A Place of Trust

As I have said many times before First Day has proven itself to the community as a successful nonprofit organization, but how were they able to pull it off? It is not easy to provide services to the homeless, especially since many of them do not go in search of the types of services provided by First Day. Oftentimes all they truly want is a roof over their head and First Day does much more than provide people with shelter. First Day expects their residents to use the time spent at the shelter to begin putting their lives back together and get off the streets.

The staff of First Day upholds values that have made them a trustworthy organization. From the beginning they have taken a client-centered approach which assures that the needs of their residents are met. Using this approach the staff of First Day builds a bond with its clients due to the fact that their work revolves around assuring the safety of all residents and providing them with emotional support. By seeing all that the staff does for them the clients know that they are in good hands and this allows them build that sense of trust and confidence. After spending time on the streets being overlooked by many people it is nice for the residents to be treated with respect and be given the opportunity of change.

First Day has been successful in creating an environment in which people can feel comfortable which is perhaps one of the most important things a nonprofit like First Day can do. When you are trying to reach out to people and offer them a helping hand it is crucial that you make them feel comfortable so that they may trust you. Comfort is most found in places where you know that you are safe and are surrounded by people who can help support you in any way that they can. In making their residents feel comfortable and providing them with reliable resources First Day has achieved its reputation of creating a place where people can find a “family”.

For years people who have lived at First Day refer to its staff and other residents as family. To some First Day may be the only family they have ever had. The relationships formed at First Day consist of trust, reliability, and loyalty which are all the things that make a family. This sense of family has been formed within First Day due to the “open honest communication” approach the organization values.

Honesty is an important thing that is incorporated within the organization and is used among the staff as well as the residents. By being honest with one another the staff of First Day is able to make decisions that are more beneficial to the organization and using honesty among the residents helps to build that form of trust and growth.

When residents come into First Day they must agree to follow the rules and are expected to be honest about what it is that they are doing that way the staff can see what progress is being made and whether or not there are things that draw concern. Honesty also allows the staff to share discussions with the residents about where they are and what it is they need to work on. But before someone can even be helped they must be able to trust the person who is offering them that help because without trust honesty ceases to exist.

Those of First Day made it clear to the public from the beginning that they have nothing but good intentions. When the people fought against the organization making its mark in Whittier the organization fought back because they truly believed that they had what it took to make a difference. Their determination and persistence is what makes them a success.

By upholding its values the organization continues to thrive. It is a trustworthy organization and that trust between staff and residents is the key component of the organization’s successful outcome. In a world where people struggle to trust each other it is nice to see that there is a place people can go to find people that are honest and regain their ability to trust.