First, more than anything else, I want to say thank you for the outpouring of support following the announcement that I’ll be stepping away from GRACE! GRACE - even back when it was just an idea in 2005 - has been near and dear to my heart for almost two decades. Before we even opened the campus, we’d spent nine years planning and looking for the right location. From the moment we opened in 2014, I’ve had the privilege of leading the best damn team of homeless advocates I’ve ever met. Working at GRACE has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve accomplished with your support. 

In the weeks leading up to the announcement, we’ve had two major hurricanes pass over the state. Regardless of whether we endure a direct hit, these situations are dire when we have hundreds of people sleeping outside, and we go into full emergency operations mode to ensure everyone has a safe place to sleep. With everything going on with Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we neglected to include a critical piece of information on our executive transition – where am I going next? 

I notified members of my board back in February that I’d been approached with an opportunity to work for one of my heroes in this work, Iain De Jong of OrgCode Consulting. OrgCode are THE thought leaders in homeless services around the US and several other countries. One tool, more than any other, transformed the way homeless services are provided nationally by moving us away from a first-come, first-served system and toward one based on the vulnerability of the people seeking help. That tool - the VI-SPDAT - was invented by OrgCode. OrgCode has carried the torch for many of the best practices GRACE uses, including low-barrier sheltering, harm reduction, person-centered and trauma-informed care, and housing-focused sheltering. Beginning in March, I’ll be joining that team as a Senior Associate, training shelters and outreach programs around the country (and around the world) on many of the best practices GRACE was built on. This will allow me, I hope, to carry the work GRACE has done to hundreds of other programs, helping them improve their services and provide high-quality, effective care for people without housing in their communities. 

For years, I’d told myself “The only way I’d ever leave GRACE is if I had the opportunity to work with OrgCode.” When that opportunity presented itself earlier this year, I started working with the Board to build out a transition plan to ensure our vision, accomplishments, and momentum carry forward for years to come. I can’t wait to see what the team will accomplish in the years to come, and I’m looking forward to remaining a donor, supporter, and advocate for GRACE and many of our partners as I move on to the next chapter. 

Thank you, 

Jon DeCarmine, (Outgoing) CEO

GRACE