Jennifer Lacefield cares rather a lot.
As a toddler, Lacefield had the everyday profession desires most youngsters do — she needed to be a health care provider.
“I used to be not gifted with the scientific and mathematical skills required to achieve the continued coursework for that career,” Lacefield mentioned. “So, I made a decision to pursue coursework in faculty that I succeeded at and loved, which was psychology and sociology.”
Lacefield attributes a wide range of occasions resulting in her eventual employment at Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter.
“I moved from Tyler to Texarkana to work at Southwest Arkansas Counseling & Psychological Well being Middle as a regional director of a kids and youth wraparound companies grant program,” Lacefield mentioned.
Whereas Lacefield realized rather a lot from her time at SWACMHC, this system got here to an abrupt finish when it was eradicated midway by way of 2018 attributable to important modifications in psychological well being service construction in Texas. Lacefield shortly picked up work at Home Violence Prevention Inc. for eight months, attributable to her relationship with its then-director.
“(That was) partly, why she provided me work following my layoff,” Lacefield mentioned.
From DVP, Lacefield gained extra abilities that ensured a transparent roadway to Randy Sams, she simply did not realize it on the time.
“Everybody desires to make a distinction in life, and for me, working within the area of social companies is probably the most impactful technique to accomplish that,” Lacefield mentioned. ” I additionally take pleasure in being a help to the Randy Sams’ employees who work laborious of their roles each week offering direct companies and construction to the homeless we serve.”
Lacefield credit her mom for shaping her to be the lady that she is in the present day.
“My mom labored laborious to verify my sister and I had alternatives to achieve success and glad,” Lacefield mentioned. “She has all the time been a extremely faith-centered and selfless particular person and needed the most effective for my sister and me.”
Lacefield mentioned she has realized rather a lot throughout her time as govt director of Randy Sams’, however she nonetheless has objectives that she needs to attain throughout her tenure.
“My objectives in my work for Randy Sams’ embrace strengthening present relationships and establishing new partnerships and technique of help in order that the inhabitants we serve may have as many useful avenues for development and sustainability of independence as potential,” Lacefield mentioned.
The employees at Randy Sams’ has particular plans for its shoppers in the course of the holidays. For Thanksgiving, a particular lunch was given to shoppers and space homeless who got here in looking for a meal as properly.
“The group was instrumental in donating wanted objects to make that occur,” Lacefield mentioned. “We’re additionally offering our shoppers with a particular Christmas dinner.”
Lacefield mentioned the group will all the time welcome chilly climate clothes donations at the moment of yr, as they supply the clothes to their shoppers and space homeless who’re in want.
“We’re nonetheless in want of extra to get us by way of the remaining chilly climate months forward,” Lacefield mentioned. “Though we offer a wide range of objects year-round with the assistance of the group, we’re all the time low on a couple of varieties of important hygiene and different clothes objects and wrestle to accommodate the necessity.”
This stuff embrace (for each women and men) deodorant, shaving razors and cream, toothpaste/floss, new underwear and bras.
If persons are unable to donate these things immediately, financial donations are additionally useful. Donated funds can be utilized to buy these things.
Financial donations may be made by way of the web site at www.randysams.org or by way of examine mailed to 803 Spruce St., Texarkana, TX 75501.
A photograph of Jennifer Lacefield, her sister Kristen and her mom Shéron. Lacefield mentioned Shéron labored laborious to verify my sister and I had alternatives to achieve success and glad. Picture submitted by Jennifer Lacefield
