“I’ve worked for a lot of people, but Magdala is the kind of place you pray for.”
When Michelle walked away from 23 years in healthcare, she didn’t know where the path would lead. Burned out, disillusioned, and emotionally exhausted, she knew one thing: she was no longer willing to work in spaces that saw people as numbers instead of humans.
What she found at Magdala House wasn’t just a job — it was a calling.
Today, Michelle serves as the Site Director of Biddle House, one of our region’s only emergency shelters dedicated solely to men experiencing homelessness. But her leadership is anything but traditional. She leads with heart, lived experience, and a deep belief that people deserve more than just a bed — they deserve dignity, healing, and hope.
A lifelong learner, Michelle is on the cusp of earning her doctorate in Healthcare Management. Her dissertation explores how frontline workers serve people experiencing homelessness in Missouri, a topic that became even more relevant when she joined Magdala.
“I’ve always been an advocate,” Michelle says. “But here, I actually get to serve. I get to make sure our guys have what they need — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. That’s not something you can do everywhere.”
From the moment she walks in, Michelle is hands-on, checking daily logs, supporting her staff, connecting with clients, and helping shape goals for those working to rebuild their lives. She has comforted men fresh off the streets, intervened in medical crises, and helped young men who aged out of foster care find their first real homes.
Through it all, she’s never lost sight of who she is: a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate—a woman who fought her way from CNA to site director and soon to PHD.
Michelle doesn’t just believe in second chances — she embodies what it means to grow, evolve, and help others do the same.
“Magdala is the kind of place where your leadership is nurtured. Where you’re seen. Where you’re prayed for,” she says. “I used to cry driving to work. Now I wake up and look forward to it. That’s how I know I’m where I’m meant to be.”
Michelle’s story reminds us that when we nurture our staff, we create a ripple effect—stronger leadership, deeper compassion, and better care for those we serve. At Magdala, we don’t just build programs. We build people.
