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Retiring Help Network staffer reflects on rewarding career
By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS
YOUNGSTOWN
Bob Altman says he never imagined that his volunteering gig would lead to a long, rewarding career.
Altman, director of Shelter and Support Services at the Help Network, will retire Dec. 20.
Reflecting on the past 34 years with the organization, he is grateful for what that volunteering gig led to.
“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else – nowhere else would be as rewarding,” he said. “To me, it’s not about the money. It’s about liking what you do. I’m blessed to have been here for this length of time and to watch it continue to grow.”
Altman started at the Help Network – at that time it was the Help Hotline – in 1983 as a volunteer, talking to people who needed resources for mental health and addiction problems. He had been laid off from another job for two years.
“He has grown from answering the crisis hot line as a volunteer to being a full presence and making changes that help people, and I think that’s a wonderful thing,” said Catherine Grizinski, associate executive director of the Help Network.
In 1985, Altman was hired to do computer tasks such as maintaining client databases and spreadsheets. He also oversaw the payee program, which manages Social Security income for clients to make sure they are getting their expenses paid for.
He became involved in the Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness program and has helped the homeless since.
Grizinski, who also started her career as a volunteer, joined the Help Network in 1975. The organization was a crisis prevention information and referral center that operated six hours a night, seven days a week back then. The year she started, it expanded to being a 24/7 resource where people can call dial 211 and be linked to various community resources.
One of the biggest changes Altman has noticed since he started has to do with both the cultural change in the city and the expansion of the organization’s programs. The organization went from being driven by volunteers such as Grizinski and him to becoming a professional-staffed workforce with more than 60 staff members.
Altman said he also enjoyed watching the organization grow from helping people locally to also covering three other counties – Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula.
In 1990, the cold-weather program was started to help homeless individuals get temporary or permanent housing during the cold months. He said at that time he saw increased collaboration among the community’s agencies and residents.
“We are all a team working to assist the community,” he said.
Altman said there are valuable lessons to be learned when working in his industry.
“The things we go through are a lot of times nothing compared with individuals we are working with,” he said.
“We learn so much from them. They come to our community center – some of them aren’t living in the best situations, but yet they are so positive and support one another,” Altman said.
Altman also learned an important lesson about applying college experience to a career. He earned his bachelor degree in history in 1980 and a master’s degree in history in 1984, but couldn’t find a job in that field.
“I haven’t used the degrees in a work setting, but the important thing is that I can utilize what skills and talents I have to be of help to people who need it,” he said.
“For a lot of individuals, particularly students, they might get frustrated because they didn’t get a job in a particular field. Just do the best you can in the position you can do,” he said.
As for Altman’s retirement plans, he would like to spend quality time with his wife and work on his family tree.
He said he will miss his work family and the community members with whom he has worked.
“In a lot of ways we are family. We have been here a long time. I will miss them, but this is something I need to do,” he said.
Lee Devita, housing director at the Help Network, will take over Altman’s responsibilities.
Vince Brancaccio, chief executive director of the Help Network, said Altman’s passion and dedication are unmatched.
“Bob has been a godsend,” he said.