Why I Do What I Do: Crystal’s Story of Compassion and Care
Meet CRYSTAL GRAY, Medical Services Coordinator at The Landing MN.
Since joining our team, Crystal has helped expand access to healthcare for individuals experiencing homelessness by coordinating medical services, building community partnerships, and ensuring every person who walks through our doors is treated with dignity and compassion.
In this reflection, Crystal shares the childhood experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to serving others — and why this work is so meaningful to her today.
People often ask why I’m so passionate about serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The answer takes me back more than 40 years, to a morning when I was seven years old.
I was growing up in Yonkers, New York, and it was Thanksgiving Day. My mom and I walked to the small store attached to our apartment building to pick up a few last-minute items for our Thanksgiving dinner. As we approached the store, I noticed a man sitting in a small alleyway beside the entrance. His clothes were tattered and soiled, and he looked tired and alone.
We went into the store, but I couldn't stop thinking about him.
On our way back to our apartment, I asked my mom, "Can we take him a plate of our Thanksgiving dinner?" Without hesitation, she smiled and said, "Yes."
A short time later, we returned with a plate of Thanksgiving dinner. I still remember the kindness in his eyes and the gratitude on his face. Looking back, I know that one plate of food didn't solve his homelessness, but it made a difference in that moment.
He was seen. He was cared for. He mattered.
That experience shaped the way I've tried to live my life ever since. It's also something I've worked to pass on to my four children and now my grandchildren: people are people. No matter their circumstances, everyone deserves kindness, compassion, dignity, and respect.
Life has taken me on a journey I never could have imagined. I became a mother at a young age, and later in life made the decision to return to school as a first-generation college student. Earning my degrees while raising my family taught me perseverance, resilience, and the importance of never giving up on yourself or others. Those experiences strengthened my belief that a person's circumstances should never define their worth or their potential.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as the Medical Services Coordinator at The Landing MN. I often say that I hate that homelessness exists, but I absolutely love serving the community I now call home. Every day, I have the opportunity to advocate for individuals who are too often overlooked, helping connect them to healthcare, supporting them through difficult moments, and reminding them that they matter.
I believe every person deserves access to healthcare and mental healthcare, regardless of their circumstances. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. It is an honor to work alongside an incredible team that continues to grow services, build community partnerships, and create opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness to improve their health and their lives.
For me, this work has never been just a job. It is a calling that began with one simple act of kindness — a plate of Thanksgiving dinner shared with a stranger more than 40 years ago. That moment continues to remind me that sometimes the smallest acts of compassion can change the course of someone's day... and sometimes, even the course of someone's life.
— Crystal Gray, Medical Services Coordinator