Pay It Forward: Roots with Purpose

Erin Keeter laughs while preparing dinner settings with daughter Grace, 13, and father Mike Mann, far left. Keeter began volunteering for Roots with Purpose with Pulse Homes Cary coworker Randy Pittman, right, and now the whole family is involved.
Erin Keeter laughs while preparing dinner settings with daughter Grace, 13, and father Mike Mann, far left. Keeter began volunteering for Roots with Purpose with Pulse Homes Cary coworker Randy Pittman, right, and now the whole family is involved.
Jennifer Losee cheerfully packages to-go meals in the Raleigh Dream Center kitchen during one of the nonprofit’s community outreach meals.
Jennifer Losee cheerfully packages to-go meals in the Raleigh Dream Center kitchen during one of the nonprofit’s community outreach meals.
A hot meal and warm company put a smile on 4-year-old Skylar Jeffreys’ face at a Roots with Purpose meal at the Raleigh Dream House.
A hot meal and warm company put a smile on 4-year-old Skylar Jeffreys’ face at a Roots with Purpose meal at the Raleigh Dream House.
Clyde Cates gets a haircut from volunteer Deanna Thomson at the Raleigh Dream Center during an outreach program from Roots with Purpose, a nonprofit that strives to connect with those who are experiencing homelessness.
Clyde Cates gets a haircut from volunteer Deanna Thomson at the Raleigh Dream Center during an outreach program from Roots with Purpose, a nonprofit that strives to connect with those who are experiencing homelessness.
A dining room table is adorned with candies and messages for the community served.
A dining room table is adorned with candies and messages for the community served.
Roots with Purpose founder Jennifer Losee directs volunteers as they prepare for a community meal at the Raleigh Dream Center.
Roots with Purpose founder Jennifer Losee directs volunteers as they prepare for a community meal at the Raleigh Dream Center.
Free clothing is offered outside the Raleigh Dream Center during one of Roots with Purpose’s community meals.
Free clothing is offered outside the Raleigh Dream Center during one of Roots with Purpose’s community meals.

For Jennifer Losee, founder of Roots with Purpose, the simple act of sharing a meal has led to countless others. Recognizing that “our neighbors need our compassion, empathy, and support,” when Losee sat down with her husband and two children to name the organization that would help the local unsheltered community, it was with the guiding belief that “people are much like trees: When you give them the foundation (or roots), they can grow (their purpose).”

Now with a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers, growth continues to come from programs that strengthen the entire community.

Keep reading to learn how roots of purpose are taking hold.

What is the vision?

To bring compassion to those in need. When we decided to start a nonprofit, we knew there were other organizations that offered services to the unsheltered community. What we saw lacking was compassion. We want our unsheltered neighbors to know that they are important, cared for, and loved.

Tell us about the meal that led to Roots with Purpose!

We got the ball rolling with paperwork in October 2021, though we had no “real” plan of what we were going to do. My husband and I found ourselves having Thanksgiving dinner alone that year; as usual, we had way too much food. We decided that giving away our hot leftovers could be a great way to meet some folks who we could eventually help. My husband’s work drive led him past several camps near Capital Boulevard, so we decided to drive around that afternoon until we found folks to feed. We did just that and soon met some wonderful people who quickly trusted us. We have been in contact with this small group ever since.

A family arrives to volunteer at the Raleigh Dream Center.

What are Roots with Purpose’s programs?

Currently we have Meals with Purpose, our community meal program. We originally started putting on our own meals but quickly realized that you make a greater impact working with others. Today, we serve monthly at two other local organizations.

Compassion Packs is another program; they are like hygiene bags. We change what we include depending on the time of year, and we put in a card with our contact information so that our neighbors can reach out if they’d like to. I love this program because we often hear from the community that they don’t know how to help those they see asking for it. We have Compassion Packs ready to go and encourage the community to reach out to gift them to those in need. Our volunteers keep them in their cars and hand them out as needed. It’s a great way to offer something to another person without judgement and gives folks who aren’t sure how to handle sensitive situations a way to help.

We have just launched a new program called Potential to Purpose. This will be a monthly workshop series hosted by our team that will introduce a new topic each month related to a different life-skills issue. Growth Mindset comes first in January, followed by Mental Wellness in February. We have some great speakers and content lined up, and we encourage folks who are unsheltered, underemployed, or unemployed to join us. The workshops are free, and we are even offering a free meal. (We like to make sure people are fed!)

Please share some of the struggles faced by unsheltered people.

Struggles are plenty. It is a harsh reality that many people who are not living unsheltered quickly pass judgement on folks who are on the streets, but the reality is that 70% of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves. Communication is a huge struggle, as the free phone program no longer exists. Another struggle is transportation. The bus system takes time, is not always reliable, and at times isn’t an option, even if it means that our neighbors miss out on important services.

Clyde Cates gets a haircut from volunteer Deanna Thomson at the Raleigh Dream Center during an outreach program from Roots with Purpose, a nonprofit that strives to connect with those who are experiencing homelessness.

Can you share your positive impact?

Looking back on our three years of service, I think the biggest impact we’ve made is growing our volunteer team; realizing we are building a culture of people who want to give back to those in need. Our volunteers have numerous volunteer places they could call home, and they choose to work with us.

Why is face-to-face outreach important?

It is the best way to break the trust barrier. Our goal is to gain the trust of those who have oftentimes been let down by family, friends, or other organizations. We want our neighbors to see and hear that we are there to help. As often as we can, we try to meet up with our neighbors, even if it’s one-on-one. We talk openly about their specific needs and then offer them resources. We work hard to keep in consistent contact with them for as long as they like.

As a volunteer organization, what keeps you going?

We love having fun! We work hard, but we also play hard. We are moving into a time where we are turning this dream from a hobby to a real business. Our volunteers know that their time, talents, and resources are extremely important to reaching more people.

How can people support you?

Support comes in many shapes and sizes when it comes to nonprofits. We always have room for volunteers. We’re also looking to connect with businesses with foot traffic that can sponsor donation drives for our Compassion Packs. We are always looking for funds to help support our programs, but money can come in all kinds of ways. We love doing charity nights with local businesses where we earn a percentage of sales during a specific day; we would love any resources from local businesses that have grants that can support our programs, and we can accept any monetary donation with a tax-deductible receipt. If you feel drawn to reach out, we can most certainly find a way to partner to make an impact together.

Are there any upcoming events?

The best way to keep in touch with us is to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook. We have many opportunities to volunteer every month. We do have a “reset” January, but in February we will be in downtown Raleigh (on February 16) to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day. We’ll be passing out Compassion Packs and drinks to those we meet. We are currently planning a Plant Bingo for sometime in April, so stay tuned for that!

What’s next?

We are excited about our new workshop program debuting this year! Beyond that, we are working to grow our volunteer team so we can reach more people in need. Our super-duper scary long-term dream is to build a tiny home community where we can have a lasting impact on more people. It would be a community that works together, cooks together, and builds a new path together — a stepping-stone community where safety and a sense of belonging is no longer in question. One where stability, warmth, and compassion, along with education, employment, and goals allow people to reach their life’s purpose.

rootswithpurpose.org

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