Sheenah Randolph, who currently serves as the Program Manager for Hospitality House, was hired in April 2011 as a part time shelter staff member. Over time she assumed more and more responsibility until she became Program Manager in 2014.
The Program Manager works with residents and volunteers to ensure that program requirements are met and that resources are used effectively. She builds and maintains relationships with and works collaboratively with other agencies and organizations in the community in the interest of best serving the needs of the residents of Hospitality House.
In her early 20’s, Sheenah signed on for two years of National Service with the AmeriCorps program. The experience deeply impacted her by highlighting the importance of working within the community to make a difference in the world.
Sheenah knows that homelessness can happen to anyone. Prior to coming to work at Hospitality House she was off work for two years dealing with major spine/back issues. Sheenah spent many days undergoing physical therapy, taking yoga, and having chiropractic treatments in hopes of improving her health. She believes that had she not been fortunate enough to have an amazing support system, she could have easily ended up homeless herself.
Sheenah completed the University of Washington, Tacoma, Non-Profit Management Certificate Program in June 2016. The program included classes on a wide range of topics including finance, grant writing, board governance and employment law and was designed to take theory and apply it in a practical sense. Through this training, she feels that she has already been able to implement different ways of organizing information and has found more effective ways to communicate with the Hospitality House staff, residents, volunteers and community partners.
One thing Sheenah loves about her work is that it keeps her grounded and keeps things in perspective. While it is human to focus on trivial things at times, she notes that because she works with women that often have nothing it is easy to remember to be grateful for all she has. Her most favorite thing is sharing the joy with a resident when she reports that she has found transitional or permanent housing!
Sheenah would love for Hospitality House to have its own facility that not only provides emergency shelter but has the resources for a transitional housing program in the interest of providing longer term stability for homeless women in south King County.