Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Tuttle.
Hi Carla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From the time I was young, my parents instilled in me the importance of helping your neighbor, in whatever ways possible. They also gave me a strong work ethic. I saw them work long hours and make sacrifices so my brother and I had more opportunities than they had growing up.
I always knew I wanted to help others and that I was supposed to help others. From church, my family, and my community, I learned that all of us are given skills and gifts that we are called to share. The last part of Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
One way I could share my gifts was through teaching. I taught high school English for 28 years before retiring in 2022. As a teacher, I was fortunate to interact with all kinds of people and learn about perspectives other than my own. The last 7 years of my teaching career, I did a lot of research on systemic injustice, even writing curriculum for WCPSS that focused on exploring social justice through literature and nonfiction. I knew that once I retired from teaching, I wanted to work for a nonprofit to address inequities in education, race, and economic mobility.
I was familiar with Raleigh Rescue Mission to some degree because over the years, my students and I had collected food, clothing, blankets, and other items to donate to the Mission. I was delighted when the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator position opened, and as I read the job description, I knew that was my next career.
After a year as the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, I was promoted to Volunteer Engagement Manager. With the help of some wonderful people on my team, I rebuilt our volunteer base after the pandemic, growing our volunteer numbers to over 1,000 and procuring over $400,000 of in-kind donations annually. I have the privilege of ensuring the clients at the Mission have all the tangible items they need to be comfortable while living in our care, and overseeing three annual holiday meal events, where more than 4,500 food-insecure individuals across Wake County receive a meal.
Growing up in Western NC, I witnessed poverty, lack of education, and a once-thriving town nearly shut down when all the furniture factories moved overseas. I saw hard-working people barely make ends meet and had firsthand experience with addiction within my own family. If not for the generosity of many people in my family and community, one of my immediate family members would be unhoused. And as a teacher, I saw teens come to school hungry, abused, and wearing the same clothes day after day. I watched them struggle to stay awake because of having to care for younger siblings, work at night, or keep alert to avoid bullets whizzing by their bedroom windows.
Every experience I had growing up and as a teacher prepared me for the work I do at the Mission. I learned not to make assumptions based on appearances and developed empathy and compassion for people who are overwhelmed by life. I firmly believe that each of us is doing our very best at any given moment, but our best might look like our worst to those outside our circumstances.
I love coming to work every day and have joy in knowing I am helping other people. That’s we are all called to do: whatever good we can in whatever position God has placed us. We don’t always see the harvest, but we have faith in knowing we planted the seeds.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Um, no. Anyone who says they have had a smooth road is lying. Ha! I am one of those people who has to learn things the hard way, so everything I know now is after many mistakes and much failure. Fortunately, I had so many wonderful people in my circle of care who were patient, loving, and gentle in their honest feedback.
*I struggle with anxiety and depression, so I’ve had to learn to manage large tasks and projects and avoid procrastination.
*Because of insecurity and fear of not being good enough, I am the queen of perfectionism. I’m still learning to tell myself to do my best, control what I can, and not worry about the rest.
*Facing my white privilege and seeing ALL the ways I had unintentionally made insensitive comments, held wrong beliefs, and hurt others was devastating to acknowledge and difficult to deal with the guilt. I tell myself (to paraphrase Maya Angelou), that now that I know better, I must do better.
*It took me a long time to learn and understand that all behavior has meaning and isn’t personal. I wish I would have known that my first few years teaching.
*It took me a long time to learn patience, but now I am very patient with other people (almost always – haha!).
*I had to learn how to work within a team. I’ve always been very independent, wanting to do everything my way and on my own terms. I know now that working as a team is always better and yields much better results.
I could go on and on: working long hours, having more work to do than employees/staff to handle the responsibilities, dealing with people who didn’t like being told “no,” when no was the best answer, etc.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Volunteer Engagement Manager at Raleigh Rescue Mission, overseeing the Volunteer Engagement Team and the volunteer program. My team is responsible for all in-kind donations, both procuring and storing, as well as training and engaging our donors and volunteers. One cool thing about the volunteer team is we get to interact with every department at the Mission, coordinating logistics and communicating with the staff. Because we are knowledgeable about every department, we can communicate effectively with the public about recurring needs and educate them on the Mission’s back-to-work program and the New Life Plan. We also plan client engagement activities to normalize clients’ experiences while they are living in our transitional housing.
I am super organized, efficient, and a problem solver. I love an empty email and voicemail inbox, and I know our volunteers and donors appreciate my quick communication. I prioritize responding to messages because I know people are waiting and their offers to help are often time sensitive. I am also a planner and master of logistics. Because I am detail-oriented and because of my past teaching experience, I can foresee challenges that might arise and be proactive in reducing the chances that something will go wrong. I see things that need to be done and am good at delegating tasks to volunteers to utilize their gifts. My goal every day is to find ways for the needs of the Mission to be taken care of. I can’t solve every problem or meet every need, but I can find someone who can.
Two projects I am very proud of are our mentor program and our holiday meal events. When clients move to Phase 3 of our program, I find community volunteers who serve as mentors to the clients, attending class once weekly and meeting with clients outside of class weekly for at least four weeks. I provide two in-depth mentor trainings to ensure the clients feel supported and cared for. For the past three years, every single client has had a mentor to advocate for and listen to them.
Every Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we take over the meal routes for Meals on Wheels and Resources for Seniors to pack and distribute thousands of meals across Wake County to food-insecure individuals. This will be my fourth Thanksgiving and Christmas season of overseeing this project, and each year, the planning and implementation get better. I love to streamline processes, analyze problem areas, and find ways to be more efficient and effective. Looking back on how the meal events used to operate, I am pleased that I have been able to organize and make these events run smoothly. Of course, unexpected challenges happen every year, but because of all our detailed planning, my team is able to pivot when necessary and still ensure that everyone on our list is fed.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The number of individuals experiencing homelessness continues to rise annually in Wake County and nationwide. Currently, the fastest-growing demographic among the unhoused is women and children. Raleigh Rescue Mission is building a new facility in Knightdale that will open in early fall of 2026. It will house women and children only.
At our downtown location, we can serve about 100 people: 40 men and 60 women and children. When the new facility opens, we will be able to serve up to 350 women and children and up to 120 men, nearly quintupling our ability to serve the community.
Our major challenge is planning how we will scale our programs. I’m already thinking about all the ways I can utilize volunteers at the new facility as well as the downtown location. I have a lot of planning and research to do during the next year, but it’s exciting to think about all the new ways we will be able to serve the clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.raleighrescue.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-tuttle-6a439bb5/
