Transitions uplifts power of stories

 

Building confidence and community among the women they serve are key to the Transitions drop-in, housing and vocational programs.

Transitions programs serve women and children through four departments—1) the Women's Hearth Drop-in Center, 2) Miryam's House and TLC Transitional Housing, 3) Home Yard Cottages and Offsite Permanent Supportive Housing, and 4) New Leaf job training and vocational services.

In connecting those programs, Sarah Lickfold finds that serving as executive director of Transitions uses an intersection of her skillsets along with her values of community, justice and respect as she guides the agency to tackle its mission of ending poverty and homelessness for women and children in Spokane.

She attributes Transitions' values to the four founding communities of Catholic women religious—the Sisters of the Holy Names, the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and the Sisters of Providence.

For many years, a sister from each community served on the board of directors, but now there is just one sister on it.

There are still representatives of each community on its board of members.

While most funding is intact, Transitions lost its AmeriCorps administrative staff member, but Sarah said it's "mind-boggling knowing that some funding sources could be taken out of the mix at any time."

Given that uncertainty, she said the program looks for strong support from the community at its annual People Who Care Luncheon at noon, Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

"The theme, 'Community,' is timely, because it's where the future is for all of us in the nonprofit sector. It goes back to how relationships add value to life and strengthen organizations. Connections are what it takes. We all need each other," said Sarah, who began working at Transitions seven years ago as development director and has worked the last two-and-a-half years as executive director.

After graduating from Omak High School, she completed a bachelor's degree in 2018 in English with a minor in Spanish at Colorado State University in Pueblo.

Returning to Omak, she became a bank teller and then an assistant bank manager at a bank in Walla Walla for several years.

"I learned about people management and customer relations," said Sarah.

When the bank eliminated that role, and motivated by her interest in international relations, she joined the Peace Corps as a community economic development volunteer in Jesus, Cajamaca, Peru, from 2015 to 2017. While there, she taught entrepreneurship to youth and started a community bank.

"I went into the Peace Corps with a heroism mentality that I would do something great for people, but that's not what happens. Peace Corps volunteers are more changed by their experiences than are the communities we serve," she said.

"The experience was about relationships and cultural exchange," she said. "I learned to expand relationships without being fluent in the language. That helped me build relationships in English more readily," she said.

The town of Jesus had a Catholic church on the plaza, but her host family was part of a large Evangelical movement there. Sarah grew up in a Baptist church. Even though she is no longer active, she understands the language of churches, which helps her work with Transitions' church partners.

"I know the culture of faith," she said.

After the Peace Corps, Sarah settled in Spokane where her brother and his family lived and where there were more career opportunities for her.

She began volunteering for nonprofits, which led her to learn about the opening at Transitions.

"The Women's Hearth is our front door," said Sarah. "The majority of women we serve are there. The numbers are up to thousands per year, with much of the increase in the last two years and after Hope House closed as a 24/7 shelter. Women previously could stay at Hope House all day."

The hearth and other programs rely on bras, underwear and hygiene items donated at Mardi Bras events in February, but those supplies have mostly run out. Previously they lasted all year, Sarah reported.

"Not only are more women coming to Women's Hearth, but also the women face more challenges, such as with behavioral health and substance use that require more staff," Sarah pointed out.

Two case managers work with women who come to this safe, welcoming community to help them find housing and meet other needs. They refer women to housing programs and permanent supportive housing.

There are other changes happening in Transitions' programs.

Sarah is excited that the Extreme Team program of KXLY TV will turn an office on the top floor of Miryam's House into two more rooms for women, expanding it from 10 to 12 rooms.

TLC, which has 16 units, has changed from managing childcare internally with its Educare program on site to sending older children to Little Scholars nearby on North Monroe. Infants and toddlers are still on site.

Transitions Permanent Supportive Housing program now includes both the Home Yard Cottages, which Sarah said are "going strong and have a great retention rate," and Sinto Commons, with 47 units owned by Community Frameworks. Both are for individuals and families.

Since 2018, there have been 24 cottages built on the Transitions property on N. Hemlock with studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units for single adults and families who are recertified annually based on income.

Coming from chronic homelessness, residents receive onsite case management, a food bank and support in goal setting for next steps, such as moving into homeownership.

New Leaf, which fosters skills and confidence to overcome barriers to employment, offers vocational services through two New Leaf Cafes, one at the Central YWCA for women trainees and one at the Central Library for men and women trainees.

It has closed its catering services.

"It's about more than teaching people to make coffee," she said. "Up to six trainees come in twice a week at each location to build their confidence and community.

"It's about trainees gaining the soft skills of learning to be comfortable with people, do customer service and work with others," said Sarah. "Building confidence is key to New Leaf."

"We have a great donor base and try to do better at stewarding support from the private sector, nurturing connections with partners," said Sarah.

"Listening to people tell their stories gives me resilience," she said. "There is power in the stories of changed lives."

In addition to hearing those stories at the PWC Lunch, Sarah invites people to tour the facilities.

For information, call 328-6702 or visit transitionsspokane.org.