Learning new ways to think and building new bonds to work

June 30, 2015

On June 24 we celebrated more than 600 formerly homeless households now housed through the tremendous, hard work of providers across the state through 100-day challenges with the Rapid Results Institute!  Our colleagues from New Haven, Hartford, Fairfield County, and South and Northeastern Connecticut took up the opportunity to re-think our systems, to break down walls, and work as teams across agencies and systems to accelerate our work to end homelessness.

It was a great day of celebration, and a great day of recognition from our Governor, Dannel Malloy, for the 401tremendous work of our homeless providers.  He reiterated his belief in the importance of this mission, and underscored his appreciation for the important partnership between the state of Connecticut  and the nonprofit providers who work together every day in our efforts to end homelessness.

The results to date are positive for the clients we serve, and there’s also an important upside for the frontline staff who serve them.  One of my favorite quotes from a colleague deeply engaged in the 100-day effort was this:  “I’ve never worked this hard, and I love my job more now than I have in over 10 years.” Others who participated in the 100-day efforts reflected this same positive sentiment.

622While part of the strong positive response from staff is about the results, a good part of the good feeling comes from the new relationships formed, provider-to-provider.  Our Rapid Results Lead Coach, Danny Manitsky, asked each one of us at the close of our June 24 event to find someone in the room with whom we had formed a new relationship, and someone who had challenged us in a positive way during the process.  It was a fun way to recognize the ways that we had learned from each other — some from people we already knew well, and some from people we never knew before the challenge.

Our work to end homelessness is often as difficult as it is important.  It is inspiring to learn new ways to 694think about our work from each other, and heartening to build new bonds of friendship to strengthen us on this path!

~ Lisa Tepper Bates

Executive Director

CT Coalition to End Homelessness

See more photos from that great day on our Facebook page.