Tessa Barber has learned quickly how important it is to have a personal connection with residents at Susan’s Place in Essex. For her, it’s probably been the most rewarding part of her role as CHT’s Resident Services Intern.
“Having residents recognize my face and feeling like they can sit down and have a conversation with me…It’s been great to make little connections, and I feel like people are starting to feel like they can trust me,” said Tessa.
Since starting her role in September, Tessa has spent a lot of time shadowing and supporting Resident Services Coordinator Hannah Gale.
“Hannah is a genius,” said Tessa. “She is really great with people. She recognizes what’s really going on behind the scenes.”
The resident services team is tasked with supporting CHT residents and is available onsite at several properties. That definition can mean a wide variety of things, but one thing that’s essential is the ability to build a relationship with residents and understand what is going on in their world.
“It’s been fun to see the different sides of it. We’re really on the ground floor, being hands on with people. It’s cool to be site based because I get to actually see everyone on a day-to-day basis,” says Tessa.
She was familiar with Susan’s Place before she started, but wasn’t aware of how large an impact CHT has beyond providing permanently affordable housing for previously unhoused community members.
“There is so much more than that, I really like all of the education programs that are available,” says Tessa. “I’ve really liked learning about all of the different services CHT provides.”
Tessa describes her CHT internship as a valuable learning process and says it’s an experience she recommends.
“I would encourage anyone to dive in! It’s going to feel like a lot,” Tessa said. “I’ve learned to embrace that and be okay with not knowing everything. Sometimes sitting down with someone and figuring out what’s going can be the most rewarding part.”