Maria Perez is the Assistant Program Director for Helen’s House at Henry Street Settlement. We asked her about her views and experiences working in the shelter environment and what it means to her and her clients.
Share some background on yourself, how you came to work at Henry Street in transitional housing?
MP: I’ve worked in this field for 32 years! I started in my 20s, working for a property management company that was providing homes to people coming out of shelter through Sisters of Charity in upper Manhattan. Then, I took on a second building, providing permanent housing for men in recovery from substance use issues. After that, I became the office manager of a Tier 2 shelter for mothers with young children and stayed there for 14 years.
In 2014, I happened to meet the office manager of Henry Street Settlement’s Urban Family Center shelter, and she told me they needed an office assistant. Two days later, I was offered floater position, from 5pm to 1am. The next year, I became a permanent office assistant, and then became the bilingual intake worker for the domestic violence program. In 2022 I was promoted to assistant program director of the DV program and I’m now at Helen’s House at Henry Street, a shelter for mothers with children eight and under. When I started working here—seeing that they’re working around the clock—I was amazed by the services, that a family leaves here with so many services: education, parenting, employment…
What drew you to work in shelter, and how has the experience been so far?
MP:Working in shelter is a challenge; you never know from day to day what will happen. But the rewards are so much more. When you see a family where you’ve put all the services in place for them to live independently in the community, and then they can go out and succeed. There’s no greater feeling. It’s awesome.
Doing intakes in the DV program was the most rewarding role. I was the first point of contact for a person trying to flee a violent situation. To see them arrive at our location safely was a feeling like no other, to know that you helped someone get away.
Have you faced any particular challenges while working there, and how have you overcome them?
MP: The biggest challenge over my career has been learning self-care—managing your work life with your personal life. With domestic violence especially, you take a lot of it home. For me, as long as my work is set, I’ve met my deadlines, I have to focus on my family. I have a wonderful husband, who is extremely supportive of everything I do. I have four children, ranging from 49 to twin daughters who are 24 and in nursing school. My husband took care of the twins when I was working. My oldest grandchild is 29 and a doctor and he has a child. So I’m a great grandma! I tell my kids, the key to bettering yourself is education and being productive in society. I didn’t have the same opportunity—although I’ve taken courses—and I want them to.
What does a typical day look like for you at the shelter?
MP: I plan from when I leave home what I will do when I arrive, but it never works out that way. We have a morning meeting, and I support the staff from what happened the prior night. We discuss any needed follow-up with our residents. There are unit inspections every week, and I make sure they happen. I enter notes and forms online. The social service staff (including housing case manager and aftercare case manager) report to me, so I read all of the case managers’ notes and sign off on them. I approve invoices and orders, special events, and building repairs.
4. Are there specific tasks or roles you find particularly rewarding?
MP: Having been an office manager and DV intake worker, I’ve been responsible for a lot of reporting to our grants team and keeping charge of statistics. I think that’s where my gift is and what I enjoy doing here.
5. How do you build rapport and trust with the residents?
MP: Trust and integrity are everything. When they are taken into Helen’s house, I introduce myself and what the process will be, who they’ll be meeting with. It’s hard for people to take in everything at once, so we start with a brief conversation and try to put them at ease. We talk about how this is a partnership to achieve the services they need and move to independent living.
What kind of feedback have you received from residents about your role?
MP: Sometimes residents will come to me when they disagree with what their case manager says. I always let them know why we do things the way we do them, which can be hard. The hugs come after people leave, and we let them know: Once you’re a Henry Streeter, you’re always a Henry Streeter.
What are your future goals or aspirations?
MP: Professionally, I plan to continue taking professional development training through Henry Street—I did a management certification and learned a lot.
What is the most important thing to consider when working in the shelter?
MP: It’s challenging work, but it’s so rewarding. I hope I’m here til I retire.
