This month’s blog is written by Kristian Stipe, Programs Manager.
At the Poverello Center, we know that success isn’t a straight line, and that it looks different for everyone. Housing can take time, effort, and a few tries. For many guests at the Poverello Center, the Resident Volunteer (RV) program is an avenue to find employment and housing solutions.
The original RV program was launched in 2015, with the goal of building work confidence for guests. With new priorities in mind, we overhauled the program in March of 2024. These changes included a one-year limit for participation, monthly goal-setting and case management meetings were added, and a clear focus on housing and employment-first outcomes was adopted.
With these changes, the program has become more tailored to the needs of some of the people we serve, and has been incredibly successful so far. Since March of 2024:
- 18 people have secured both stable housing and income
- 11 people moved to outcomes like temporary or transitional housing, treatment programs, or previous housing
- 16 people have gained employment
- 20 people have opened a bank account
Although the numbers are impressive, the people we serve are the most inspiring. One of these people, Opal, had been part of the RV Program prior to the restructuring. Opal is someone I’ve had the privilege to work with closely. Once the new structure was in place, she embraced it. Within just four months, she found full-time work, began saving, and moved in with a friend she met at her job.
But then life shifted. Opal lost her job, and with it, her housing.
What’s powerful about Opal is what she did next: she came back. She returned to the Poverello Center and rejoined the RV Program, ready to try again, this time with more tools and insight than before. Together, we refined her goals, and she worked hard—saving money, staying focused, and pushing forward. Today, she’s housed again, this time with even more stability and resilience.
Her story, like the story of the RV Program itself, reminds us all that our successes and failures are not final. Instead, they are opportunities to learn and grow, and lean on our support systems.
One year of these changes have proven that we are headed in the right direction, especially for the people who just need a bit of stability and support to meet their goals. We hope to continue to build these opportunities for the people we serve, and we need your help to do it. Please consider donating, volunteering, or spreading the word about the Resident Volunteer Program and other Poverello initiatives. Together, we can work towards a community where everyone has the housing they need.