Meet the compassionate people who make 2-1-1 possible. Resource Navigators LovelyRasheeda and Armando help people get connected to what they need most.
LovelyRasheeda: Serving the Entry Point Call Center and Coordinated Entry
LovelyRasheeda has been with 211 Metro Chicago since March 2025 and has worked on nearly every line possible! She began as a Resource Navigator for the 2-1-1 Contact Center and has moved to answer calls for Entry Point and Coordinated Entry.
When it comes to getting residents connected to valuable resources, LovelyRasheeda is passionate and driven. Connecting community members to resources is the highlight of her work at 2-1-1, and she knows that it’s a tool everyone should know about.
Empowerment is an important element of LovelyRasheeda’s work. She wants everyone to know about how easy it is to access 2-1-1, via the website, over the phone, and through text message. It is helpful when community members feel safe sharing information that allows Navigators to find the best resources for their situation.
LovelyRasheeda truly believes in the work that she and her colleagues do every day to connect people with programs and services. “It’s my pleasure to be an employee of 211 Metro Chicago. I love my job, and I would love to be a full-time ambassador or advocate for 211 Metro Chicago.”
Armando: Serving the Homelessness Prevention Call Center
Armando joined 211 Metro Chicago in November 2022 after retiring from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), having worked there for 26 years. During his last seven years, with the CTA, he supervised and coordinated “a talented group of supervisors and managers towards new transportation and customer related endeavors.”
In his time at 2-1-1, Armando began as a certified Bilingual Resource Navigator and is now a founding member of the Homelessness Prevention Call Center (HPCC). He takes great pride in representing HPCC and “wholly reflecting its mission statement of assisting community members in their time of need, in a compassionate and professional manner.”
For Armando, he feels privileged to be on the front lines to eradicate homelessness. He appreciates that he is an integral partner in furthering Chicago’s efforts to house its most vulnerable residents, regardless of their backgrounds and identities.
His skill, passion, and empathy allowed him to recently help a mother and her three young children attain means to move into a two-bedroom apartment. Prior to calling HPCC, the family had been forced to live in their car. Armando was able to get them connected with first month’s rent, security deposit, and additional wrap-around services, playing a key role in getting them safe and secure housing.
One thing that Armando wishes more people knew about 211 Metro Chicago, and the housing lines it operates, is that the Navigators consistently bring compassion, professionalism, and courtesy into their conversations with community members.
For his part, he is “humbled and wholly appreciative of being given this opportunity to express my passion and profound privilege of serving in a capacity to contribute meaningfully to our team, upholding the mission and values of the HPCC program in its efforts to remain a sharpened spearhead in the drive to eradicate homelessness in the city of Chicago.”
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