Erin Creal wasn’t sure at first that taking a position as executive director of Room in the Inn, a shelter for homeless women and children, was going to be a good fit for her.
“I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted, but it turns out it was exactly what I wanted,” said Ms. Creal, who has held the job for five years now.
A working program that trains women to be working, functioning members of society, Room in the Inn is a nonprofit on North Highland Park Avenue. Besides providing shelter and life skills education, the residents can be referred to mental health and medical services, education grants and clothing donations, among other services.
Ms. Creal, who previously worked as a probation officer and a coordinator in youth services at Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, oversees the operations of Room in the Inn. She wanted to be an FBI agent but failed to meet the eyesight requirements. It was serendipity, however.
“This job was really an excellent blend of my experiences and education,” she said. “And I love it. I absolutely love my job.”
Q: What was it like to be a probation officer?
A: It was fun. A lot of people would think it would be scary, but it wasn’t because you’re basically their best friend. You’re the one keeping them in the community and out of prison. You monitor them, make sure they are working or looking for a job. If they’re not employed, they do community-service hours. Oftentimes they’re on house arrest, so you make sure they’re compliant with that. You reported to the court about progress or lack thereof. Sometimes you have to revoke probation, and then it’s up to the judge what happens.
Q: Tell us about Room in the Inn.
A: It’s a program for homeless women and kids. We provide shelter, but we also provide the education that they need in the way of life skills, trying to teach them how not to be homeless and about their life choices. We have volunteers who come in and teach life skills, including budgeting, nutrition, job maintenance skills or communication. We have a case manager on staff who works with them on an individualized self-sufficiency plan so that they’re actively looking for a job or actively working or going to school. Also, financial needs, what they need to be working on. Parents work with our child advocate to make sure they’re using proper parenting techniques, that the kids are getting their educational requirements met, that the kids are in a therapeutic environment while they’re in our program. Once kids experience homelessness they are more likely to become homeless as adults. We want to prevent that and be proactive with them when they come in the program.
Q: What have you learned?
A: I’ve learned that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. We can operate a program and offer everything to these women, but if we want it more for them than they do for themselves, then it’s not a good fit. We have so few resources to plug in for them, they have to want it bad enough to work it. It requires them to rethink what they’ve been doing. Generally, it’s their attitude. If they come in with an attitude that they make all the right choices all the time, they aren’t going to work and they’re ineligible because they aren’t interested in making positive change. Like a lot of women make poor choices with men, and that in and of itself isn’t wrong, but if they aren’t going to recognize what the problem is, they are always going to have that problem. If you keep on doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting.
Q: What makes the job worthwhile?
A: It’s the success we have that really makes it worth it, because a lot of times they have come from ground zero and achieved so much. We have a young lady graduating with a pharmacy tech degree this month. We have one that’s interning as a paralegal. They had nothing. One of them had substance abuse issues and was hospitalized. When she was discharged, she was referred to us, she attended the 12-step program, started attending Chattanooga State (Community College). She had a lot to overcome, she came in with nothing. We have a lot of people who thrive on crisis, so we try to teach them how to be proactive.
Quick Bites
Spare time: Working on her house and going to the dog park with her dog.
Community involvement: Part of the Red Bank Neighborhood Pride Association.
Hobbies: Making candles, reading suspense novels, watching movies.
Last book read: “The Lovely Bones.”
Preferred film genres: Comedy and suspense. Dislikes horror and drama.
Upcoming Event
Kentucky Derby Party on May 1 features big-screen viewing party, best hat contests, cash bar, food and raffle to benefit Room in the Inn. Call 624-6144 for more information.