Delaware's Needs Come First at People's Place

Initially, Del Failing struck me as a no-nonsense guy. I met him at a nonprofit forum on the state's finances. When he told me he was the Executive Director of People's Place, I must have grinned most mischievously, because he said, "Okay, tell me, what's the pitch?" I laughed and told him about my idea. He gave me his card, and promised to call me.

Like me, Del is enormously busy. It took us three weeks to set an appointment, and then, when I was late for the appointment we were finally able to make, he graciously excused me because I had gotten hung up at work. Del understands that work takes precedence, because for him, it's no different. Del himself admits he has to be in a place without cell service to "unplug", and I truly, completely understood.

Del oversees 14 People's Place locations throughout Delaware. Founded in 1972, People's Place began as an all-volunteer organization with a mission to address the emerging drug problem in Delaware. Their center also served as a drop-in center for troubled youth. In 1976, they became a direct service provider, hiring their first mental health professionals. Their goal became to determine the social service needs of Kent and Sussex counties and ascertain "whether this is [a service] we can do, or help them through a referral or by contracting", Del said.

People's Place provides a great variety of programs; some are free, some are fee-based. The nonprofit organization provides a wide array of services including housing, counseling services, case management, group homes for young people, and domestic violence issues. Many of these programs are carried out with partnering nonprofits.


Rebecca Yellen, Karen Guyer, Brenda Beisel,
and Mamie Charest, Del's staff at the Milford People's Place


People's Place doesn't "chase the dollar". In other words, they don't put together programs just because there's an opportunity for funding. (This is not a practice that many nonprofits are proud of, but many do to survive.) "We ask, 'Do we have the infrastructure to provide this service? Are we the right ones to provide this service?' If we don't and we can't, we don't pursue it."

Del is relatively new to the position of Executive Director, but he is not new to People's Place. He has worked for the organization for 20 years as a Program Director and later, as an Associate Director. He was promoted to Executive Director in November 2010. He and his board has taken great pains to ensure his transition has been easy, both on Del and the staff. He feels good about his position and loves working for People's Place. "There aren't a lot of hierarchical levels at People's Place. We have daily contact with our employees at all levels."

"One of the many things I like about People's Place is how we treat our clients," Del said. "We say, think of the child first. Think of the client first. We try to put ourselves in their shoes and share their perspectives." Another cool facet of People's Place is that the employees are involved in policy-making. "When it's time to look at medical benefits, anyone at any level can volunteer to be on the Benefits Committee. They each have a vote in choosing the health care companies."



Christina Jones-Bey and Jakiya Davis,
Program Directors

 Since People's Place deals in very sensitive cases involving mental health, abuse, and case management, patient confidentiality prevented Del from telling me too much about the clients. However, he did say that he was thrilled at the outcome from one particular client. "This was my first client. She has used several of our programs over the years; she was an incredible person. She has a positive spirit, and has held the same job, and kept her family together [despite all odds]." This client, he says, doesn't make a lot of money, but she gives a huge percentage back to the community. As Del spoke, I got the feeling that this client made as large an impact on his life as he had made on hers.

Del himself has had more than 30 years in the mental health field. Before People's Place, Del worked for a detox center, did group care for kids, helped homeless people and those with mental illness. His life has been changed through his service to his community. "I think it makes me be unselfish. It makes me feel grateful. It's rewarding. Challenging."

Del gave me a choice as to how my ten bucks would be used. He said, "We ask all of our donors to choose how they would like us to use their donation." I said, "Unrestricted operating funds." Del smiled broadly and said, "That's the most difficult money to raise." I said, "I know."

Del gives my matching donors the same choice, but I asked him to recommend the program that needed the most support. "We have a veterans' outreach program called 'Listening Post'. Funding has been cut for this program, and it's run by one person, Mike Rowe, who was hired in June and is a veteran himself. He travels all over, helping to connect veterans with benefits." Del said that Mike has a vision for the program: he wants to open a shelter for female veterans. "This is our most pressing need. In this program, a little goes a long way."

So what does Del like to do in his down time? "Travel." Most recently, Del has been to Cairo, Egypt, and Athens, Greece. Somewhere, there exists a photo of Del riding a camel. I said, "I'd like to see that." Del laughed, but neither accepted or declined my request. (That means there's still a chance.)

The best way to make a donation to People's Place is to send a check to their administrative office at 1129 Airport Road, Milford DE 19963.

 

My Ten Bucks matters, and so does yours.