Before the Babies Arrive: A Holiday Story of Collaboration
Jen Johnson • December 23, 2025
This holiday week, our community of partners proved once again that we do better work together.
One of the core components of our coordinated efforts at Homeward is “case conferencing.” During case conferencing, Homeward staff work with providers from across the community to address the needs of households experiencing homelessness and collaborate to meet their housing and service needs.
During this week’s Family Case Conferencing, we learned about a couple pregnant with twins and scheduled for induction after the holidays. In discussion, the partners identified an available shelter that could accommodate this growing family.
With partners working together, we were able to talk with the family, find transportation, and get them safely into shelter just in time for the holidays, and before their babies arrive.
Tonight, this family has a warm place to rest, supportive shelter staff, nourishing food, and the peace of mind to prepare for their next chapter together.
This is what collaboration looks like. We are deeply grateful for every partner and the generous community supporters who helped make this moment possible.
As housing instability and the cost of living continue to rise nationally, and especially in the Richmond region, we’ve seen increased pressure on homeless services. These larger economic forces push more people to the brink of homelessness and add further strain to our current support network for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
We often get questions about how people can help support the work of Homeward and homeless service providers in the Richmond region. One way we to help is talking to your elected representatives about the important work taking place and the need to fund proven, successful programs.
After nearly two decades of dedicated service and impact on efforts to solve homelessness in the Richmond region, Margot Ackermann, Ph.D. is retiring from her role as Director of Research and Evaluation at Homeward . While we will deeply miss her leadership, compassion, and institutional knowledge, we also celebrate the legacy she leaves behind: one that has strengthened our community, shaped data-driven practice, and inspired countless colleagues and partners.
There is incredible compassionate collaboration that happens with trained street outreach professionals and Homeward - the dedicated planning agency for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC) – each and every day, but especially on days with extreme weather.
Most of us have seen the weather reports for this weekend’s winter storm. Any accumulation, let alone what’s forecasted, is disruptive for everyone, especially our neighbors facing homelessness.
Later this month, Homeward will organize the Winter 2026 Point in Time (PIT) count for our region. The PIT count takes place annually and has been managed by Homeward since 1999.
“There are so many people who are one check or one job loss away from homelessness. We all need to be kind to each other.”
After more than 20 incredible years with Homeward, Melanie McDonald embarks on a well-earned retirement.
As the Richmond region continues to become a more expensive place to call home, we see elevated rates of poverty, housing instability, and homelessness.
The Richmond region got its first blast of winter recently. As the winter season approaches, we all brace for cold days and colder nights. Winter is always an especially difficult time for our neighbors pushed into homelessness. Homeward staff have been working diligently with Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC) partners to prepare for the additional challenges that come with cold weather.
