When a client rings the doorbell at St. Francis House Community outreach, chances are Ms. Tracy is the first face they see! A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Tracy Akines began working at St. Francis House in April. “I had retired and was helping raise my grandkids when Amanda called. We’ve been friends for years, so I knew about St. Francis House. She said they needed help; I came.”
Ms. Akines worked in various fields, but she said the thing she was most proud of was her certification to work in special needs classrooms. “I had one client for three years in the classroom ad then another seventeen years every summer. We still stay in touch.”
Ms. Akines says she loves working at St. Francis Houe. “I love helping people, being able to be a blessing. The hardest part of the job is that we can’t help everyone, and we can’t fix all their problems. I wish everyone who supports St. Francis House could see our clients. Often it’s not their fault, it’s just life, and usually, they have no one else. Every day, I keep a prayer list for those clients that especially touch me. And meeting our homeless has impacted me so much that I always have leftovers in my car, so I have something to give to people.”
Ms. Adkines also volunteers on the Veteran side when she can. “My husband was twenty years in the National Guard, and I come from a military family, so I love doing things for our Veterans.”
Welcome aboard, Ms. Akines. We’re lucky to see that smile every morning!