On August 19th, our speaker was Dr. Joseph Daniel-Hoste, Executive Director and Notary Public for Crossroads of Michigan.
On August 19th, our speaker was Dr. Joseph Daniel-Hoste, Executive Director and Notary Public for Crossroads of Michigan.
Dr. Joseph Daniel-Hoste first started out as a church musician. His experience serving and performing in churches eventually led him to become involved with the Crossroads. As he continued his hard work, re-branding the Crossroads to focus on the main mission of leading with love, and serving with compassion, he later returned to school and earned a master's degree in organizational leadership. His dedication and outstanding work for the Crossroads of Michigan has not only demonstrated his leadership skills, but also has helped inspire others to seek volunteer opportunities and envision a community where everyone has access to the same resources.
Crossroads of Michigan has been serving the community since 1971. Its mission is centered on helping people who are facing difficult circumstances while treating each person with dignity, compassion, and understanding. The organization believes that people need more than just temporary assistance, they also need relationships, encouragement, and opportunities to find stability within their lives.
He also explained that many people come to Crossroads during a crisis. The organization helps individuals and families with many different needs. Whether its tangible items such as food, clothing, and other basic necessities, or assisting with housing applications, obtaining ID's, Medicaid, and job applications. Crossroads works specifically to help relieve the stressors that people face in their daily lives and gain access to the resources that are needed. One important note he made was that Crossroads cannot fix every problem immediately. Instead, the staff takes time to listen, and understands what each person needs to help them find a path towards greater stability.
A major point of his speech was the power of working together. Crossroads partners with other organizations, churches, volunteers, and community members
because complicated problems often require more than just one organization to solve. He emphasized the importance of encouraging others such as friends, family, or clubs to become involved through donating, cooking, giving financially, or simply sharing information about the resources available. Even small acts of service can make a meaningful difference if people are willing to work together.
To help the Crossroads of Michigan, visit https://www.crossroadsofmichigan.org/ to read more about the organization and find different ways to volunteer. We give a special thanks to Dr. Joseph Daniel-Hoste for giving a heartfelt speech about compassion, stability, and community!