S2S adds Executive Director in the Orlando area, bringing its innovative approach to ending situational homelessness through partnerships with the multifamily housing industry to its 6th market.
VIENNA, Va. – March 16, 2022 –Shelters to Shutters (S2S), a national non-profit that transitions individuals and families from homelessness to economic self-sufficiency through partnerships with apartment companies, announced today that Roy Barnes will join the organization as Executive Director for its Orlando area operations. Orlando is a new market for Shelters to Shutters. In his role, Roy will launch program operations and build a network of key stakeholders including nonprofit and corporate partnerships and a City Advisory Board compromised of leaders in the community committed to supporting the mission.
Roy joins Shelters to Shutters with over 20 years of experience in both for profit and not for profit sectors. Most recently, Roy was Vice President of Philanthropy for Shepherd’s Hope, a 25-year-old nonprofit providing health services to the uninsured in Central Florida. Prior to that, Roy was the Director of Development for The Sharing Center in Longwood, Florida, a multi-faceted organization providing services to the homeless and hungry in Seminole County. Roy spent over 20 years in the for-profit sector rising to Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Customer Experience for Marriott’s Leisure Division and President of Blue Space Consulting working with Fortune 500 organizations on customer experience, strategic planning and change management. He is the author of Customer Experience for Dummies as well as a book for front-line customer employees: Customer Experience 365.
“Roy’s unique experience and skillsets align perfectly for launching Shelters to Shutters in Orlando and building a strong base of support across both for profit and non-profit organizations,” said David Williams, Shelters to Shutters’ President and CEO. “I am thrilled to have him join us and excited to see the level of impact we can make in Orlando.”
S2S partners with over 30 apartment management companies, such as Miami, FL- based Lloyd Jones LLC, to place people experiencing situational homelessness in onsite, entry-level jobs, and provide them with housing at the same communities where they work. S2S provides each participant with career mentoring and access to support services to ensure a successful long-term transition. S2S works with multiple homeless-focused non-profits to identify suitable job applicants. The program changes the lives of individuals and families while providing quality, motivated employees for a rapidly growing industry in need of talent.
“I look forward to working directly with Central Florida’s strong nonprofit community and multifamily housing industry leaders to provide long term, sustainable change for our neighbors experiencing situational homelessness here locally. Shelters to Shutters is one of many solutions that we need to solve the situationally homeless crisis in our community,” commented Roy Barnes.
About Shelters to Shutters
Shelters to Shutters is a national 501(c)(3) organization that transitions individuals and families from homelessness to economic self-sufficiency by educating and engaging the real estate industry to provide employment and housing opportunities. Shelters to Shutters pairs leading property management companies with individuals experiencing homelessness who are ready to work. The result is an innovative program that provides full-time employment and housing opportunities for individuals facing homelessness and a pipeline of high quality, motivated employees for the multifamily housing industry. Shelters to Shutters currently operates in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Nashville, the National Capital Region, Orlando and Phoenix. More information can be found at www.shelterstoshutters.org or by following the organization on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.