When Kim Jefferies took on the role of Haven for Hope CEO in 2021, it was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and “a challenging time” for the homeless shelter and resources hub.
After more than three years leading the nonprofit, Jefferies is leaving Haven for Hope to lead a similar nonprofit in Las Vegas.
On the latest episode of “bigcitysmalltown,” she sits down with host Robert Rivard to reflect on her time at the helm and how Haven for Hope became a model for homelessness nonprofits in other cities.
Jefferies said one of her first objectives when entering her CEO role was to figure out how to uplift the nonprofit’s partners.
“Haven is always going to be the biggest part of the response system just because of the scale … so sometimes it it sucks all the air out of the room,” she said. “So one of the things that I focused on when I got there to Haven was really how do we lift up the partners? Because Haven can’t do this alone. No one single organization can respond to homelessness on this scale alone.”
With 80 partners providing a range of services to address homelessness from many angles, Jefferies said the success of Haven’s partners is critical to the organization’s own success.
SAMMinistries, for instance, provides permanent housing for “chronically homeless individuals who have a disabling condition.” This type of housing gives people not just a roof over their heads but also ongoing support services to help them achieve more stability.
Jefferies pointed to Christian Assistance Ministry and Corazon Ministries as examples of organizations taking innovative approaches to addressing substance abuse and mental health by bringing psychiatrists and medicine to the streets.
She also touched on the perception of homelessness in San Antonio. While the homeless population is relatively small compared to other major cities, Rivard said, “the perception is different, when people are polled, citizen or voters, homelessness is always high up there on their list of concerns with crime.”
Jefferies admitted she hasn’t figured out how to address those misconceptions.
“When you walk on the campus, there’s this underlying spirit of gratitude and joy and lightheartedness that you would not expect … And it’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “And it’s happening every day behind the scenes quietly in San Antonio. So we haven’t been loud enough to share this is what’s happening on this campus every day.”
The knowledge Jefferies has gained through her work at Haven and with Haven’s partners will prove valuable as she continues her journey in Las Vegas.
For Jefferies, helping those in need cannot be done by just one single organization. “When we all work in tandem, we have the ability to serve people and transform their lives in a way that we couldn’t imagine doing ourselves.”
Hear more about Jefferies’ time at Haven for Hope on the lastest episode of the “bigcitysmalltown” podcast.
