Multiple ordinances which went up for approval at Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, May 27 concerned funding for Springfield’s homeless prevention resources.
Going straight to next week’s consent agenda is a measure to fund Fifth Street Renaissance to an amount of $1,115,397 using federally supplied ARPA money: Fifth Street was praised by the city alderpeople for what they pointed out were many successful, community-minded programs with exceptionally high rates of success in helping city residents escape crisis.
Ward 8 Alderwoman Erin Conley stressed the importance of supporting Fifth Street and other related organizations, arguing they had demonstrated they could effect substantive change for the city’s unhoused population.
“You are working with our most vulnerable citizens, our most vulnerable neighbors,” she said, “and we want to see them supported and healthy.”
Unlike with Fifth Street, a similar measure to award funds to Helping Hands of Springfield did not make it to next Tuesday’s consent agenda. Alderman Roy Williams, Jr. of Ward 3 moved instead to put that ordinance onto debate in order to take time to clear up concerns he had with the group’s operation.
Williams, whose ward contains shelter facilities run by both Fifth Street Renaissance and Helping Hands, cited a series of complaints he had received about Helping Hands from neighbors. Conversations needed to happen, Williams said, to address operations at the shelters.
Another key concern raised by multiple alders was that many of the current administrative staff at Helping Hands have only been working there a matter of months. Ward 5 Alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase remarked that the group had a very high turnover.
Helping Hands of Springfield’s Executive Director Robert Gillespie, who assumed his position in January, assured the horseshoe that changes in staff were to be expected:
“With any new leadership, there is going to be a realignment of the standards that we hold people to, and it does happen that people leave,” explained Gillespie.
Ald. Purchase replied, “Yeah, some of the people who have left have been instrumental in our community… Are you using these funds to replace them? Or are you expanding from those positions as well?”
Director Gillespie did not directly answer that question, but did clarify that Helping Hands had recently hired an HR director, who he suggested was necessary to comply with state and federal employment laws. He did later tell Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano that the funding will be used to employ two additional case workers.
Robert Gillespie, whose background includes extensive social work and charity management in Georgia, replaced Laura Davis as Director at Helping Hands after she resigned in spring 2024 for health reasons. Board President Patti Crouch served as acting director in the interim.
Gillespie joined the organization amid growing complaints not only from its neighbors but also from its clients: since the initial controversy over a proposed citywide “public camping” ban last year put a spotlight on Springfield’s unhoused population, many people under the care of Helping Hands have come to City Council to complain about conditions. Various persons have alleged verbal abuse from staff, neglect of prescribed medication — multiple citizens complained that they are forced to leave the facilities for hours at a time each day, even in the middle of winter.
“I share in my colleagues’ need for additional conversation,” said Ald. Shawn Gregory of Ward 2, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting.
“I will say that Helping Hands, since I’ve been here since 2019, has had three to four directors like you,” he told Gillespie. “There’s a lot of work to be done with this particular entity.”
Ald. Gregory added,
“I have a hard time having confidence in this current Helping Hands… not the workers, not the staff, but y’all up top who’s running this thing, whoever hired you. We’ve got some work to do.”
