A welcome message from Keyedrya Jacobs:
My name is Keyedrya (Ky-Dra) Jacobs and I have been a life long Massachusetts resident who has found a true passion for community building and connection. I have had the pleasure of being able to mirror that passion through the work I do in my career.
I started to build my community engagement skills at the local co-op in Greenfield. Where I got to meet a lot of the movers and shakers in the area. As a woman with a bright smile and big personality, it was easy to gain a lot of attention so I used that to begin hosting conversations in that co-op. Conversations around big and difficult topics such as race, racial tension, poverty and sexuality that brought out people from all walks of life to give their thoughts on how our community is shaped. As I gained more confidence in my facilitation skills I moved on to work with many of the service providers in the area. From Community Action Youth Programs, where we held many different youth engagement groups and events that highlighted the voices of youth of color as well as LGBTQIA youth. On to DIAL/Self where we specialize in youth homelessness engagement. I was responsible for coordinating the drop in center as well as hosting youth skill building workshops throughout Franklin, Hampshire and The North Quabbin counties.
Currently I have moved into the space of parent engagement. We now know that youth substance prevention is all hands on board work and everyone needs to be involved. Parents and Caregivers are crucial in making sure our youth feel supported. Coordinating programs that help educate and uplift parent and caregiver efforts helps maintain positive family management and that’s the hope we have for Hampshire county. I look forward to working with you all.