he history of EMPath (Economic Mobility Pathways) goes back to 1824, when the Boston Female Moral Reform Society arose, and while the name and almost everything else is different today, the words President and CEO Kim Janey uses to describe the people they serve might well have been spoken 200 years ago: “They may be experiencing the worst time of their lives. They’re very vulnerable, and so our job is to provide support that is respectful and meaningful.”

D’Arcy Goldman, chair of EMPath’s board of directors, says, “Kim’s dedication and experience serving the Boston community is well documented, but what may be lesser known is her incredible ability as a leader to bring different groups and perspectives together to get things done.”

As EMPath prepares to celebrate its bicentennial, Early Learning Nation magazine spoke to Janey about the organization’s present and future. Here’s what we learned:

The fight against poverty has evolved. A sharp difference between 19th- and 21st-century strategies is the value EMPath places on the experience, wisdom and strengths of participants. “We meet them where they are,” says Janey, who took the helm of EMPath in June 2022, after serving as mayor of Boston in 2021, “or as one participant said, where they dream. We help participants to self-assess, and then our coaches strategize with them to identify goals and to remove barriers that pop up. They have regular meetings to ensure that progress is happening.”

Mobility Mentoring pairs participants with EMPath mentors to collaborate on setting and achieving goals that might include family stability, well-being, education and training. For participants who start the process while living in a shelter, the support continues after they find housing. “We work with them through our stabilization program,” she says. “We continue to check in, to see if the habits stick.”

Participants drive the organization. Just as businesses survey their customers, EMPath solicits feedback from the people who use its services. Janey cites one comment: “The unique support and opportunities that you and your colleagues have extended to me and my loved ones leave me with immense gratitude, and I would wholeheartedly recommend your organization to any individuals in similar circumstances.”

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