Olympia hires new homeless response coordinator
The city of Olympia has hired a new homeless response coordinator to replace Teal Russell, who moved last month to the Crisis Response Unit.
New hire Kim Kondrat may be a familiar name to those in the homeless outreach community. She previously led community outreach at Saint Michael Parish, an Olympia church that runs an overnight shelter during cold weather season.
As The Olympian reported, when COVID-19 hit, Kondrat and Saint Michael kept the shelter open and doubled capacity at a time when other organizations, such as the day center at the Providence Community Care Center, were closing down services.
Kondrat has lived in Olympia for 17 years, according to a press release from the city.
“I want to be part of the solution,” Kondrat wrote in a prepared statement. “The city has great resources, and I look forward to maximizing their potential for creating a caring, clean, and safe city for everyone.”
The city had 21 applicants for the job and interviewed four finalists. The position pays between $78,000-$95,000 per year, according to a copy of the job posting provided by the city, and is funded by a federal Community Development Block Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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