Staff Profile: Mary Hamric
Mary Hamric, family services coordinator, in her office at New Hope Family Shelter
Name: Mary (Ellis) Hamric
Job title: Shelter Director
New Hope employee since: April 25, 2022 (as Family Services Coordinator)
Favorite sport: I coach lacrosse and my husband coaches hockey. Lacrosse is definitely the most fun for me, but I do love the drama of a good hockey game!
Favorite pet: I have 2 dogs, Puck and Cooper, and I love them both equally.
Favorite comfort food: I love sour and fruity candy -- Sour Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Haribo gummy bears, etc. All of those are my self-care food.
Favorite color: Blue
Mary starts most days with meetings. She leads a team of case managers to address the complex needs of each family with collaboration and compassion. In addition to 12 families in our shelter, the team is working with many others on an outreach basis to prevent them from becoming homeless.
“We discuss individual case histories, brainstorm housing options, and tackle barriers head-on. Sometimes I’m helping identify resources, other times I’ll jump in to provide families extra support.”
Mary has seen firsthand how difficult it can be to secure stable housing, even for families without any other problems. Sometimes, an apartment can be difficult to obtain, and application fees quickly start to pile up.
“One mom I worked with had a good job, no evictions, and stable income, but still applied to over 30 apartments before finally getting accepted to one. She did everything right. That story sticks with me.”
Why I work at New Hope
I work at New Hope because I believe all children, parents, and persons deserve to have a roof over their head. I want to work for a change in affordable housing initiatives and for low income housing to be accessible and attainable for everyone, no matter their race, gender, or credit score.
Related: People of Housing Security: Mary Ellis (Heading Home of South Central Indiana)