Wilbur G. from the SARA program and Mary Gallini, Simpson Housing Specialist. Wilbur, a former Simpson shelter guest, was one of the first SARA program participants. He has been housed for two and a half years. “Wilbur is one of those guys who always helps out without being asked or expecting anything in return,” Mary reports.

Simpson Staff Profile: Mary Gallini

On any given night in Hennepin County, at least 2,800 people are experiencing homelessness, the majority in Minneapolis. After spending time with Mary Gallini, Housing Resource Specialist with the Simpson SARA program, you get the sense that she has met most of them.

Mary’s work is not an exact science. She is part counselor, part advocate, part ear-to-bend, part taskmaster. “This kind of work requires some hard decisions. It is about setting boundaries and expectations,” she says.

A large part of the success of the SARA program can be attributed to the weekly contact and open lines of communication between clients and advocates. “When we meet with the people in our program, we usually spend the first 20 minutes or so listening to what they have to say. That is what is missing in many of their lives; a family member or level-headed friend to help problem-solve. This is something we all need in our lives.”

Quite often, people experiencing homelessness have a combination of factors working against them. “Many of the folks in the SARA program have generational poverty in their families. Almost half were adopted, were in foster care or had runaway as children.” 81% of participants live with a chemical dependency and nearly 41% live with a mental illness. 41% have suffered from a head trauma at some point in their life. “Usually what has caused the person to be homeless is only made worse by the rough life on the street.”

The issue of homelessness and the numbers affected can seem daunting, yet those who work in the front lines remain generally optimistic. “This can be fixed if we really decide that we want to. It requires honestly assessing people’s strengths and barriers and creating a variety of housing options to meet their needs. The government will need to change its priorities for there to be enough money to make this happen. I always like to remind people that those in need of these programs are someone’s brother, aunt, or parent and now we’re seeing how likely each one is to succeed if they are given a chance and treated with dignity.”

Excerpted from an article that ran in the Southwest Journal (www.southwestjournal.com).

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