A letter from Brad Rhoda, OFC Director
Friends:
Having assumed my new role as Director of Outreach Fort Collins in mid-October 2021, I confess that it seems a bit disingenuous for me of all people to be writing a year-end letter for OFC. With only a few months under my belt, I find myself still learning, still asking questions, as I continue to make rookie mistakes that I’m sure my co-workers will gladly tell you about. And while this new experience with OFC has presented a substantial learning curve, it has frequently been exhilarating as I meet more and more supporters, partners, and clients who depend on OFC for support and guidance.
I won’t lie: It was a daunting and somewhat frightening transition for me to move on from my previous employer of 18 years and join the staff of Outreach Fort Collins. Saying goodbye to a comfortable and stable situation to start a new adventure at OFC certainly had me second guessing myself more than once. But when I met the team here, when I heard them speak of their work, when I was able to witness first hand their wisdom and professionalism, all of my doubts were allayed and I knew that OFC was where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a part of this unapologetically local little nonprofit that spoke of marginalized people with compassion and empathy, that spoke of police officers and city officials with respect, that spoke of local merchants like friends.
Because that is our work: We are a professionally staffed, on-the-street team that builds relationships with community members, service providers, businesses and city services as a means to effectively address and de-escalate disruptive behavior.
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such an organization?
I wish I could say that the trusted reputation OFC has built in downtown Fort Collins is due to my leadership, my guidance and inspiration. Maybe someday, I will be able to say this. In the meantime, I somewhat abashedly admit that I still often feel like the novice in the room, far from being an expert in the work of OFC. Every day I am learning something new from my inspiring colleagues, meeting another business owner downtown, hearing another story about the positive impact OFC has had in our community. That said, I could probably write another 50 pages about what I don’t know. But there will always be unknowns, and I am willing to rest in this knowledge; despite what the loudest voices in the current political and social climate like to tell us, the most important issues that we are facing today are not black and white. There is no silver bullet for homelessness, no panacea for the complexities we face in Fort Collins and beyond. But together, guided by compassion and empathy and trauma informed best practices, we can advance our mission to care for those who need help the most, those left in the shadows, those on the margins who, like it or not, are a part of our wonderful community. We can turn our heads away or we can help in the best ways we know how. It’s up to us.
I’m all in. I hope you will join me in supporting Outreach Fort Collins as we continue working to maintain our community as a safe and welcoming place while connecting those in need to services and supportive networks.
All my best,
Brad Rhoda, Director
