Melissa Farrar, Director of Social Services at Hope House, first got into social work after volunteering with children who experienced trauma, as she helped kids get through those hard times in their life.
Farrar was originally going to be a clinical physiologist, then switched over to social work where she’s constantly inspired by the people that she works with.
“I worked for my entire adult life until I came to Hope House with domestic violence, child abuse, and neglect,” said Farrar. “That’s where I felt I was most useful. That’s what made me decide to be a social worker.”
In her role as Director of Social Services, she supervises the social services staff and interns. Additionally, Farrar runs groups, completes grant reports and applications, as well as advocacy work.
“One of the things that drew me to Hope House was that we are very client-centered here,” said Farrar. “That’s something that I love and that you don’t get in all organizations. Most organizations have much more of a bottom line or business mentality, and that doesn’t fit with a social worker at all. But Hope House is incredibly client-centered, and we do what we have to do to in order to get the client’s needs met, within the realm of possibility. We can’t house all of the people that we have to house, but we can certainly provide them with food and things like that.”
With 350 people on Hope House’s waiting list for housing, the role of a social worker here is certainly not easy.
“The hardest part is not being able to help them, or not being able to help moms that are struggling because our daycare is full,” said Farrar. “The second would be trying to advocate for our clients with very close-minded people.”
Farrar’s personal mission is simple – she would like to make the world a better place for her kids, with the hope of them not having to deal with or see the same things that she does.
“I want to raise my kids in such a way, that they can continue to work to make changes so that we have a better community,” said Farrar.
And there are days where she sees the difference that she’s making in the lives of others in the Memphis community. There’s one story specifically that sticks out to her.
“I knew one of our clients way before I came to Hope house, and I heard through the grapevine she was living with HIV. She was in a severely violent relationship, and I met her when he broke her collarbone, and she had her little boy with her. Eventually, we got her into housing, and we got her son into preschool this summer. Then she got a job. She called me one day to tell me that they offered United Way giving where she worked. She couldn’t put much in there because she was only part-time, but she was giving back to Hope House for everything that Hope House had done for her through the United Way fund. She’s amazing and very strong.”
Hope House Heroes: Mellisa Farrar
Melissa Farrar, Director of Social Services at Hope House, first got into social work after volunteering with children who experienced trauma, as she helped kids get through those hard times in their life.
Farrar was originally going to be a clinical physiologist, then switched over to social work where she’s constantly inspired by the people that she works with.
“I worked for my entire adult life until I came to Hope House with domestic violence, child abuse, and neglect,” said Farrar. “That’s where I felt I was most useful. That’s what made me decide to be a social worker.”
In her role as Director of Social Services, she supervises the social services staff and interns. Additionally, Farrar runs groups, completes grant reports and applications, as well as advocacy work.
“One of the things that drew me to Hope House was that we are very client-centered here,” said Farrar. “That’s something that I love and that you don’t get in all organizations. Most organizations have much more of a bottom line or business mentality, and that doesn’t fit with a social worker at all. But Hope House is incredibly client-centered, and we do what we have to do to in order to get the client’s needs met, within the realm of possibility. We can’t house all of the people that we have to house, but we can certainly provide them with food and things like that.”
With 350 people on Hope House’s waiting list for housing, the role of a social worker here is certainly not easy.
“The hardest part is not being able to help them, or not being able to help moms that are struggling because our daycare is full,” said Farrar. “The second would be trying to advocate for our clients with very close-minded people.”
Farrar’s personal mission is simple – she would like to make the world a better place for her kids, with the hope of them not having to deal with or see the same things that she does.
“I want to raise my kids in such a way, that they can continue to work to make changes so that we have a better community,” said Farrar.
And there are days where she sees the difference that she’s making in the lives of others in the Memphis community. There’s one story specifically that sticks out to her.
“I knew one of our clients way before I came to Hope house, and I heard through the grapevine she was living with HIV. She was in a severely violent relationship, and I met her when he broke her collarbone, and she had her little boy with her. Eventually, we got her into housing, and we got her son into preschool this summer. Then she got a job. She called me one day to tell me that they offered United Way giving where she worked. She couldn’t put much in there because she was only part-time, but she was giving back to Hope House for everything that Hope House had done for her through the United Way fund. She’s amazing and very strong.”
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