Neighbors of Rome

In this week's episode, Blake talks with Brian Harris (In-House Professional Counselor; LAPC) about the Davies Shelters' approach to counseling, and how we are working with our guests who live with mental health struggles to grow something better.    We want to remind you that The Davies Shelters relies on gifts from people like you every holiday season so we can grow towards the new year. A gift of $250 (just over $20 a month) covers a week of shelter for a guest, and creates fertile ground for them to grow something better.   If you want to partner with us: make a gift today at daviesshelter.com/donate

After meeting some immediate needs, like getting a shower, a cup of coffee, a meal or a load of laundry started, all of our [adult] guests meet with a case manager for "intake."   Intake sounds clinical, but we think that the way we have the first conversation(s) with our new guests is vital to how we embody our values throughout our work with them. To give you a glimpse it what this looks like, I asked our Lead Case Manager, Alex Callahan, to walk me through an "intake" I want to remind you that The Davies Shelters relies on gifts from people like you every holiday season so we can grow towards the new year. A gift of $250 (just over $20 a month) covers a week of shelter for a guest, and creates fertile ground for them to grow something better.   If you want to partner with us: make a gift today at daviesshelter.com/donate  

This season, we are sharing some of our favorite conversations from the past year, and a few new ones. Featuring people in our community who are working to grow something better for our neighbors experiencing homelessness   You'll hear how The Davies Shelters and its partners are working to cultivate a community where all of our guests are able to thrive.   The Davies Shelters relies on gifts from people like you every holiday season so we can grow towards the new year. A gift of $250 (just over $20 a month) covers a week of shelter for a guest, and creates fertile ground for them to grow something better. If you want to partner with us: make a gift today at daviesshelter.com/donate   We are so excited to re-share a conversation I had earlier this year with Cassie Shealy from Briggs & Associates, a supportive employment agency in Rome.  The thing we love about this conversation is that its so helpful in seeing the barriers and weeded paths our guests have to walk through in order to sustain employment.  Which is why we are grateful for Briggs & Associates working with us. 

In this week's episode, Blake revisits a conversation with Mary Shotwell Smith, a retired nurse from Shorter University and a member of our Neighbor Society.   We talk about how she learned to grow something better from her parents and carry it forward in large and small ways including the way she makes food for our guests.   To help us grow something better, make a gift at daviesshelter.com/donate

This holiday season at The Davies Shelters, we are seeking to "Grow Something Better" for our neighbors experiencing homelessness in Rome.  Before we can grow, however, we have to know the history of the place in which we are growing.   That's why we are revisiting one of the most special conversations from the last year.  Bill Davies (Namesake & Honorary Board Member) and the late Harold Storey, helped prepare the ground for The Davies Shelters to grow out of over 19 years ago. Want to help us "Grow Something Better" this holiday season? Make a gift at daviesshelter.com/donate

These are Devon's last few weeks as executive director of the Davies Shelters. We know she will go on to do great things and the Shelters will continue being a force for good in this community for years to come. To honor Devon's service to the Davies Shelters and this community, we're asking you to make a special gift this week in honor of all that Devon has done for the Davies Shelters. To learn more and make a gift: daviesshelter.com/thankyoudevon    

In this episode, Blake talks with John Uldrick & Keith Phillips about Bridges Out of Poverty, a program facilitated in partnership with First Baptist & St Peters.   As always, this podcast is supported by The Farm Bus, check out our weekly stops and sign up for text updates at daviesshelter.com/farmbus  

In this episode, Blake talks with Hospitality House about Intimate Partner Violence, intersections of IPV and mental health, The Davies Shelters' partnership with Hospitality House & more! To get help: https://www.hospitalityhouseforwomen.org/dv-101 As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Farm Bus, to see our weekly schedule visit daviesshelter.com/farmbus

In this episode, I talk with Cathy Aiken-Freeman from United Way. We talk about our community's need for accessible housing, their partnership and support of The Davies Shelters, and how we can work together to address the needs of our community.  As always, this podcast is supported by The Farm Bus, check out our weekly stops and sign up for text updates at daviesshelter.com/farmbus

This week, Blake talks with Jake Hager, Executive Director of South Rome Alliance, and Jonathan Luttrell, South Rome Resident and Board Member of South Rome Alliance.  They talk about mixed-income housing, what it means to be a part of a community, and how proximity increases empathy.   As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Farm Bus, come and see us every week, to see our weekly schedule visit: daviesshelter.com/farmbus

In this episode, Blake talks with Mary Margaret Mauer from Restoration Rome about Trust-Based Relational Intervention, creating a common language across our service agencies in town, and how our partnership is making our shelters an even more hospitable place for our guests. As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Farm Bus, to see our weekly schedule visit daviesshelter.com/farmbus  

In this week's episode, Blake talks with Cassie Shealy from Briggs & Associates about the complexities of employment for our underestimated neighbors and how they are working with our guests to reach self-sufficiency.  They also discuss how the partnership between Davies and Briggs has helped Briggs to grow.    As always, this podcast is brought to you by the Farm Bus, to see our weekly schedule visit: daviesshelter.com/farmbus

Blake talks with Catherine Lovvorn, executive director of LivingProof Recovery in this week's episode.  They talk about the intersection of substance misuse and poverty, how community is central to the work of healing, and the hospitality of language.  As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Farm Bus, to see our weekly schedule visit daviesshelter.com/farmbus

In this week's episode, Blake talks with Alex Callahan about The Davies Shelters' approach to case management and why partnering with other organizations within our community is crucial to the restorative journeys of our guests.  This podcast is brought to you by The Davies Farm Bus, a mobile farmer's market seeking to bridge the gap between health, community, & local food for all in Rome.  To learn more, and see the weekly schedule visit: http://daviesshelter.com/farmbus

New episodes every Monday beginning May 2nd! In each episode, you'll hear conversations with our community partners about the complexities of poverty and homelessness, and how we are working together to provide “More Than a Bed” but a welcoming community for all of our neighbors. 

This is our final episode of the season, and it's an extra special episode. Today on Neighbors of Rome, we share a conversation we recorded back in September between the Davies Shelters' namesake, Bill Davies, and his longtime friend, Harold Storey, on Harold's front porch. It's a conversation between old friends telling stories about their decades in the trenches working to create a better community for all of our neighbors.

In this week's episode Blake talks with Brian Harris, Director of Operations and newly liscened In-House Counselor for The Davies Shelters.  We talk about the ways the counseling program is an effort to expand the way we meet our guest's needs, how poverty interstects with mental health. You can give easily and securely online at www.daviesshelter.com/donate

In this episode, Blake talks with Mary Shotwell Smith, retired nurse from Shorter University and a member of the Neighbor Society.  We talk about why it's important to her to making meals for our guests that she would make for her family and how she learned generosity from her parents. To make a gift: www.daviesshelter.com/donate

In this week's episode, Blake talks with Amanda Hale about the ease of giving, and how she learned more about the complexities of poverty. You can give easily and securely online at www.daviesshelter.com/donate.

Today is a very special episode where Blake talks with a former guest at our Women's House, in order to protect her privacy we won't share her name or any personal details, but we think you will get to know her heart by just listening to this conversation. They talk about life in the Women's House, the power of hospitality, and how helping multiplies. 

In this episode, Blake talks with Juan Valencia, a current Berry student and Bonner Scholar about his time volunteering at the Davies Shelters.  He talks about how his time with us changed his career trajectory, and why he thinks volunteering is powerful. To make a gift, please visit www.daviesshelter.com/donate

In this episode, Blake talks with Jeff Chadwick, a pastor, board member and good neighbor.  They talk about why proximity and partnership are crucial to be able to help, what being a neighbor looks like and how our community can move towards restoration.    If you would like to make a gift, visit daviesshelter.com/donate

This week, Blake talks with Devon Smyth, Executive Director of The Davies Shelters about language as hospitality, why being a good neighbor matters, and how The Davies Shelters is working to be a good neighbor to our community.  You can make a gift at www.daviesshelter.com/donate

Neighbors of Rome is a podcast series from the Davies Shelters that explores stories of hope and community. New episodes will be released every Monday through Christmas 2021 starting November 8th.