Team Player

Employee Spotlight: Erica Surrell
Senior Property Manager at Hope House

Erica Surrell has always been drawn to serving others, especially those in our community who are most vulnerable.

“I love helping people; I have a big heart.”

Erica studied special education in college and while she didn’t end up pursuing that as a career, she found job opportunities that allowed her to help people in need. After college she worked at a group home for adults with disabilities, and she later worked at a nonprofit organization that provided behavioral health services in the community. Erica started at CaringWorks in 2014 as a case manager, and in the decade since then, she has served in various roles and programs. She says she has enjoyed supporting the organization where needed.

“I’ve been all over the agency. I do whatever I can. I’m a team player, always.”

But there’s one place at CaringWorks that Erica considers “home.”

“I love Hope House; my heart is at Hope House,” she said.

Today Erica is the Senior Property Manager at Hope House, CaringWorks’ 70-bed residential facility in downtown Atlanta that provides quality housing and structured support to adult men who have experienced homelessness and are in recovery from substance addiction. Erica coordinates the operational needs of the property, and while she’s not in a case management role anymore, she sees and interacts with clients daily and says there is a strong sense of community among them and her colleagues.

“These guys and the staff are like my family,” she said.

Erica especially enjoys interacting with clients who are in the Deaf Bridges to Recovery (DBR) Program, which is run at Hope House for clients who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, deaf plus or late-deafened. In 2017 Erica started taking American Sign Language classes so she could communicate with DBR participants.

“I’m always learning new things and new phrases, and new ways to communicate with the guys. And they love it. They love having someone who’s hearing who they’re able to communicate with.”

Erica says the most rewarding part of her job is when clients successfully finish the program and go on to achieve great things.

“I love it when they leave here and come back to tell us their good stories,” Erica said. “We have one guy who came here from jail and when he left, he started working with a roofing company. Then he started his own roofing company.”

Erica acknowledges that there are times when this type of work is challenging. She says it requires being flexible in a fast-paced environment, and above all, a passion for helping people.

“There’s never a dull moment in this field; you never know what you’re going to get into,” she said. “And you have to love all kinds of people. You have to know how to meet people where they are. You can’t treat everyone the same way; it’s not a cookie cutter situation.”

Erica says this work also requires a compassionate understanding of the unique circumstances that can lead to homelessness.

“They aren’t homeless or using drugs because that’s what they wanted to do. They may have been put in a bad situation or it’s their mental health. They could have developmental disabilities. You never know what someone’s situation is.”

 

About CaringWorks:

Built on the single idea that all people—no matter their social or economic standing—should have a chance to improve their quality of life, CaringWorks has served thousands of clients since our inception in 2002. Since then we have grown exponentially to become one of Georgia’s leaders in providing permanent supportive housing. We serve hundreds of individuals each year through unique programs and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of those facing chronic homelessness.

Donate today to help us end homelessness.

November 2024