Kristina Rivas-Jones has joined the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties as the education and career coordinator for the 100 Families Alliance, a program coming to Texarkana in March that promises to help move families from crisis to career.
The 100 Families Alliance uses a collective impact model to coordinate existing community resources so families can find stability and pull themselves out of crisis situations.
The new position is made possible by a grant from the Texas Pioneer Foundation.
Kristina will help men and women in the program connect with workforce and job skills training, explore trade school and higher education opportunities, and find employment with local companies, according to a news release. She also serves as the interim program coordinator.
Kristina's career includes more than a decade of experience in higher education, marketing and healthcare, as well as success as a small business owner.
The Texarkana native is in her third semester at Stephen F. Austin University, where she is working toward a master's degree in human sciences with a focus on human development and family studies. She holds a bachelor's degree in nuclear medicine from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Literacy Council Executive Director Jenny Walker said that Kristina is the perfect addition to the organization's growing team.
"Kristina's experience, as well as her inviting and energetic personality, make her the kind of leader others naturally want to follow," Jenny said. "She brings to the table all of the qualities we need for our program to be most successful."
After seeing success in other Arkansas counties, Jenny reached out to Restore Hope Arkansas, a Little Rock-based nonprofit, to bring the program to Texarkana.
When it launches, Miller County will be the fifth county in Arkansas, and Bowie County will be the first county in Texas, to partner with Restore Hope on this initiative.
(For more information, call Jenny or Kristina at 903-255-7733.)