Vanessa Volz
Executive Director
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Vanessa Volz has been the executive director of Sojourner House since 2011. During her tenure, the agency has updated its mission statement, more than quadrupled its operating budget, and developed new community-based initiatives and housing programs. A licensed attorney, she previously practiced disability rights law, and she has published articles in the UC Berkeley Reproductive Rights Casebook and the Rutgers University Women’s Rights Law Reporter. She teaches at Rhode Island College in their Gender and Women Studies Program, and she also periodically serves as a visiting professor at Wheaton College. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Bard College, Leadership Rhode Island, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, as well as a 200 hour yoga teacher training. Originally from the Midwest, she made stops in New York, the west coast, and the southeast before establishing Rhode Island as her adopted home.
Gloria Greenfield
Deputy Director of Operations
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Gloria joined Sojourner House in April of 2011 as a part-time court advocate. An immigrant native of Venezuela, she quickly recognized the lack of services for undocumented victims of violence and the barrier it presented for them, setting in motion the creation of the first -and still the only- Immigration Advocacy Program housed at a domestic violence agency in Rhode Island. She is a Department of Justice fully accredited representative and a Leadership Rhode Island graduate. In her current position as the Chief of Staff, Gloria supports the Executive Director’s functions by supporting the daily operations of the organization, leading and facilitating various strategic planning processes across the organization, assisting with oversight of financial and operational processes of the agency, and providing leadership to other members of Sojourner House’s management team.
Kelly Henry
Deputy Director of Programs
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Kelly started at Sojourner House in the fall of 2012 as the Manager of the Residential Program. She quickly realized that even though shelter is a necessary, life-saving step that there needed to be more diverse housing options for survivors to gain control of their lives and find stability for themselves and their children. In her tenure at Sojourner House, she has developed RISE, the first shelter for male and male-identified folks, THIEA, the first shelter for folks who have been trafficked, as well as a rainbow of housing opportunities with rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. In 2019, Kelly became the Director of the Housing Program at Sojourner House and currently runs the largest RI Continuum of Care Rapid Re-Housing Program in the state. She has been a Board Member of RI COC Board since 2019 as well as on numerous state-wide committees and taskforces always bringing youth and family survivors to the forefront of the conversation. Kelly graduated from Illinois State University and has worked for over twenty-five years with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault around the country but is glad to be back home in Rhode Island where she was raised.
Melissa Babington
Senior Director of Emergency Operations
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Melissa joined Sojourner House in 2018. She graduated from Purdue University with a degree in psychology and substance abuse. She has worked with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking throughout her career. Melissa’s passion to help victims comes from personal and professional experience. Melissa currently works with residential and transitional housing programs to provide low-barrier and trauma-informed supportive services in all Sojourner House emergency shelters.
Amanda Berno
Director of Supportive Housing Programs
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AMANDA JOINED SOJOURNER HOUSE IN 2016. SHE COORDINATED THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM AND NOW COORDINATES THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS ALONG WITH OTHER FORMS OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE. SHE HAS WORKED IN THE FIELD FOR SIX YEARS AND INTERNED WITH THE RHODE ISLAND COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS ON THE ZERO:2016 CAMPAIGN TO END HOMELESSNESS STATEWIDE. DURING THAT INITIATIVE, SHE TRAINED PROVIDERS AND VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE TO ADMINISTER THE VULNERABILITY INDEX, A TOOL USED TO ASSESS THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR HOUSING SERVICES. SHE EARNED HER B.S.W. FROM RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE.
Colleen O’Connell
Director of Human Resources
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As Director of Human Resources, Colleen’s work supports Sojourner House’s leadership and staff. She believes that giving staff the resources, tools, and guidance they need plays an important role in an organization’s ability to deliver services. Colleen’s expertise includes recruiting, compensation, benefits, employee relations, and coaching. Colleen was drawn to Sojourner House’s mission and the unique opportunity to support its administration with her more than 25 years of nonprofit and human resources experience.
Saribel Cruz
Director of Housing Stabilization
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Saribel joined Sojourner House in 2019. She began her work as a Housing Advocate and later transitioned to the Housing Stabilization Manager position, in which she oversees Sojourner House’s rental assistance program, transitional housing program, and other housing services. Saribel has worked in the human service field for over 13 years and has found her passion in advocating for families and individuals who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. She hopes to continue to provide supportive services and connect with community providers to effectively assist those who have experienced traumatic events. She earned her B.A degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College.
Lisa Hoopis
Director of Community Programs
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Lisa joined Sojourner House in 2019. She has over 20 years experience and has developed and facilitated hundreds of trainings and workshops to a variety of audiences nationwide. She is a graduate of Rhode Island College, where she is an adjunct faculty for the Health and Physical Education Department, and was the former Director of the RIC Women’s Center. She works closely with school districts and agencies to provide professional and youth development, training, consultations, curriculum development, and assistance setting up peer education and advocacy programs. She is a co-founder and active member of the RI HIV STI prevention coalition and an active member of the RI Cross Campus Collaborative to prevent sexual assault on campus. She is also a certified curriculum developer and trainer for the Rhode Island police academy and is a co-chair of the RI crime victim service providers and co-chair of the Providence health and wellness- healthy relationship subcommittee. She specializes in inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education and interpersonal violence prevention.
James Reynolds
Director of Finance
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James joined Sojourner House in 2022 as the Director of Finance. He brings a breadth of experience gained over 30 years working for a wide range of organizations in a variety of industries and missions including construction, faith-based, community health, legal, and many others. He is a graduate of Providence College with a BS in Finance and is working on his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Upon completion of the CFA designation, he plans to get his CPA. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of such a worthwhile organization.
Annell Vidal
Director of Immigration Advocacy
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Annell joined Sojourner House in 2016 as the Bilingual Housing Advocate. In November 2020, she became the Manager of Immigration Advocacy. She assists clients in preparing and filing U.S. non-immigrant visa petitions and applications for naturalization, permanent residence, and adjustments of status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Annell is partially accredited to practice Immigration Law by the Department of Justice, allowing her to represent clients before USCIS. Annell also works with the HIV and housing team. She earned her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in international relations from the New York State University, at Buffalo.