Community Engagement staff give sustainability and support

So, you’ve heard about RITI’s three shelter programs – Congregational Shelter, Family Inn, and Recuperative Care. This month we want to highlight a team of staff members who work across all three programs to serve our guests with a focus on resources and outreach.

RITI’s Community Engagement Team supports guests both while they are experiencing homelessness and once they have moved into permanent housing.

At RITI, we know there are many organizations working throughout our community. To make the best use of our resources, our goal is to collaborate with partners whenever possible – to utilize their services rather than duplicating them. Through these partnerships, guests gain access to robust opportunities for workforce training, jobs, housing assistance, childcare, counseling, transportation, and more. Ensuring access to these resources means guests move into housing with a support system in place, knowing RITI and the wider community is behind them rooting for their success.

Outreach Coordinator, Errin Woods, describes the role of the CET as accountability partners and cheerleaders for the guests, ensuring they have the resources and tools they need to succeed in meeting their goals and sustaining permanent housing.

Errin says,

“My favorite part of my job is really getting to know the people we’re serving- getting in the trenches, learning what they’re needing, and then navigating the system to give them the best resources.

It’s challenging, but to me, I like the challenge because I can meet, for example, a family in need of diapers or formula. And I can say, ‘Okay, so how do I navigate this?’ That’s my mindset. ‘How do I navigate this? What resources do I know available? What resources may not be readily available to me, but I know they could be available?’

It’s the putting all the puzzle pieces together to help all the guests that we come in contact with on a day-to-day basis. I love the challenge of putting the pieces of the puzzle together and networking with all the resources, all the groups and the organizations that I come across and building those relationships. That’s what makes it work and makes it successful.

Sometimes the outcomes are big, and sometimes the small wins are the biggest thing in this line of work. I’m grateful for the small wins.”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Are you passionate about making connections? Become a CET Volunteer! After training, Community Engagement Team volunteers help make follow-up calls to past guests – reminding them RITI is still here as support and finding out what successes and challenges they’ve encountered since moving.

WAYS YOU GIVE: BACK TO SCHOOL

We’re overflowing with gratitude for the love and generosity you shared with “Children in the Inn” as they prepared to go back to school.

Together, you donated over $2,800 in school supplies!

RITI Board Member, Jeff Bedwell along with his wife Jean and friends threw a back to school bash for the children at their home complete with games, food, and lots of fun!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: YOGA WITH LAURIE KAY

RITI’s favorite yogi, Laurie Kay, has been volunteering with RITI since 2019. Laurie returned this summer for a weekly yoga class with CITI Campers. Laurie is a certified yoga instructor and has a certification in Trauma Informed Yoga Teaching, which she implements in all of her classes. Laurie said,

“I loved being back for another summer to work with these sweet kids! This summer, the kids’ yoga class learned about poses based on animals, nature, and people, and took imaginary yoga adventures to the rain forest, a treasure hunt, and other adventures. We learned how breathing can help calm us and practiced using an expandable ball to guide us as we breathed in and out. I loved spending time with these precious, sweet, eager young yogis!”

Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your gifts with RITI