When Jaquan Denwiddie talks about growth, he does not speak in abstractions. He speaks from experience.
Jaquan is the Long Term Housing (LTH) House Manager at Stepping Stone Emergency Housing, and his journey into this role is deeply connected to his own path of becoming more stable, more confident, and more grounded in who he is.
“I’ve always been a nurturing person,” Jaquan says. “I love helping people. I always have.”
That instinct did not come from theory or training alone. It came from having known what it feels like to struggle, to feel stuck, and to wonder whether life would ever open up.
From Shelter Advocate to LTH House Manager
Jaquan first joined Stepping Stone in September 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. He began as a Shelter Advocate, working long shifts during a time of rapid change and uncertainty. Since then, he has worn many hats, including overnight advocate, case manager, and now LTH House Manager, a role he has been in for nearly a year.
Today, Jaquan manages Stepping Stone’s Long Term Housing homes. He works closely with residents on the practical, day to day realities of living together and maintaining stability, while partnering with case managers to support long term success.
“It’s a team effort,” he says. “We come together when things are hard, we talk through what’s going on, and we help residents figure out how to move forward.”
For Jaquan, the work is not about controlling outcomes. It is about creating an environment where growth is possible.
Knowing Hopelessness and Choosing Growth
Jaquan is open about the fact that his empathy comes from lived experience.
Growing up in North Minneapolis, his mother worked hard to protect him from the dangers around them. That protection came from love, but it also meant Jaquan felt sheltered and unsure of how to step into adulthood. He did not get his first job until his early twenties and often felt left behind as friends moved forward with work, travel, and independence.
“I was depressed,” he shares. “I felt like I was missing out on life.”
Transportation challenges, financial stress, and trying to balance work and school without reliable support all took a toll. There were moments when simply getting to work felt overwhelming. During that time, what made the difference was community.
Friends who believed in him. A mother who encouraged him. People who stayed in his corner and pushed him to see more for himself.
“That’s what changed things for me,” Jaquan says. “People poured into me when I didn’t know how to move forward on my own.”
That support helped him get his driver’s license, secure stable work, move into his own place, and begin to see himself differently. Looking back, Jaquan describes this season as the beginning of his own elevation.
“I’ve just been elevating ever since,” he says. “I thank God for it, and I thank working at Stepping Stone for it too.”
Elevation Without Enabling
One of the most important lessons Jaquan has learned in his work is that helping does not mean removing all struggle.
“As a case manager, I wanted people to be housed more than they wanted it themselves,” he admits. “I had to learn that you can’t want it more than they do.”
Now, in Long Term Housing, that lesson continues to shape how he shows up.
“I’m here to help you,” he tells residents. “I’m not here to hold your hand. I want you to be able to stand on your own when you leave here.”
Jaquan understands this balance intimately. He knows the power of support, and he also knows that growth often comes through effort, responsibility, and learning to navigate challenges rather than being shielded from them.
That understanding allows him to walk alongside residents with both compassion and clarity.
The Root Beneath the Surface
Through years of conversations with residents, Jaquan has seen patterns that do not always show up in headlines or assumptions about homelessness.
“Drugs and alcohol play a role,” he says honestly. “But underneath that, it’s really about lack of community.”
He sees substance use not as the starting point, but as a coping mechanism for loneliness, unresolved pain, and feeling unseen.
“People want to belong,” Jaquan explains. “They want someone to care about them, to advocate for them. When that’s missing, people look for ways to numb the pain.”
This is why community matters so deeply in the shelter and in Long Term Housing. For some residents, Stepping Stone is the first place they have experienced consistency, care, and trust in a long time.
Changing the Story About Homelessness
One of Jaquan’s greatest frustrations is how easily people judge those experiencing homelessness.
“People think it’s a choice,” he says. “They think it’s someone’s fault. But life doesn’t work that way.”
He has seen how quickly circumstances can change. A job loss. A death in the family. A health crisis. A gap in support at the wrong moment.
“You don’t know what life is going to throw at you,” Jaquan says. “And you don’t know what someone has been through.”
Working at Stepping Stone has expanded his own empathy and deepened his understanding of how complex and human these stories really are.
“It’s opened my eyes,” he says. “And it’s opened my heart.”
Elevating Others by Being Fully Present
When asked what he hopes people understand about Stepping Stone, Jaquan does not hesitate.
“Our staff cares,” he says. “That’s the difference.”
For Jaquan, elevation is not about titles or promotions. It is about becoming more grounded, more responsible, and more able to support others in their own growth.
By walking his own path first, he now helps residents take their next steps, not by carrying them, but by standing beside them.
And in that steady, human presence, lives are quietly being elevated every day.