Yolanda Chapman

Energy and Compassion

"When you're homeless for a long time, something happens to you," said Yolanda Chapman, the manager of supportive services and the women's shelter. "That's why we must shorten that length of time and get people into housing." For Yolanda, however, housing and employment are not the simple solution. She said, 'People need to be ready for those homes and jobs." She is passionate about the need for more supportive services to address mental health, substance abuse, and self-management issues. She was hired at friends of the Homeless in 2005 by Bill Miller, and she has become recognized for her tireless enthusiasm and energy.

"Yolanda consistently takes on some of the most difficult cases. She makes sure the neediest get bathed and receive clothing," Bill Miller said. Having dealt with her own recovery, Yolanda went on to work for years very successfully as a case manager in detox and also to raise her children as a single mother.

Yolanda knows that people coming into shelter "don't just come because they're homeless." She said, “They come because of substance abuse and mental health issues, and, in many cases, because of backgrounds where they don't stand a chance." She recalls seeing some children playing outside in the snow without any shoes on a cold winter day and thinking they might be kids in shelter some day. She also recalls seeing a woman sitting in a car in front of the shelter on a stifling hot summer day. She said, "The woman clearly had major depression. She was sitting curled up in a corner with all the windows rolled up." Yolanda got the woman into shelter and helped her get services so she could receive medication, go back to school, get an apartment and a job. "I made her smile," said Yolanda.

For Yolanda, it is the positive feedback that turns her on to her job. Her office is strewn with notes from clients that say things like "I love you, Yolanda." She loves to make people smile and to know their lives have improved. Her strengths are her compassion and prayer. She said, "I am exhausted by the work I do, and I can take things too personally and get frustrated—but something keeps me coming back. As tough as it is, I love this work." The women she serves love her, too.