“Don’t even worry, I’ve got you!” Such is the philosophy—delivered with electric energy—that Mayra De Leon brings to her role of homelessness prevention advisor, starting from the moment a client arrives at Way Finders’ Springfield Housing Center. Equal parts confidence, inquisitiveness, and warmth, Mayra prides herself on being a hands-on resource to people in need.

“I love my role because I get to be a counselor, a friend, a good ear. I don’t treat clients as just any person. No, you’re my sister, you’re my brother. I say, ‘How can I help you? Listen, if I don’t have the answer, we will find it together. You hit the right person, I’m the walking phone book!’” 
 

Neighborhoods aren’t static—they are constantly changing, often right before our eyes. So what to do when changes aren’t for the better? When houses are let go, not lived in, not cared for? Do you cross the street upon approach? Avert your eyes? Sigh in resignation?

Not if you’re Associate Project Manager Meridith Whippen, a Springfield resident and driving force behind Way Finders’ City of Homes initiative. She’s drawn to properties in distress by the vision of what they could be—to future owners and the greater community.

“Just the other night, I walked my dog a way I don’t often take. And there was a house that is boarded up,” says Meridith. “I was like, ‘I’ve got see what the deal is with this house!’ It doesn’t hurt to ask.”

When Monique Lawson called her kids last fall and asked them to meet her at an address in Springfield, they were skeptical. And a little confused.

“They were like, ‘For what? Whose house is that?’ And I’m like, ‘It’s yours.’ It’s brand new, with a double lot backyard. It’s white and it’s big, I call it the White House! It’s like everything has fallen into place for me this past year. Everything. It’s just exciting. It was just my year.”

At the heart of Way Finders’ Competitive Integrated Employment Services? Listening. And following a client’s lead. 

“We look at a client’s background, we look at their interests, we look at what barriers may be in the way of those. And we run with it! They lead, we follow,” says Job Developer Erika Serrano. “We’re there to follow and support our clients. It’s their life and we’re here to help them along their journey.” 

Janishka Alvarado of Springfield, who joined the program in 2022, is here for it. All of it! “I love everything, everything. I love Erika. The way she helped me, the way she hears me, the way she talks to me about what may be best for me. I love the way she works with me.”