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Kim Sather, Change Agent.
Photo by Lucien Knuteson |
Kim Sather believes that while we may never truly understand
the struggles of another person, we can observe the effects of those struggles and compassionately try to address
them. Compassion is a guiding principle at the Compass Center, where Kim works as a program manager. “Employees take every opportunity to connect with folks so they don’t feel forgotten,” she says, “and there is a wonderful sense of community
that develops in the overnight shelters.”
The Compass Center is a busy place. It provides basic services,
such as phone messaging, mail, banking, laundry, and showers to hundreds of homeless and low-income people each day, in addition to transitional housing, housing for veterans, and overnight shelters for men and women.
One unique aspect of the Compass Center is that it has few rules. Kim explains that the organization’s goal is to help people access services, not place more obstacles in their paths. Ultimately, she says, everyone “deserves to be inside; it’s not something you should have to earn.” |
