Meet our BY Program Manager: Michele

Michele’s path has been anything but linear. Born and raised on the east side of Indianapolis, she took on a wide variety of roles—bartender, private jet hangar employee, co-owner of a home repair business, and adult educator, to name a few—before eventually joining Home Repairs for Good as Program Manager for the BY Plus program.

After a brief time living in Los Angeles with her then-husband, they decided to return to Indiana, missing both family and the affordability of the Midwest. Michele has always loved living near downtown Indy, sharing that it’s easy to get involved in the neighborhoods she’s called home and that it has been an incredible place to raise her children.

In her late 30s, as a single mother of four young children, Michele leaned heavily on her community when she made the decision to return to college while juggling work and full-time classes. Thanks to Southeast Community Services, she received a scholarship that covered the cost of schooling—allowing her to earn both her associate and bachelor’s degrees, complete multiple internships, and even obtain her Realtor’s license.

Through it all, she credits strong Indianapolis communities with supporting her and helping her achieve her goals. Wanting to give back, Michele began serving on neighborhood boards to “help make it a great place for everyone.” Today, she serves on the board of the West Indy Development Corporation (WIDC).

As Michele puts it, “No one makes it through life without the help of others.”

Eventually, Michele would learn about Home Repairs for Good while working as an instructional assistant at an adult high school during a community partners event. This is where she would meet Lisa, our Director of Community and Partner Engagement. After hearing about Michele’s handy skills, Lisa would go on to say that she would make a great fit for the BY Plus Program—and Michele couldn’t agree more!

Michele teaching BY construction trainees.

The BY Plus program, which provides trainees with a basic intro to careers in construction was initially created as a BY or Build Yourself Better general construction education by the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation. The "Plus" comes in with the collaboration between Home Repairs for Good, Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, and CICF to help provide wrap around services for the trainees going through the program. The overarching goal is to help individuals with a path out of poverty and into the construction industry for a career. At the end of the program, they have earned an NCCER certification and their OSHA 30 certification.

Michele manages the paid, hands-on work experience (WEX) provided by Home Repairs for Good for the program. The WEX provides the hands-on education to compliment the classroom style education provided by the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation. Trainees gain a basic understanding of different career paths within the construction industry through the process of helping to problem solve and complete home repairs that serve the older adults and individuals with disabilities that Home Repairs for Good focuses on.

Most trainees start out having never used a tool before, but it doesn’t take long for them to gain confidence and begin problem-solving on their own. For Michele, the best part is watching trainees realize they’ve successfully completed a project.

“Seeing them have a sense of pride and accomplishment in their hard work makes me so proud,” she shares. “But when they say, ‘I can fix my grandma’s gutters now!’ or ‘I’m really happy that I was able to help this homeowner!’ my heart melts. These young adults haven’t always had the opportunity to help someone else, and it’s a beautiful thing when they realize they’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”

For Michele, working at Home Repairs for Good has been the best job she’s ever had (and there have been quite a few), she jokingly adds. She finds the work deeply fulfilling and even believes that “we have the best team around.” She also loves meeting so many different people through her role, which recently expanded outside of Indianapolis when she had the opportunity to present about our BY Plus partnership at the Coalition for Home Repair’s national “ReFrame” conference in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Through it all, Michele’s personal, educational, and professional experiences have equipped her to be a strong leader that creates lasting impact wherever she chooses to focus her efforts. Home Repairs for Good is exceptionally proud to have Michele as a member of our team!

To read more stories about those who support our work, visit our Supporter Spotlight blog section.