As a parent, how far would you go to help your child in their time of need? What hardships would you allow them to go through under your care? Parvane Dodani, mother of 3, sees her clients similarly to her own children and is always going out of her way to lead them to success. Since 1999, Parvane has been working hard at the Red Door Family Shelter in different position, as a caseworker and housing worker to ensure women, children, and families in need can find the safe housing they need and secure it.

 Having witnessed the impacts of homelessness firsthand through her work in the shelter system, she felt that working in the field of housing was a perfect fit for her. Parvane is a truly dedicated soul who loves the work that she does and finds motivation in providing support and housing services, advocacy to women and children who have turned to Red Door Shelter in their journeys for sanctuary. 20 years later, Parvane still approaches her job with the same drive, purpose, and compassion that she did when she first started out. In her own words, “… I have always wanted to do something that has an impact or that can change peoples’ lives and I do believe we have that impact on our clients. There is so much satisfaction when we see the changes. I am in it for the people, the part where you feel and see the impacts of your work through change and progression for families”.

Parvane’s approach is one of building relationships. As she stated, “We are working with people, face to face, we see their hardships firsthand. You have your professional relationship with the clients of course but you because of the need you build relationships with them as well. You begin to learn their story. You see the families and children every day. Whether you want it or not you are now a part of their lives. I work toward being a catalyst of change for them, a way to propel their lives into new beginnings. It’s so much more than just housing, the main priority is their safety in their new life and I provide them stability and consistency”. Parvane’s approach of humanizing her clients and going out of her way to build relationships with them and the other members of the housing industry such as housing providers and landlords has allowed her to successfully house clients for the long-term. Parvane ensures that families are housed and stay housed.

Parvane always stresses the importance of keeping a healthy home for her clients, experiencing housing instability.