Helping More Minnesotans Find a Safe Place to Call Home
As a Housing Stability Fellow in the summer of 2023, Scarlett gave back to her community by helping others utilize vital housing services. This kind of community care was second nature to Scarlett, whose family had routinely housed neighbors in need during her childhood. Returning to it as an adult was such a rewarding experience that one summer wasn’t enough: she then joined Heading Home Corps!
This year, we’re looking for more passionate people like Scarlett to continue helping others achieve their housing goals.
Summer Impact Corps
Summer Impact Corps launched in May 2023 with over 400 people committing to a season of change across Minnesota. Scarlett was one of them. As a Housing Stability Fellow, she joined the team at a local nonprofit where she focused on supporting people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity by connecting them with resources and essential services.
Early in 2023, Scarlett decided to leave her job as a chemist when she learned of the fellow position with Summer Impact Corps. Beyond changing careers, she wanted an opportunity to give back.
“Seeing the awful things going on in the world really just made me want to do something to help and not add to the hurt,” she says.
Growing up, Scarlett’s family opened their home to community members facing housing insecurity. The experience inspired her choice to serve as a Housing Stability Fellow when she joined Summer Impact Corps.
“Where I grew up, there was no homeless shelter. You just had to rely on the kindness of folks during hard times,” she says. “My parents were really caring. We always had somebody living with us when I was growing up, so it's normal for me to be trying to reach out and help people.”
Heading Home Corps
When her time as a Housing Stability Fellow came to an end last summer, Scarlett wasn’t ready to stop supporting her neighbors. She applied to Heading Home Corps, and in August 2023, she began serving as a Housing Resource Navigator in St. Cloud!
She joined the team at Homeless Helping Homeless, where she supports individuals by working to connect them with resources for food, clothing, transportation, housing, and employment. With a designated caseload, Scarlett gets to know her clients and collaborates with them as they work to achieve their goals. At the beginning of her term, the organization’s building was undergoing a major renovation and local shelter space was very limited. Locals experiencing homelessness turned to the public park for shelter. To help meet basic needs, and provide support, Scarlett visited the park weekly bringing food, clothing, hygiene products and information about potential opportunities for housing, healthcare and access to phones.
Now that the construction is complete at Homeless Helping Homeless, Scarlett is spending less time doing outreach at the park and more time working with clients to develop action plans to meet their housing goals. Whether working to secure treatment for substance use disorders or other health services, Scarlett enjoys taking the journey with those she serves. “I absolutely love what I’m doing,” she says.
With so many Minnesotans needing support to secure safe, stable housing, we are grateful for Scarlett’s continued service!
If you’re looking for opportunities to make a difference and help more Minnesotans find a safe place to call home, we have options to serve for a summer or a year!
Apply now to serve this summer (June-August) at ampact.us/summer.
To explore options beginning in July, September or January, visit ampact.us/heading-home.