARP Connecticut is awarding funds to seven groups through its Livable Community Grants program.

Some projects awarded funding include the new internet café at the West Haven Senior Center, shade sails for the outdoor seating at Thrive 55's Active Learning Center and outdoor benches for the Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust's new pavilion.

Kelli Lefler, associate state director of community outreach for AARP Connecticut, said deciding which projects will receive funding is challenging.

"Part of what we look at is how is it impacting the community," Lefler explained. "For a community to really be livable, we want it to be livable whether you're 8 years old or 80 years old. So, if it's just helping one piece of that population, that might not make the cut."

Other considerations are how much impact a project will have, specifically if it benefits a niche audience or the broader community. This year, there were 80 submissions for projects, which Lefler noted all had merits. Once the organizations receive the funding, they have a year to complete the projects with a follow-up report due to AARP Connecticut to see how the project is being used.

Since beginning in 2018, 45 projects in the state have received funding through the program. Typically, the group sees 50 to 75 applications annually, although some are disqualified for not being filled out properly. Lefler added many projects submitted this year were grant-worthy, although they did not make the final cut.

"There was a request for basically like a ramp that a wheelchair can use," Lefler observed. "They place it on the beach and it goes into the water so that wheelchair users have more access to get over the sand and to actually enjoy the water."

She added projects receiving funding can help municipalities make spaces accessible for seniors to age in place.

A champion of rights for older LGBTQ+ people has received recognition for her volunteer work in Oregon.

Liz James is the winner of the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service, thanks to her engagement in a number of efforts to improve the health and equity of LGBTQ+ residents of the state. She said volunteering is a vital part of her life.

"Volunteering gives me purpose, social connection, opportunities to learn and grow, and to make a difference."

James lives in southern Oregon. She is chair of the Oregon LGBTQ+ Aging Coalition, chair of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments Joint Senior Advisory Council, and a volunteer with AARP Oregon.

James stressed LGBTQ+ people are not a monolith and they exist everywhere, not as a single community but many communities. She acknowledged there are specific health risks and needs for LGBTQ+ people and discrimination affects their living conditions. She added poverty and suicidal ideation are higher for them.

"Data shows we're twice as likely to be single and living alone," James noted. "We're more likely to be estranged from family. We're half as likely to have a relative to call. We're four times less likely to have children and almost one and a half times more likely to be primary caregivers."

James was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 99, which established a bill of rights in long-term and community-based care facilities for LGBTQ+ residents and residents living with HIV.

"First of all, it prescribes very specific nondiscrimination protections that have to be physically posted and provided to all residents and adhered to," James outlined. "And there is an accountability for violations built into it."

She added the bill requires training for staff in long-term care facilities. James is serving on the LGBTQ+ subcommittee of the Governor's Commission on Senior Services, which was established by Senate Bill 99 and started this year.