Today we’d like to introduce you to Carole Smith.
Hi Carole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My pleasure. My name is Carole Smith and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Palmer House, a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, located in Missouri City, Texas.
Living, working, and volunteering in my county, I soon became aware of a population that is not as noticeable as it may be in other counties, families experiencing homelessness. The Hidden Homeless or The Invisible Homeless are those we don’t see under a bridge or in parks; they are people without a permanent place to stay so they live on someone’s couch, in someone’s extra room, a weekly motel, or worse, in their cars. This population consists of families with children, single women, and youth aging out of foster care. Added to the homelessness issue are people experiencing food insecurity on a daily basis and our most vulnerable population are children. Imagine being a parent and not knowing how you are going to feed your children so you make sure they eat breakfast and lunch at school because there may not be enough food for dinner. Not an abstract scenario but a reality for many families. Seeing the need I began to write down a plan; Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision and make it plain…” In 2013 I decided to provide Thanksgiving baskets to a few families that I identified with and together with my friends we provided 5 families with Thanksgiving provisions to feed their families. I knew I did not want to put a Band-Aid on the situation, so I talked with these families throughout the year and soon identified a bigger need, residential stability. I completed a Needs Assessment and discovered that right here in my county there are families with children, single women, and youth experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Palmer House was born. Palmer is a family name chosen to honor the legacy of the Palmer family who play a significant role in supporting the community and advocating for those in need. It symbolizes compassion, generosity, and community spirit. The Palmer family can be found around the world making a difference in communities. Palmer House received its 501 c 3 in 2015 and has been working in the community since. Remember in 2013 we gave away 5 Thanksgiving baskets, in 2022 we gave away 150! Today we have been blessed to receive support from local organizations, businesses, sponsors, and individual donors, which allows us to continue to help those in need. As we address homelessness and food insecurity, we have four programs to address the whole person. Scratch Hunger, reduce and eliminate food insecurity, Safe Sanctuary provide housing assistance, Next Level Empowerment provide educational and employment assistance, and Wellness Works promote well-being by providing a range of services that help individuals and families overcome barriers and reach their full potential.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had to really contemplate this question and define within myself what constitutes a smooth road. I thought about the concept of a smooth flight and for me, that meant no turbulence, and even when faced with turbulence, I still reached my destination. So, when running a nonprofit, yes, there’s turbulence, but we always reach our destination. With any nonprofit, there are struggles or challenges with funding so that you can continue to serve those in need and the hardest part of this journey is not being able to help because your organization does not have the funds needed at that moment. Even still, we will provide resources to other organizations that may be able to assist.
Because of the “invisible” or “hidden” aspect of the population we serve, we are challenged to identify those who are in true need. Many are fearful to reach out for help, many are embarrassed to reach out for help, and many don’t know where to reach out because this predicament is new to their family. So, there are times when we struggle to identify those in need; however, we have partnered with other nonprofit organizations and school districts to help identify and refer families, single women, and youth aging out.
I must say that we have been blessed with a great Board of Directors and numerous volunteers!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My goal is to be able to run Palmer House with paid staff, but for now, we use volunteers so that the funding received goes into helping our community; therefore, I must monetize my mission! Two of the gifts that God has given me, in no priority order, are writing and helping others. So, I am a Writer and a Case Manager in Behavioral/Mental Health, and I hold a B.S. in Business and an M.S. in Psychology. I am an entrepreneur and run my writing business called Inspired Scribes Ink, where I provide ghostwriting, editing, content creation, coaching, workshops, and anything that pertains to writing. I am a published author, so I am aware of what it takes to get to that point. Additionally, I provide nonprofit development, which came about because when I was going through the process of establishing Palmer House, I wrote everything down. Now I assist others with their vision of starting a nonprofit as well as consulting when a nonprofit has already been established, and further development or direction is needed. I am most proud of my children. I have two adult daughters, Alexandria and Julianna, and what brings me joy is knowing that they were listening and watching as they were being raised. Both of my daughters have a strong spiritual walk, are gifted artists, one in music and the other in dance, they are Entrepreneurs, and they are both compassionate and giving individuals that will help someone in need.
God sets me apart from others because I know that I have a purpose to fulfill and have been given the gifts to walk in my callings. My upbringing also sets me apart. I am a first-generation American with parents who were born and raised in Jamaica, W.I., and migrated to The States. The values and morals instilled in me along with my heritage, have carried me to where I am currently. As a family with strong beliefs in family, education, and compassion, these attributes allow me to walk in confidence with an unassuming nature.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I believe the fact that I do not judge has probably been the characteristic that stands out and has brought me to where I am today. However, in order not to be judgmental, I have to embrace my other qualities of being prayerful, humble, trustworthy, and compassionate.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ThePalmerHouse.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/PalmerHouseMinistry1
