REACH Renton announces new Executive Director

The vision and work of REACH Renton aligns closely with my belief that we need to build bridges between parts of our community that traditionally see themselves as separate from each other. I first encountered people experiencing homelessness as a college student volunteering at a soup kitchen in Chicago. On my first few visits I stayed in the kitchen scrubbing the pots because I wasn’t sure how to interact with the guests. After a few weeks though, my aversion to scrubbing pots led me to serve and very soon thereafter to simply sit at a table and share some soup and conversation with the guests. I quickly realized we had far more in common than I had imagined. I’m not sure the staff thought of me as a volunteer after that because I did very little “work” other than being with the folks who came for a meal. Since then, my work with people on the margins whether in food banks, prisons or on the streets - has been rooted in relationship as well as service provision. I have worked in direct service and leadership roles with organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, incarceration. and food insecurity, as well as a lobbyist for two statewide advocacy organizations.

 

Homelessness, like all societal issues, cannot be solved solely through public policy and social services. We need to change the framework for the necessary communal discussions regarding who experiences homelessness, the societal factors that lead people to the streets, and most importantly help housed and unhoused people recognize their shared humanity. Solutions to homelessness will be found when we see each other as a connected part of the community, and as a result want for each other what we want for ourselves – a safe place to call home. This seems to me to be the heart of REACH Renton's mission and why I am excited to help work with the staff, board and supporters to help shepherd the organization as it strives to live out its mission.

 

When I am not working I love to spend time on my bike or skis, depending on the time of year, as well as with my extended community of friends and family.