Hannah Jarrett named Director of countywide homelessness effort, 'A Place to Call Home'

City of Spartanburg • June 1, 2025

Hannah Jarrett named Director of countywide homelessness effort, 'A Place to Call Home

A Place to Call Home, an effort spearheaded by multiple community partners to address homelessness and housing instability in Spartanburg County, will be led by Hannah Jarrett. As Director of A Place to Call Home, Jarrett will collaborate with diverse stakeholders, developing and executing effective strategies and leading efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness countywide.


Launched by a collaborative group—City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg County, Spartanburg Housing, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, United Way of the Piedmont, The Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty—A Place to Call Home focuses on a continuum of support to prevent homelessness, serve those experiencing homelessness, and expand access to affordable housing. 


The collaborative envisions a Spartanburg where homelessness is recognized as a solvable problem and where everyone has a safe, secure place to call home. The initiative centers on a comprehensive continuum of care to address homelessness, including prevention, serving those who are currently homeless, and emphasizing housing as the ultimate solution. A Place to Call Home is led by a Steering Committee representing a wide array of community partners—nonprofits, government agencies, faith-based organizations, healthcare, schools, and those with lived experience in the issue. As Director, Jarrett will assume leadership of ongoing homelessness efforts currently managed within the City of Spartanburg, building capacity to expand those efforts countywide. Jarrett will report to the A Place to Call Home leadership team, composed of representatives from the founding partners.


Jarrett  comes to A Place to Call Home after nearly 12 years with United Way of the Piedmont beginning as an AmeriCorps VISTA and going on to advance through leadership roles that included developing economic mobility strategies, managing over $4 million in grant funding, and creating community-wide initiatives aligned with measurable goals. In her most recent role as Vice President of Community and Collective Impact, Hannah led initiatives focused on Education, Economic Mobility, and Health. She oversaw a $1.5 million annual nonprofit investment portfolio, coordinated the placement of more than 40 AmeriCorps members, and managed programs aimed at addressing homelessness, behavioral health, and financial stability. “I am tremendously grateful to the A Place to Call Home leadership team for the opportunity to serve the Spartanburg community in this role and excited to begin this new phase of the critical work undertaken by so many community partners to address the issue of homelessness in our county," Jarret shared.


“I believe I speak for many in our community when I voice my excitement about the leadership, capacity, vision, and strategy that Hannah Jarrett brings to this role. We’re fortunate to have her seek this opportunity at this very critical moment in our community!”


- Mitch Kennedy, Deputy City Manager, City of Spartanburg


“Hannah Jarrett has been a valued member of the United Way team for over 12 years, and as sad as we are for her to no longer be a part of our organizational leadership, we are thrilled to continue working closely with her as the founding director of this initiative. Having helped develop, shepherd, and now bring this program to life, it is only fitting that Hannah takes the lead in guiding its future.”


- Paige Stephenson, President and CEO, United Way of the Piedmont


“Having worked alongside Hannah in various capacities for more than a decade, I can confidently say there is no one more dedicated to addressing homelessness in our community. She was a founding member of the Homeless Taskforce in 2018 and brings not only a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding homelessness and housing in Spartanburg County, but also the drive to identify and implement long-term solutions.”


- Carey Rothschild, System Director Community Health Policy & Strategy, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System


originally published on the City of Spartanburg website at:
https://www.cityofspartanburg.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=83 

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SPARTANBURG, SC – On September 6 th and 7 th , over 50 local leaders, service providers, and public safety professionals gathered at the AC Hotel on West Main Street to participate in a transformative two-day Situation Table training. Delivered by instructors Walter “Larry” Sweeney and Maureen Cavanagh from Cordata’s Operation Save Lives (O2SL) and QRT National, the training is part of an effort to tackle the opioid epidemic impacting South Carolina using an innovative approach of enhancing community safety and health outcomes. The Situation Table is a rapid-response, multidisciplinary intervention model designed to address individuals and families facing acutely elevated risk (AER) . Originally launched in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, in 2011 by the Global Network for Community Safety , the model has since expanded to over 160 sites across Canada and more than 30 sites in the United States. Spartanburg is now the first South Carolina community to implement a Situation Table, paving the way for other communities in the state. The Spartanburg Situation Table was launched by A Place to Call Home’s Community Advisory Council as part of its commitment to cross-agency collaboration — a key priority identified through community listening and planning efforts. “Through last year’s community conversations, we identified urgent priorities — and over the past several months, we’ve been turning those priorities into action,” said Hannah Jarrett, founding director of A Place to Call Home. “By strengthening coordination through the Situation Table model, we’re uniting partners to help people move from crisis to stability more efficiently.” Local champion Lilly Simmons , Project Coordinator for A Place to Call Home, was instrumental in organizing and facilitating the training. Participants represented a diverse group of over 50 local leaders, representing almost 30 agencies. The training incorporated mock scenarios , risk intervention planning, and collaborative problem-solving exercises, helping participants understand the fidelity and structure of the table model. One participant noted, “It’s such a relief to finally have a clear structure for working together to prevent harm and respond to crises quickly. In Spartanburg, we’ve been trying to do this for years in different ways, but it’s been a struggle. The Situation Table model feels like the answer we’ve been looking for — it addresses so many of the challenges we’ve faced in the past when we’ve attempted to work together and gives me real hope that we can make a bigger impact.” The Spartanburg Situation Table is set to officially launch on Thursday, September 18 , with a mission to break down silos among service providers and ensure individuals and families receive timely, wraparound support before crises escalate. “We were thrilled to bring the Situation Table model to South Carolina and congratulate the Spartanburg Situation Table on its launch. We look forward to seeing the value and support that this collaboration will bring to the Spartanburg area,” Sweeney said. “We are grateful to the participants for their engagement and enthusiasm and thank A Place to Call Home’s Community Advisory Council for coordinating the training.” “The Situation Table model helps bring our community vision to life — a Spartanburg County where homelessness is recognized as a solvable problem,” said Jarrett. “It gives us a shared structure to collaborate quickly and effectively, so we can respond to crises and create meaningful, lasting impact together.” For more information about the Situation Table or to bring one to your community, please contact: Scott Allen – scott.allen@cordatahealth.com Mike Botieri – mike.botieri@cordatahealth.com Dan Meloy – dan.meloy@cordatahealth.com Cordata Homepage Home – Cordata’s O2Sl & QRT National The Global Network for Community Safety
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