At Rural Resources, employment and training isn’t just about helping people get jobs—it’s about changing lives. For Morgan Smith and Nick Porter, two passionate leaders in the Employment & Training (E&T) team, it’s a calling built on compassion, persistence, and partnership.

Morgan Smith, Employment & Training Supervisor, works in Rural Resources’ Clarkston (Morgan’s hometown) and Pullman offices and has been with Rural Resources since 2006. What began as a fresh-out-of-college opportunity has turned into a lifelong career dedicated to helping others. From his early days in the Clarkston office to now leading efforts across multiple counties, Morgan’s love for the work—and the people it serves—has never faded.

“I’ve always loved everything I’ve done with Rural Resources,” he says. “It’s been an awesome experience for everything in my life.”

Nick Porter, Lead Employment Coordinator, works out of our Colville office and shares a similar passion. Starting his Rural Resources journey in 2016 through the AmeriCorps program, Nick has worn many hats—from remote volunteer to program leader to avid Curlew sports fan.

“When I look at all the different programs, that’s what we’re here for—to help people overcome barriers and build better lives,” he says. “We have the mindset of: Who and how can we help today?”

 

A “Small But Mighty” Team Spanning Seven Counties

The E&T team is lean but impactful, with nine staff members covering seven counties in eastern Washington: Asotin, Whitman, Garfield, Lincoln, Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille. Offices in Colville, Newport, Davenport, Clarkston, and Pullman act as resource hubs, connecting individuals to job training, housing support, food assistance, and more.

They work closely with local WorkSource partners, high schools, colleges, food banks, and other community agencies to ensure that everyone who walks through their doors receives holistic support—not just a quick fix.

 

What the Programs Offer: Support, Stability, and a Future

For Adults

Nick oversees the adult employment program, designed for those 18 and older who are low-income, receiving SNAP, or veterans. The goal? To provide work experience, on-the-job training, or skills development to help people re-enter the workforce after long absences—whether due to incarceration, homemaking, or other life circumstances.

“It’s all about building confidence and getting something on their résumés,” Nick explains.

For Youth

Morgan leads the youth program for individuals aged 16–24 who face barriers like disabilities, justice involvement, pregnancy, or dropping out of school. This program offers similar services as the adult one, but with a greater focus on mentorship, education, and gaining work experience.

A key highlight: paid, temporary job placements where young people gain real-world experience and confidence. In many cases, these temporary jobs lead to permanent roles.

 

More Than Just Job Help

Rural Resources’ approach is rooted in humanity. Staff members often act as coaches, cheerleaders, sounding boards, and sometimes (unofficial) therapists. When someone comes in for help, the first questions are about food, housing, and safety—not résumés. “Our job is to make sure their their basic needs are being met first,” says Nick. “Then we can help them become employed and self-sufficient.”

From incarceration to stability

Nick shared a story of a client who came in seeking assistance after being incarcerated.

“For a while, he was just trying to get everything back in order,” Nick says. “He had no work clothes and no way to get started with the job hunting process. We enrolled him and got him going, and it was awesome—over the next few months I watched him get custody of his child back because he had a job. He had a place to live. I ran into him at the DOL (Department of Licensing), where he was passing his driver’s test. To this day, every now and then I’ll see him around the community and he always comes up and gives me a handshake.”

Unpaid caretaking & no electricity

Nick shared another client story.

“I had an individual referred to me who had a disabled partner who she was basically providing home care to, as well as caring for their kids,” he says. They relied on $900 of disability payments, as well as SNAP food benefits. With a $600/month mortgage, the family of five was living off of $300 each month. “So with several young kids to support, the first things that go the wayside are the car insurance and registration, as well as car repairs. It was just enough for them to have a roof over their heads, but their power had been shut off.”

Nick helped the client find a free certification program that would allow her to provide home care to her partner and get paid for it. “We had some special funding that we could use for her, so I also took her around town and got her car registered, got her car insurance, and paid for her repairs. We also went to the PUD and got her power back on.”

The client went through the certification program and got her certification, which tripled their household’s income. “Now, they’re not just trying to survive,” Nick says. “They’re getting a chance to live.”

Being a support system

Morgan also had some stories to share from his experience working with young people.

“Last year the Clarkston office worked with a 26-year-old nursing student. Nothing had come easy to her in life, and her training program was intense.” The client had moved to Clarkston by herself with her family a state away, was struggling to pay her bills, and had maxed out her credit cards. “We were able to relieve some of that stress with our support services, and we connected her to the different partnerships that we have,” Morgan says.

Throughout the years, the team provided guidance and encouragement to her as she worked through her program. “I felt like we kind of became her family support while she was in Clarkston,” Morgan says. “With a lot of hard work, she got her license and is working as a nurse making over $43/hour. I don’t know if she would have been able to make through financially without our program.”

On the path to a better life

Morgan shared some good news from a client who had visited him just last week.

“I’ve been working with a young lady in our youth program who has a history of trauma, family poverty, abuse, and tragedy,” Morgan says. “She’s a high school dropout and a single parent of two little ones.” When the client was in high school, she had suffered a miscarriage, and due to deep grief she dropped out of school. “She entered our program with the hopes of getting her GED,” Morgan says. “She was able to pass the first three tests right away, but really struggled with the math. There were points where I thought she was going to give up, but she kept grinding.”

Last week, she came into the office in tears. She had finally passed her final test and gained her GED, making her the first person in her family to have a high school-level diploma. She has a job lined up at the Northwest Children’s home and wants to pursue a career as a social worker. “These stories—I mean, they stay with us,” Morgan says. “This is the real life impact of our programs.”

 

Partnerships are key

For both the adult and youth programs, local partnerships are key. “We have long-lasting partnerships with local employers who give our clients work experience,” Morgan says. “With on-the-job training we can pay full wages or help offset wages while the client gets valuable job experience with the employer. And oftentimes those local employers do end up hiring our participants on a permanent basis.”

“We have our local businesses and training providers, and we also partner with Washington state’s Employment Security Department,” Nick says. “Together with ESD, we make up WorkSource. So whether or not we’re able to enroll someone in our programs, they can always walk through the front door and get help with resume building, job searches, or referrals to other programs that can help them.”

“There are resources available for people here,” Morgan emphasizes.

And if Morgan and Nick are any indication, there is always someone willing to listen and help.

 

 

To contact the Employment & Training team, you can email them at e_t@ruralresources.org, or call 509-685-6131.