Community Health : House of Hope
How one local nonprofit continues to give back even through crisis . BY ISABELLE PAQUETTE
With great hardship comes great resilience . The House of Hope Community Development Corporation , a nonprofit located in Warwick , was founded in 1989 with a mission to prevent homelessness . In recent months , its work has shifted to provide the resources and education to all Rhode Islanders about COVID-19 , while championing justice and change for the homeless population .
We talked with Megan Smith , member of the House of Hope outreach program ; Laura Jaworski , executive director ; and Crystal Young , director of programs to learn more about House of Hope ’ s efforts .
WHAT IS HOUSE OF HOPE AS AN ORGANIZATION ? WHAT ARE THE FOUNDING VALUES ? Laura Jaworski ( LJ ): We have a formal mission statement crafted around addressing the personal and social trauma that comes with the homelessness experience and , of course , we have a commitment to developing affordable housing . On the frontlines , we do our work here at House of Hope with a person-first approach . The folks we do serve have experienced chronic homelessness . Although we have done some things virtually , we will continue to show up for people , because they rely on us . We are one of the few bridges that they have to humanity and oftentimes that leaves us to connect them to what they need .
IN WHAT WAYS WAS HOUSE OF HOPE AFFECTED BY COVID-19 AND WHAT RELIEF EFFORTS HAVE YOU INTRODUCED TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY ? LJ : We do our work with care and compassion , but we know how to roll in a crisis , and know how to quickly work together and respond . How can we help keep people safe ? What do they need ? What we found was that these people had no idea there was a pandemic even going on . There was limited access and availability when places closed .
Crystal Young ( CY ): We put together a plan and by the next week we were fully staffed and had created a safe place for folks to go if they weren ’ t sure if they were positive . We were already fighting for these people . Homelessness doesn ’ t have a season , and we just never gave up on that .
Megan Smith ( MS ): As an outreach program , we were already in a position where we often see the people for whom the system doesn ' t have a fit . That allowed us to have the right framework to approach the pandemic . It put us in a strong place because of our previous relationships with them . It takes an organizational culture that ’ s willing to stick it to the man when things like this happen .
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY AT HOUSE OF HOPE LOOK LIKE ? MS : There ’ s no typical day . I love that we have the space to make our work more responsive . For my days , it ’ s a combination of street outreach , which includes walking around areas where there are higher concentrations of homeless people in the early mornings / late evenings . We talk with whoever wants to talk with us . That ’ s where we develop our connections . It ’ s a real mix of case management , bringing folks the resources they need , helping fill out housing forms , taking them to appointments , being part of the discussions / meetings about the system and more . It ’ s all part of the same goal : To do good client work , you have to know the policies .
LJ : No two are alike . I show up as much as I can and try to be present for two reasons : So that my team knows I am accessible and for relationships with the folks that are coming into the program . Each day is about working and understanding what our roles are in order to be successful .
HOW CAN SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING DO SO ? LJ : We are always looking for folks who are interested in helping us and people to join our outreach team . Advocacy is also really important , and because nonprofits have been really frayed , lending financial support can be a tremendous help to keep us going . We have a donate page on our website plus an Amazon wish list for items that are in need and kept current at House of Hope . thehouseofhopecdc . org
INTERVIEW EDITED FOR CLARITY .
52 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JANUARY 2021