Nonprofit Spotlight: Providence Place

Providence Place

What is your role at your organization, and what does it entail?

I am the President/CEO of Providence Place. As President/CEO, I am responsible for providing inspirational leadership and direction to the Executive Leadership team and ensuring the continued development and management of a professional and efficient organization; establishing effective decision-making processes that will enable Providence Place to achieve its long- and short-term goals, objectives, and strategic initiatives. I’m also responsible for cultivating a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board and ensuring open communication about the measurement of financial, programmatic, and impact performance against stated benchmarks and goals. I have the opportunity to facilitate cross-departmental collaboration and strengthen internal communications with staff throughout the organization; create and promote a positive work environment that supports consistency throughout the organization’s strategy, operational methods, and data collection needs. Finally, I am responsible for the overall success of the agency, including its financial sustainability while managing future growth. It is exciting work to lead a 126-year-old organization and establish the framework of success for the next 100+ years.

Describe your organization’s mission in your own words.

The mission of Providence Place is to end the cycle of generational trauma through innovative services. To me, our mission calls us to work with children, youth, women, and families that have experienced complex trauma; to provide restorative services that enable survivors of complex trauma to see the next chapter of their lives.

What is a common misconception about your organization or the mission you serve?

Interesting question; I believe the most common misconception about Providence Place is that we are a relatively new organization, when in fact, we have been in the San Antonio community since 1895. Providence Place has reinvented itself over the years, creating new programs and services to meet the changing needs of the community. In 2016 we streamlined our services and now focus on providing services based on the principles of Trauma Informed Care for survivors of complex trauma. We currently provide adoption services for women facing an unplanned pregnancy, families on the adoption journey, including placing children in the child welfare system, young adults aging out of foster care, families with children under the age of three (parenting & family strengthening services) and survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault.

Although we provide services to several distinct groups of people, all of the services are connected through our mission of ending the cycle of generational trauma through innovative services.

A $100 contribution to Providence Place provides the following:

• A month’s supply of diapers and wipes for a struggling family
• A counseling session for a survivor of complex trauma
• A basket of apartment necessities for a young adult aging out of foster care and moving into their own apartment
• A month’s supply of self-care items for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, or sexual assault

What is an upcoming way to get involved at Providence Place?

We will re-evaluate our on-campus visitor policy at the end of 2021. However, there are several ways to get involved

• Hold a house warming party for youth aging out of care and moving into their own apartment (Items needed include – pots/pan, dishes, utensils, silverware, towels, cleaning supplies, laundry baskets, etc.)
• Hold a baby shower for our Beth’s Blessings Boutique; a store for families with children under the age of three (new items with tags; assists with financial planning services – cribs, car seats, baby clothes, diaper bags, developmental toys, etc.)
• Sponsor a new coat drive for children through adults
• Sponsor our yearly Angel Tree for children and youth
• Invite us to speak at your civic groups and church groups