Back to work I go!

Next week is shaping up to be busy with the start of two new development projects.

The first task is relatively straightforward. To help FISH with grant reporting, I'll be adding a feature to our software to capture the ethnicity of each member we serve. Based on my initial research, the categories I'll likely be implementing are:

Ethnicity:

• Hispanic or Latino

• Not Hispanic or Latino

Race:

• White

• Black or African American

• Asian

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• Two or More Races

The second project is more involved and could take several weeks, perhaps even a month. I'll be developing software for the Clothing Department to enable them to print their own client forms. Currently, the front desk handles this, leading to paperwork moving all over the place. Streamlining this process within the Clothing Department will improve efficiency, especially with our upcoming move next year.

The way the clothing distribution operates will change significantly after we move. In the new building, Clothing volunteers will be able to directly call clients from the reception area. However, in our current setup, spread across two buildings, it's more complicated. We have to call the Clothing Department to schedule client visits. My goal is to build software that meets our needs today while keeping the future workflow in mind.

On a side note, I'm excited to have been invited to the new-building committee! I'll be overseeing various aspects of the development, including layout, wiring, HVAC, and workflow. Having managed seven new building build-outs in my career, including one as large as 21 million cubic feet (FISH is a modest 120,000 cubic feet in comparison!), I'm confident I can bring valuable experience to this project. Or in simple terms Hopkins Distribution Company is 175 times larger than FISH is! Stay tuned for updates on the progress of these fun projects! Hopkins Distribution Corporate entryway (I miss those beautiful offices that I designed!):

Side note: I sent a request into Gibson guitars to have them make me a custom SG. My best friend at the time, when I was a teenager, had an Ibanez SG 2394. What a great guitar it was. I miss being able to play it. So, it's time for me to get my very own! Super light-weight, fast action, great humbucker-pickups and it looks so cool in Maple, with black inlays on the maple neck. Priceless! They were only made from 1974 to 1975 and are collector items now. I would be the only person in the world that has a Gibson 2394!

🐺💜🧚‍♀️