05/13/2026
🚨PUBLIC ANNOUNCMENT🚨
Today I conducted community outreach and visited Helping Up Mission. I feel it is important to publicly address the experience I had, as it reflects how individuals seeking help may be treated.
Upon arrival, I was not greeted or acknowledged by the front desk staff. After introducing myself and explaining my work in housing and community support, I was met with a dismissive and inappropriate comment implying that my organization exists “just to take people’s money.”
I clearly explained that my work is centered on providing safe housing options and supporting individuals in need of stability and resources. Instead of a professional dialogue, the staff member took my folder without permission, placed it roughly on the counter, closed the window, and immediately disengaged from the interaction.
As someone working directly with underserved populations—individuals experiencing homelessness, returning citizens, veterans, and survivors—I find this experience deeply concerning. Organizations that serve vulnerable communities are expected to uphold dignity, respect, and professionalism at every level of contact, including the front desk.
If this is the first point of contact for someone seeking help, then the way people are treated in that moment matters. Respect is not optional in this work—it is the foundation.
I share this not out of emotion, but out of accountability and concern for the community we all claim to serve‼️
