Women's History Month: Brittany Zanders

Introduction

In 1995, March was declared as Women’s History month, a time to celebrate women’s achievements and accomplishments in history (womenshistorymonth.gov). In the same spirit, LEAP Housing would like to recognize the outstanding women who have contributed to sustainable housing efforts through a series of blog posts. So, let’s meet Brittany.

A Warm Welcome

Brittany Zanders is part of LEAP’s Welcome Housing program and serves as the Resident Services Coordinator. The Welcome Housing program is set up with three temporary rental condos that LEAP Housing owns and runs to provide affordable short-term housing for people arriving as New Americans. Brittany's role is to ease and transition Boise’s newest residents into finding their “place” in the community. Specifically, Brittany connects households with community resources like education, training, and resource navigation.

Jacqueline, a former guest of the Welcome Housing program said about the program, “many, many people were a blessing in our lives, and that has completely changed us, because the love that they give us, that we want also to give love to others.” It’s apparent that Brittany's work isn't just confined to the Welcome Housing program itself but reaches the hearts of the people who experience the program, and as Jacqueline said, that love is inspiring. 

A Piece of the Puzzle

For Brittany, this passion to create change started at a young age- after a decade of working in the non-profit sector, traveling, and doing ministry service in Tanzania, Haiti, and Mexico, Brittany brought her talents to the Boise area. Putting her bachelor's degree in Nonprofit Administration and master's degree in Intercultural Studies to work, Brittany has proved to be a fundamental piece of the affordable housing puzzle. Recently, Brittany and the LEAP team have focused on the relaunching of the Welcome Housing program, with Brittany leading the team towards updating the program and the renovation of the condos.

Thank You

Whether it's collaborating on a personal level or at a community level, Brittany enjoys meeting and connecting with people. Brittney said it best when she said, “we all bring something to the table and it's when our experience and passion come together that the most impact can be made. It's awesome to witness and be a part of.” Everyone is capable of great things, and when people come together is when real change happens.

If you'd like to continue reading the LEAP Housing Women’s History blog series, you can read about advocate and donor, Cay Marquart here Women's History Month: Cay Marquart — LEAP HOUSING.