Corie Darling has been with Heartland Alliance for the better part of a decade. Working in a space dedicated to expanding human rights is incredibly important to her – and she is proud to stand alongside the human rights workers across the organization. In her role with Heartland Human Care Services Supportive Housing team, she’s helped her team build transformational programs that increases supportive housing for the most vulnerable.
How did you get into this work?
I have always wanted to serve people. My family members are teachers, nurses, and even bed and breakfast operators. We are service-oriented at heart.
When I graduated college, I found work at a drop-in center for individuals experiencing homelessness. That first job allowed me to really see the impact of housing on people. Housing is so much more than a place to stay, it’s a matter of stability and dignity. You need that housing in order to wake up and tackle whatever comes at you. Education, employment, building family connections, doing all of that really necessitates stable housing. That’s the linchpin. If we addressed that one issue, our world would look completely different.
Above all, housing is a human right. We’re human rights workers here at Heartland Alliance, and so it’s great to have colleagues with these shared beliefs and mission.
Why is this work important to the community and those we serve?
When people have housing, they can be so much more engaged in their communities. If a person can’t truly focus on their work or their education because of an unstable housing situation, they can’t achieve their fullest potential. Continuing to move housing-first initiatives forward strengthens the opportunities for those individuals, and ultimately strengthens our communities.
At a larger scale: We believe in a housing-first philosophy. We believe that you deserve housing for no other reason but being a person who needs a home. Oddly enough, that’s not exactly a philosophy shared across society. We push that philosophy across the community, and show that it’s possible. We serve so many different populations – from youth, to individuals living with HIV, to Veterans – and they all share in this same need. Again, housing is a human right. Ensuring those rights for all people is always the goal.
Was there a moment where you knew you were in the right job?
When you hear people talk about what their goals are for the people we serve, you hear people at Heartland talking about dignity and respect. Regardless of role, regardless of title, this always seems to be one of the primary beliefs across this organization – that everyone deserves to receive services founded in those ideals. People here own that and believe in that, and I knew I was in the right place because I was surrounded with peers who shared those same values.
What is your favorite part of your job?
It’s twofold:
First, the reason we’re here is to serve – and I love having the chance to work directly with our participants. Believe it or not, I’ve been able to do more participant-facing work during COVID. Working with participants is something that I love and want to keep a present part of my life. I relish the opportunities I’ve had to connect with participants individually or in group meetings; hearing their needs and working to address them.
Second, I love working with my team and helping them achieve greater things within their space. I can help people find their goals and challenge them to find new ways to serve our participants. I love helping my team find those new and unique ways to build their programs. We’re always asking ourselves “how can we do this better” and we’ve been able to do that, and be creative especially during a year where so much has been unexpected.
How can others get involved in your work?
I think, more than anything, people need to be engaged in discussions at their community, state or city level around housing. You have to challenge yourself about what homelessness looks like, and I think seeing the humanity in the issue is a critical element. You have to think about what housing actually means for an individual – how it can be so fundamentally transformative. Again, housing is a human right, and when communities are fighting against programs or developments that build on that fundamental right for our neighbors, it’s counterintuitive.
How will you practice self-care or preserve your mental health during the holidays? Any tips for our readers?
I’m definitely taking some time off to spend with my immediate family. We’ll be planning a lot of walks, and try to do some outdoor cocoa events with family. Then, of course, my two year old has some great stuff coming for the holidays – a trampoline and some gymnastic gear. We’re looking forward to seeing her experience the holidays with more maturity and excitement this year than last.
In 2021 my wish is that we start the year out with hope and positivity. We’ve seen what we can endure, the communities of support we can create and we’ll need to come at the new year with hope and creativity so that we can focus on creating positive change.
