Claudette works within DESK’s Drop-in & Resource Center and conducts street outreach to connect people living outside with basic needs support. She is also a tireless advocate at the municipal and state levels, calling for legislation to prevent and respond to homelessness, and she spoke at the State Capitol in February with the End Homelessness Caucus.

Claudette emphasized the impact the program had on her professional development, especially through meeting other practitioners in her cohort and at workshops at UConn Stamford and UConn Hartford.

“Most importantly, this experience is helping me better understand how to tell the story of DESK through data — demonstrating not only the need for our services, but also the impact we make within the community every day. Learning how to combine compassion, lived experience, and measurable outcomes has been one of the most valuable takeaways for me,” Claudette noted.

“I would like to sincerely thank Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen for encouraging staff to apply and invest in professional growth. I would also like to thank The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for creating such a meaningful and much-needed program and for giving me the opportunity to learn a great deal about nonprofit leadership and service. I am truly looking forward to continuing this journey of growth, learning, and leadership.”

Programs like these help DESK’s staff grow into leaders who are better equipped to stand with and advocate for the people we serve. Learn more about the impact our staff is having on the community at deskct.org/blog.