Five Questions For Our Board Chair

Submitted by Miriam's Kitchen on January 13, 2012 - 2:47pm

The new year has brought many additions to Miriam's Kitchen (shiny new oven coming soon!) and one that we're especially excited about is our new Board Chair.

Nicole Levine has been a member of the Miriam's Kitchen family for nearly 15 years and took the reins from outgoing Board Chair Vincent Renner on January 1st.

Nicole sat down with us for an interview this week, and we're proud to officially introduce her to you today.

Q: When did you get involved with Miriam's Kitchen, and what prompted your involvement?

A: I worked as an intern at a California mental institution shortly before everyone was to be released as a result of deinstitutionalization in the 1980s. The thought that the majority of the individuals I worked with--adults with schizophrenia--would be out on the streets was mind boggling, both from a philosophical and economic sense. That experience had a profound impact on me.

I was introduced to Miriam's Kitchen in 1998 by my boyfriend who was an MK volunteer. It was a fantastic way to give back to my community in a meaningful way. It also worked out personally--we're now married!  (Calling all single volunteers--MK is the place to be!)

Q: What are the Board's goals for the short-term?

A: Miriam's Kitchen is making a slight, but important shift from providing resources for the chronically homeless to influencing systemic change. We have recently adopted the vision of ending chronic homelessness in DC, and to do this we will:

  • continue to provide healthy meals that bring guests in and allow our Case Managers to build relationships,
  • provide services to previously homeless guests, now placed in housing, to ensure they remain in housing,
  • mobilize and educate our supporters on their role in ending chronic homelessness,
  • work closely with and help build the capacity of our community partners, and
  • advocate on behalf of our guests to ensure that community leaders are implementing policies that lead to systemic change and reform.

Solving homelessness requires the reorganization of systems, the reallocation of resources, and the mobilization of stakeholders around a common agenda. Change is difficult, but not impossible.

Q: Why is now the time to focus on ending chronic homelessness?

A: Federal policy and attitudes about how to address the problem of chronic homelessness have shifted in the last ten years, opening the door for communities to be more aggressive in meeting the challenge. 

Locally, we have some very smart individuals and organizations that are interested in collaborating - in the last few years the momentum has really built. It also can't be ignored that we live in new economic times, and we have to be smarter about how we deliver social services.

Q: Why is Miriam's Kitchen uniquely positioned to play a significant role in ending chronic homelessness?

A: We have been a quiet, but effective provider of services for the chronically homeless of Washington, DC for more than 25 years. We have built an incredible base of support in volunteers, donors and community partners who are fully committed to our guests and I believe, ready for a new challenge.  Building on our expertise and resources, the time is right to adopt a bold vision and make it a reality.

We have been intentional and thoughtful about this shift in thinking.  We engaged the staff, board, volunteers, donors, community partners and guests in the process and together adopted a new vision and the necessary strategies to reach that vision.  We have given much thought to creating efficiency - focusing on what we do well while increasing capacity in community partners who complement our work. We are ready to leverage the resources given to us to end chronic homelessness.

Q: What do you hope to say in 5 years on this topic?

A: I hope to be able to say that Washington, DC is a national example and best practice in how a community can end chronic homelessness.