Allyson Ulrich

Assistant General Manager

At what moment did you know DISH was for you?

Right away I saw DISH taking pride in the tenants we served, by turning over units with a lot of love and care and setting them up and painting them and making them fresh and new with new supplies and mattresses. They showed a lot of compassion for the tenants we serve.

What is your first memory of DISH?

I had just been promoted to being an AGM and I was moving a tenant in. I love moving people in. I love the connection. I love connecting with new tenants and I’m really good at it. The tenant I moved in struggled with mental health and when he moved in, he got himself a job, was stable for 2 years and moved onto independent housing. When it was his time to move out, he told me that it was all because of me. It was overwhelming. And I do have that effect on people. It keeps me going forward that you do make a difference in people’s lives.

Why did you stay over the years?

I get to give back to a program that helped me. I was once a participant in this program. The staff there saw potential in me and they gave me a job as a part time desk clerk. Being on the other side of the desk as a tenant made me want to give back to something that helped me. Living in an SRO taught me how to love and be a part of people again. And I wanted to keep that flowing. That’s what makes the community stronger. Respect and love. And that someone cares. We have a strong community here and I think I have a lot to do with that.

I trained a desk clerk earlier on in the pandemic and wanted to share what she wrote about me. I asked her what her thoughts are of me.

“As a desk clerk who has never worked in supportive housing, I was so fortunate to land at The Camelot. I worked under Allyson. Not only did Allyson teach me all of the practical things to know, she also modeled compassion, respect when talking to others. Being a property manager, it can be hard enforcing rules that others don’t want to follow. Allyson took time to explain the decisions made to me and the tenants, helping us to understand why something had to be done a certain way. This led to a high level of trust and respect for her from the tenants. Something that can be difficult to gain.”

A couple months ago I used NARCAN to help save a life outside. I took over and coached everyone and calmed some people down and saved a life. My colleague Kirk writes, “I hope you feel good and that the experience wasn’t too jarring. I know the adrenaline rush helps, but I’m not 100% sure I would have been able to do what you did. If I ever find myself there, I would want to try to channel you. You are skilled, caring and have had such a big influence on all DISH sites over the years.”

Is there anything you'd like to share about your experience at DISH?

Going into work makes me feel good, aside from going home and seeing my dogs. I love what I do. It gives me purpose. I impact the tenants here. You can’t win them all, but I win most of them, and that’s how it should be. I mean, this is their home. They deserve to be surrounded by people with compassion. I know what it’s like to be on the other side, I know how it feels to be treated like nobody. We’re all special in our own way; everyone has something special in them, we just need to see that quality and help that person enhance that quality. Everyone has a gem in them.