TONYA BOOSE, STAFF

When Tonya Boose, Client Services Director, moved from New York to Atlanta, she was intrigued by the services and programs offered at the Gateway Center. She had been involved in social services work since 2001, but saw a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in this community.

“Gateway is one of a kind, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Tonya says.

As the Gateway Center’s Services Director, Tonya oversees the daily operations of the Client Engagement and Women and Children’s Center, as well as the Case Management Division. She partners with other Gateway Center staff to connect homeless men, women and children to appropriate services that address their needs and help end their homelessness.

Tonya strives to bring support, structure and a positive attitude to her clients.

This year, she witnessed a surge in the number of homeless women and children seeking assistance from the Gateway Center. She found that identifying services for women in advanced stages of pregnancy, many of whom already have children, often was challenging.

Yet Tonya said she feels inspired she is working with or on behalf of homeless children. “They are the ones with little or no voices,” Tanya said.

The Gateway Center embodies the principles of collaboration, support and accountability, Tonya said. She said she feels proud to work at a place that connects clients to services that will lead them to successful re-entry into the community.

“It is our goal to connect each person that walks through our doors with services that will gear them towards ending their current state of homelessness,” Tonya said.