Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Pohodich.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was adopted from Oklahoma City, grew up in Temple, Texas, lived in Washington State for a couple of years and finished high school in Missouri City, Texas. I’ve been in the greater Houston area since high school. I can remember having a passion for people less fortunate than myself as early as the 3rd grade. There was a little girl in my class that I could tell “needed” things. Things that seemed like necessities to most kids in our class. Clothes/shoes that fit, a jacket, a hairbrush, etc.… I asked my Mom if I could give my classmate some of my things since I had plenty. She talked with my homeroom teacher and they agreed it was a wonderful and selfless idea. They didn’t want her to be embarrassed so they asked me to get all of my items (my Mom also bought some new things) and put it in a suitcase and give it to my teacher. She gave it to my classmate very early one morning before most of the other kids arrived at school. She took her to the school gymnasium and let her clean up, brushed her hair and let her change into her new clothes. When I arrived that morning, my teacher told me to just act normal. I remember walking in and trying not to look over at her. After I sat down, I glanced over and the little girl in my class looked so nice. Her shoes and clothes fit, her hair was brushed and pulled into a pony tail; she didn’t look “needy” anymore. She never knew who the items came from but it made me feel so good to see her fit in with everyone else. I’m not sure if I realized the impact at the time, but I can trace my intrinsic motivation all the way back to this memory.
Throughout the years, I’ve spent many hours volunteering at soup kitchens and with other homeless services providers. I went on mission trips in and out of the country. I worked in hospice and then in the senior care industry while going to school. While getting my Associate’s degree at HCC downtown, part of my course requirement was to volunteer a certain amount of hours to an organization on the list provided to me. I chose the St. Joseph Clubhouse which caters to individuals with a history of homelessness and a diagnosis of a mental illness. This led me to Loaves and Fishes, another entity within the same organization. I spent years volunteering and eventually serving on the Board of Directors.
While attending graduate school at the University of Houston-Downtown, I met the CEO of Harmony House. He was in a different cohort than I but we shared a class together. He said he had heard about me from other students and asked if I was interested in becoming a member of the Board of Directors. After learning about the mission and history of Harmony House, I was very much interested. I was still on the Board of Directors for Magnificat House which was a faith-based organization that served the homeless population. Harmony House was a much better fit for me. Being able to contribute more to the homeless community than just providing some meals and blankets was incredibly fulfilling.
A few years later, the opportunity to become the CEO of Harmony House arose and I jumped on it as fast as I could. I can truly say that I have my dream job. The transition from the senior care industry to the homeless industry has been relatively seamless. The similarities are fascinating. All of the opportunities and decisions in my life had led me to where I am now and I couldn’t be happier. My clients continue to give me more than I could ever give to them.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road I’ve traveled has been smooth compared to some but there have been bumps along the way that have taught me valuable lessons. School took longer than it was supposed to due to money issues and changing my major multiple times. However, I have half of the debt that most of my friends have since I paid for school as I went. Some semesters I had to drop classes because I couldn’t afford them.
Another struggle along the way was having to resign from the Magnificat House Board of Directors. It was a working board which was incredibly difficult to balance with a full time job, school and volunteering. We still have a good relationship and I still drop by their soup kitchen periodically.
My struggles are daily ones. Struggling with the reality of what I’m dealing with among the homeless population. Poverty, violence, drugs, rape, abuse, mental illness….the list is endless. These struggles are the reality of people experiencing homelessness every day.
Harmony House – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the Chief Executive Officer of Harmony House, Inc. My organization has been serving the homeless population in Houston for 25 years. We don’t have a Christian mission, we have a human mission. To provide quality permanent and transitional housing, medical respite care and primary health care to homeless persons in Texas, through a supportive, drug and alcohol free community. Harmony House has around 275 clients at any given time. We have the only medical respite care program for homeless men as well as the only facility for individuals with infectious tuberculosis in the City of Houston. We have a fantastic reputation among the homeless services providers in Houston and are often looked to for best practices. I hope to continue to spread this reputation to the general public to create a larger supportive base. We have 155 permanent supportive housing apartments for chronically homeless individuals. We also have a dormitory style facility, our very first program that opened in the 90’s, that serves up to 100 men at a time. A Harris Health open access community clinic and gold card eligibility office is co-located in this building which provides medical care and gold card enrollment to anyone that is experiencing homelessness. I am extremely proud of the Harmony House family. Out of a group of 27 employees, 8 have been here for over 5 years, 5 of those have over a decade of service and 2 have been here more than 15 years! We have quite an impressive team, many of whom have personally experienced homelessness. Harmony House is growing exponentially and received a sizeable amount of money from the City of Houston to build a new dormitory style facility with an expanded open access clinic on the piece of land next door to our current facility. We have waited years for this opportunity and are eagerly awaiting our groundbreaking! Construction will be completed in 2019.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success is pretty simple but can be hard to notice if you haven’t made specific goals for measure. My personal success is achieved when I’m doing something I love while also positively impacting others or the environment. You must determine your intrinsic motivation and then work to fulfill that. There are so many ways to measure success; for some, its money, for others, its recognition. Throughout my education, each degree was a marker of success because I was reaching a personal goal. Creating goals like playing the piano and learning how to hula hoop are some of the small successes that makes me happy. Waking up each morning and being happy about going to work is another marker of my success. I have a theory that if you lived in a world in which money was not a necessity, if you would continue doing what you’re doing for work, without being paid, you have reached success in your career. It means you truly love what you do. My personal goal is to be successful not only in my career but in every aspect of my life. I think that will always be a work in progress as I create new goals for myself over time.
Contact Info:
- Address: 602 Girard Street,
Houston, TX 77007 - Website: www.harmonyhouse.org
- Phone: 713-221-6216
- Email: meg_pohodich@harmonyhouse.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmonyhouseinc
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
