Newport This Week

Conversation with Kelly Lee Executive Director of Lucy’s Hearth



Anne Gorman, co-founder of Singing For Shelter, presents Lucy’s Hearth executive director, Kelly Lee, with a check representing a portion of the $11,600 in funds that were raised at their Dec. 5th concert. The balance of monies raised at the event were donated to The McKinney Shelter.

Anne Gorman, co-founder of Singing For Shelter, presents Lucy’s Hearth executive director, Kelly Lee, with a check representing a portion of the $11,600 in funds that were raised at their Dec. 5th concert. The balance of monies raised at the event were donated to The McKinney Shelter.

Lucy’s Hearth provides more than temporary housing for displaced families in need. It also offers comprehensive educational programs that foster life skills and a safe, supportive environment. With health and stability, families become prepared to sustain permanent housing. Kelly A. Lee, a Salve Regina graduate and former vice president of community and government engagement at the PACE organization of Rhode Island, took on the role of executive director of Lucy’s Hearth in November, replacing longtime director Jennifer Barrera. Newport This Week asked Lee about the initiatives for Lucy’s Hearth in 2020, as well as her goals within the organization.

Lucy’s Hearth is known for educational programming that supports resilience and self-sufficiency. How do these programs work to help families? We utilize a Housing First model in conjunction with a trauma-informed approach. Housing First connects families quickly and successfully to permanent housing opportunities, along with supportive services and connections to community-based programs which are often needed to avoid future homelessness. Trauma-informed care allows for individuals to rebuild a sense of efficacy, as well as control over their lives. We also offer a variety of programs here at the Hearth: parenting skills, teen talk, coffee and convo, art therapy, field trips to the ocean and Potter League. These offerings allow for community integration, along with several opportunities to have purpose or to simply be a kid.

 

 

Can you share a success story of one of your residents? Sophia is a survivor. Despite finding herself and her two daughters homeless after a debilitating surgery and experiencing domestic violence, she ensured her kids had a roof over their heads by having them live with their paternal grandmother, while she slept in her car. Sophia had a focus to get back on her feet, and has taken advantage of every opportunity that she was presented with. She reached out to SIREN for support with her job search, to the local Y for after-school programming, and family counseling at Newport County Community Mental Health Center.

Another resident, Abby has experienced many years of homelessness and abuse, none of which defeated her. She is back in school, pursuing her associate’s degree and is a peer support mentor through Amos House. Abby has come a long way and looks forward to moving into her new home with her son in the very near future.

What are some of the nonprofits you’ve worked with in the past? How do you feel that work will support Lucy’s Hearth? I have worked with elder services for the majority of my nonprofit career. One of the most rewarding experiences was at Adult Day Center of Westerly, a community much like Aquidneck Island, with incredible people and organizations who are there to support one another and make it a wonderful place to live, work and grow old. In my experience, most everyone wants to have purpose, whether through time, talent or treasure.

What have been some of your biggest challenges since taking the helm? The learning curve related to a whole new set of acronyms has been one of my biggest challenges. However, the team at Lucy’s has been incredibly supportive. I learn at least 22 new things each day!

How about your greatest moments? The greatest moments have been witnessing families moving [back] into the community with secured permanent and supportive housing. It has been a heartwarming experience in how gracious everyone has been in welcoming me to the community! Without fail, whenever mentioning that I work at Lucy’s Hearth, people light up and express what a great place it is.

What initiatives are you most excited about in 2020? I am most excited about enhancing our philanthropic efforts to ensure sustainability for the future, to create and foster new relationships which build programming and improve outcomes for the families at Lucy’s Hearth, and investing in the professional development of staff, which results in greater retention.

In the past, Lucy’s Hearth was only able to take in women and children. What changes have made it possible to include men? Due to the structural limitations of our former home, we were unable to include male residents. Now that we have 15 individual rooms, each with a private bath, we are able to accommodate families that include adult male residents. At the present time, we have six men in our program. We are able to accommodate 15 families at 19 Valley Rd. We also have two off-site apartments in the community.

Lucy’s Hearth has been such an important part of the local community. What are some ways that the community can support your initiatives? Lucy’s Hearth is the only family shelter in Newport County which accepts children, thus allowing families to remain together while experiencing some very difficult circumstances. We are reminded that while life may not always be easy, there are resources that are available within our community to help. The community can help by supporting Lucy’s through monetary donations, attending a fundraiser or volunteering. Simply reach out to us at info@lucyshearth.org or make a donation directly on our website at lucyshearth.org.

One response to “Conversation with Kelly Lee Executive Director of Lucy’s Hearth”

  1. Greetings, I am the Director of SIREN Women’s Cooperative and our co-op, SIREN, was mentioned in the 3rd paragraph. Would you be able to make a correction in referring to us by our full business name: SIREN Women’s Cooperative?
    Thank you!
    Sarah Nadimpalli

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