Meet Remy Gordon of Seeking Shelter in Coral Gables

Today we’d like to introduce you to Remy Gordon.

Remy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, I couldn’t really define an exact moment that Seeking Shelter started. It was in 2016 that I was made an official 501(c)3, nonprofit. During that time, I was in graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis studying for my Masters of Social Work. I was doing an internship with youth experiencing homelessness at the time. So, anyway, one night, I am shopping at Target and approached by a young woman and her baby. She was asking for money to all the customers at Target, going from aisle to aisle. Little did she know, she had stopped the right person. Anyways, we went and sat down at the cafe at Target and I bought her something to eat and she told me her story. She said she was homeless and needed money for food and shelter. We talked and she told me she wasn’t from St. Louis and that she had called the Hotline to find shelter but there were no open beds and she couldn’t figure out where to go. Long story short – I sat with her and made some calls until we found a place where she could go and be safe and keep her baby. This made me realize the need for a confined list of resources available to all people.

Having experience working with people experiencing homelessness, I was aware that the majority of them had a smartphone. I know that sounds pretty contradictory but it makes them feel connected to the world. Even if they don’t have a data plan, they use free WiFi wherever possible, they charge them at the McDonalds, they feel normal. There are also plenty of programs that help them obtain a smartphone. In 2018, 94.6% of people experiencing homelessness had a smartphone. I can only imagine that the number is continuing to rise.

So, back in 2016, when this all happened, I decided to create a website, Seeking Shelter. On the website, I have listed resources (emergency shelters, domestic violence programs, homeless shelters for men, family shelters, women shelters, youth shelters, substance use programs, veteran programs, food banks, free medical and STD testing locations, etc). It is very easily organized with the name, address, phone number, and a brief description as to what they offer and how you qualify. I am in 16 cities but I also have a turnaround rate of 48 hours if you request a city. I often get e-mails from people in random cities and help them locate the closest resources. I’ve also gotten e-mails asking for referrals to a shelter which I happily do by placing a call for them.

Seeing as how so many people have a smartphone, I thought it would be neat to create an app for the phone with all the resources on it using their location. It took me a few years but it is finally out there and you can download the app on the iTunes Apple Store and Google Play store! I encourage everyone to download it, even if you are not at risk of ever experiencing homelessness. I encourage you to pass along information when someone stops you and asks you for money. Open the app up, tell them where to find a hot meal, where to find a shower, etc.

Seeking Shelter also provides the necessities to people on the street. Some people just won’t go to shelters. They may be afraid, they may be at capacity and no space, or they may be severely mentally ill and unable to stay in a shelter. Those people deserve the basic necessities of life too. I create “goodie bags” with snacks, list of resources, socks, hygiene products, and waters and hand them out to people on the streets.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh gosh, it has been a rocky road! Becoming an established 501(c)3 took some time but that was probably the easiest challenge of them all. In the nonprofit world, shelters go in and out of business and funding is often cut. It is difficult to maintain accurate resources and data. I usually check every two weeks to make sure the lists remain up to date.

Another struggle was creating the app. It took me three years to release it but I am so happy it is finally out there! Finding app developers was almost impossible. Everyone was quoting me absurd amounts of money. I am not in this to make money, I am in this to help others. Anyhow, I was living in Boston when I met Cole Tomlinson and Fergus Watkins. Both are recent graduates from Lehigh University with their degrees in computer science. They are young, hard-working professional software engineers. They listened to me, they believed in me, and they wanted to help! They worked endlessly to bring my vision to life. Their attention, their skills, and their work were remarkable and I am so thankful that they joined the Seeking Shelter family.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Like I said before, Seeking Shelter aims to provide resources to all people. We don’t judge or discriminate. Resources are provided to everyone regardless of their age, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, cultural differences, and gender. I look at every person as an equal and every person as someone who is deserving of life. Doing this allows me to help everyone. I feel like I really try to get to know everyone’s story. Nobody grows up saying “I want to be homeless when I am older,” so I like to know what happened and how did they get where they are and how can I help. I don’t just give money, I give time, love, and resources. I help connect people to get involved in their community. I provide information regarding homeless to people who don’t understand it or don’t know much about it. I explain the causes, prevention methods, intervention methods, and statistics. I share their stories for them. I help end the stigma.

Of course, my long term goal would be to end homelessness completely but that’s my dream. A girl can dream, right? Well, my more realistic goal is to one day have Seeking Shelter open up a multi-service shelter program that would provide housing, food (nutrition), medical care, mental health services, youth programs, and education services. Oh, I dream about doing this overnight but funding is an issue, of course. But I can’t give up and I won’t give up! Just wait.

What were you like growing up?
I was born and raised in Miami, FL. Growing up, I was always interested in helping people. When I was 13 years old, I went around all of Miami and collected toiletries from hotels and companies and donated them to a homeless shelter for women in Downtown Miami. I would volunteer at a Soup Kitchen in Coconut Grove every now and then. In high school, I volunteered weekly at a local early child development center in an underprivileged neighborhood of Miami. I loved helping, it came naturally for me. Before becoming a social worker, I was an elementary school teacher. I love working with kids of all ages. I always have. I think that’s what brought me to youth homelessness, in particular.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seekingshelter.net
• Email: seekingshelter24@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seekingshelter24/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Seeking-Shelter-1802391203381676/
• Other: https://www.gofundme.com/homelessnomoreapp

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