Meet the Staff
Persons experiencing homelessness can rely on us for the necessary aid they need due to our solid foundation. It is only through the hard work of our committed team that we are able to provide these essential services.
Samantha has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Iowa and a Master’s of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. She spent nearly ten years doing direct service social work in a variety of capacities, including providing services for Spanish speaking victims of intimate partner violence, connecting first generation students to higher education, and providing case management and crisis intervention to immigrant children and families. She also worked for the St. Louis County Children’s Service fund, the Clark-Fox Family Foundation, and most recently worked in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Samantha has a passion for systems change thinking and collaborative approaches to solving problems. She volunteers with YouthBridge Community Foundation and was selected as a 2019 Brown School Emerging Leader award winner.
Desiree King – CoC Director
Desiree’s career in social work began in 2013 working for a nonprofit agency primarily dealing with those who were experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and/or mental health. One of the main responsibilities was working with local agencies to secure housing or to provide resources through the Housing Resource Center. During that time, Desiree completed her Associates Degree in Human Services and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has worked with housing programs such as Shelter Plus Care, Continuum of Care, Project Protect, Housing First and other programs that have been implemented in the City and County of St. Louis.
In 2019, she went back to school for her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Missouri Baptist University, while also transitioning from nonprofit to work for the State of Missouri within the Department of Mental Health. That position placed her on the administrative side of Social Work and advocacy by ensuring that policies were implemented and that the rights of the consumers being served weren’t impeded or ignored. With 10 years of working in the community as a direct front line staff and administration staff, Desiree understands that the common goal is to ensure that the purpose and vision of each community partnership is understood and translated in ways that can be carried out successfully to ensure permanent and positive change for those who are served in the community.
Hannah is a graduate student at Washington University’s Brown School. She earned a bachelor’s in sociology from Western Carolina University, and is now pursuing a dual master’s degree in Social Work and Public Health.
Hannah is passionate about addressing issues of poverty, homelessness, and racial injustice. She previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the NC Hunger Corps, and as VISTA Leader for NC Campus Engagement’s VISTA program. As the CoC Support Manager, she works closely with the Board of Directors and provides logistic and technical support to all of the CoC’s committees.
Caroline Dellheim – MSW Practicum Student
Caroline is a graduate student at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis pursuing a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Social Policy. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kenyon College in 2019. After graduating, Caroline moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked at Share Our Strength, the nonprofit behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. In 2021, Caroline moved to Philadelphia, PA and began working at Children First, advocating for early childhood education policy change to ensure that every child in Pennsylvania had access to high quality child care. She moved to St. Louis over the summer to start graduate school and is thrilled to be doing her MSW practicum with House Everyone St. Louis. Caroline is passionate about advocating for anti-poverty policy change and is excited to play a role in creating structural change to eliminate homelessness throughout St. Louis.
