Running a homeless shelter becomes a way of life very quickly. Just under 8 months ago, I became the Executive Director of the Torres Community Shelter. I had done “similar” work in the field of non-profits for 17 years previously, but really nothing is “similar” to running a homeless shelter.

I had also volunteered at homeless shelters before I worked here and that’s not quite the same either. Let me share an example. A short time ago, I watched a family check in at the Shelter and try to fit all of their belongings into the bins we provide. Each person staying at the Shelter is allotted a bin in which they can store up to 25 pounds of belongings. This was a family of four and so they could keep 100 pounds of their family belongings. 

Could you take everything you need or care about and fit it into a bin that holds less than 25 pounds?  

Watching that process as a volunteer is heart-breaking and quite possibly alters a person’s value system. Watching that process as the Executive Director also adds a whole other layer of accountability to the event. I feel that it is an implied part of my mission to help that family get back what they lost or had to sacrifice before they ended up staying with us. Despite logic and reason, I feel like it’s my job to make every guest “whole” again. The material things just become a metaphor for everything they’ve lost. 

This is why from the moment I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep, every minute is occupied in part with all the things we’re working on here at the Shelter. The list is complex and expanding…from working to find jobs for our Guests; to setting up our new family rooms; to increasing the amount of activities we provide at the Shelter and much more. There’s a lot more to be done in addition to what we are already doing! However, we don’t devalue what we are doing already. We are proud of the fact that every night our Guests are inside; warm, dry and safe with compassionate people looking out for them. Many of our Guests have not felt this sense of security for years and unfortunately, some of them have never felt these feelings before they arrived here at our Shelter.

Our Guests’ experiences here at the Shelter are greatly enhanced because we’re fortunate to have a deeply dedicated staff that consistently values the importance of the well-being of others, rather than the size of their own paychecks. There’s so much that we can accomplish in these upcoming months with the efforts and talents of these people working together. 

My first 8 months here at the Shelter have been enlightening, exhausting and filled with many inspiring victories. I’m looking forward to the challenges and accomplishments we’ll have in 2010 and I never forget that the support of our community makes what we do possible. Thank you for your support!

Brad Montgomery

Executive Director
Torres Shelter
opwindows@aol.com or brad@chicoshelter.org