Green Team

Started in 2016, the Green Team Job Training Program provides farm-based employment, work readiness training, job placement assistance, and mentoring for women facing or experiencing homelessness at our Green Phoenix Farm. The program utilizes a cohort-based model – developed with support from Climb Wyoming – that relies on the power of women working in groups. Through on-the-job training and weekly life and job skills workshops, the program helps participants develop new skills and strengthen existing skills, cultivate strong work habits, build their confidence, develop key social and emotional skills, secure housing and permanent employment, and achieve other personal goals. Our program partners help connect participants to available resources, including housing vouchers. The program also helps participants improve their health and well-being by providing regular access to fresh produce and hands-on food preparation experience, as well as consistent physical activity and daily yoga and breathwork.

Annually, the program serves up to 12 women, with approximately 80% achieving stable housing and reliable employment after the program. Green Team program participants grow most of the seedlings sold at our annual Spring Plant Sale, as well as organic produce that feeds thousands of low-income individuals and families annually through WCG programs and community partnerships.

The program takes place at the 1.4-acre Green Phoenix Farm, located on Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency (RDA) property near the Gateway. The farm is 100% solar powered and serves as a demonstration site for regenerative agriculture and permaculture techniques. Hundreds of community members visit the farm each year to participate in educational volunteer opportunities, tours, and research projects. The Green Phoenix Farm is thus a unique gathering place for people of all backgrounds, including program participants, volunteers, WCG donors, aspiring urban farmers, etc. The interactions that occur on the Farm between team members and the broader community are invaluable to their success in building professional connections that can lead to future employment opportunities.

For more information about our Green Team Job Training Program, contact Job Training Program Director Jackie Rodabaugh (801.948.0431; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Read an in-depth report of our Job Training Program here (compiled in 2021).

Are You Interested in Joining the Green Team?

Become a vital part of the team. Read all about the program, including answers to frequently asked questions, here.

Are You A Case Worker?

The Job Training Program staff, including Program Director Jackie Rodabaugh and Green Team Advocate Courtney “Coco” Giles, work closely with case workers, service providers, and other community members to provide women interested in the program with an opportunity to learn more, while women actively participating on the Green Team have extra support to achieve their goals. Due to the program’s structure, the Job Training Program is a natural fit to assist case workers and ensure women experiencing/facing homelessness are supported with a holistic approach.

If you would like to learn more about this programming and how it may benefit women in your caseloads or networks, please reach out to Job Training Program Director Jackie Rodabaugh (801.948.0431; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Green Team Advocate Courtney Giles (801.842.5782; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).