“I feel very lucky,” says Dan, who manages our Scattered Site Housing office. “I feel very fortunate that I get to do this work.”
Following a 30-year career in financial services, in 2018 Dan sensed it was time to go in a new direction. “I knew I wanted to do something different,” he says. At first, he saw himself going into the classroom. But as he studied to become a teacher, he started volunteering regularly at what was then the Urban Ministry Center. At the same time, he was on a journey of spiritual exploration. He wanted to align his next chapter with his strong belief in social justice. “I never thought I could work here,” he says. “I didn’t have a background in social work.”
But Roof Above’s then-head of programs realized Dan had exactly the financial and administrative expertise that was highly needed at the Scattered Site Housing office, which supports more than 300 tenants. Among other duties, Dan helps coordinate billing and payments for the tenants who pay 30% of their income in rent. He manages disbursements and reporting for the network of housing programs case managers use to help their clients, with a hand in everything from grant submissions and audits to fleet management. His goals this year include ensuring policies, procedures and processes are more clearly defined.
Dan balances his official duties with a weekly volunteer shift working the phones at the upstairs information desk at the Day Services Center, staying close to the work that is so close to his heart.
He’s found a second career that fits better than anything he could have imagined. “I love the people I work with,” he says. “The case managers and nurses I support do amazing work. The impact housing makes in someone’s life inspires me to do my role successfully and make a difference.”
