Jamil

Jamil Porter has experience moving the ball. As a running back for Temple University, the Washington Redskins, Toronto Argonauts, and Amsterdam Admirals, his job was to run the play after the snap and be there for the quarterback handoff, all to help move the football down field.

As a Homeless Outreach & Engagement Specialist with Person Centered Housing Options (PCHO), he still runs the play to help move the ball—in this case, the ball is
where life is heading, and the quarterbacks are his clients.

“From the moment I first meet a client I’m always working on that relationship, meeting them wherever they’re at, so when they are ready to come off the street PCHO is there,”
Porter said.

Porter grew up in Rochester and attended School #19 and John Marshall High School.

When he gets a tip about someone sleeping in the woods or under a bridge and goes to introduce himself, it’s not uncommon for him to know them from his school days or as
acquaintances of his parents or grandparents. Sometimes he will meet someone he knew as one of the kids from City of Rochester recreation centers where he worked as a teen and still works a second job today to maintain that community connection.

Because of this, Porter sees each client as an extension of his own community, but still recognizes that even if they know and remember him, it will take time to gain their trust.

“We are not forcing them into housing and away from the friends and community they’ve formed on the street, but we are showing up consistently so we’re there when they are ready,” Porter said.

“Building rapport over time is everything,” he added.

That was the first lesson Porter learned when he joined the PCHO team in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. He made the transition to adult outreach with PCHO from a job as a K through fourth grade charter school behavior specialist. He saw
PCHO as an opportunity to expand on what he does best: Connecting with people and building community. And even helping a person see that they are the quarterback in their own life.

“My job is to find out whatever they are lacking and work on getting it. So, every day I’m helping clients with their everyday needs, like rides to appointments, clothing, hygiene items, food, and bus passes.” Porter said. “We also help them track down whatever documentation they need to be ready for when their name is pulled for housing.”

Every time he and the entire Outreach team move the needle for a client, he feels gratified—which is often. So much that he can’t imagine working anywhere else. It is as much a part of what he calls his center as are his daily talks with his daughter and
grandmother.

When a client decides they are ready to accept support for housing, Porter takes the handoff and moves the ball—his client’s life— to the Housing Specialists. It is also a huge pay off for him.

“As a Housing First program, PCHO is focused on getting this homeless population into housing,” Porter said. Once off the streets, they can work on whatever pressures may have contributed to their loss of housing to begin with. And if a client happens to lose housing again, Porter will be there to run the play again.

“Some of my clients are still in the same apartment PCHO placed them in, or have moved on to other housing, and are thriving! But if a client falls down, I want them to come back. I will be there to help all over again,” Porter said. “Because not only are they
my community, but the numbers also don’t lie,” he added. “What we’re doing is working.”