In Memory of Nicholas

Joe Hart on February 6, 2026

Homeward Bound is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Nicholas Poulos. Nicholas was a dedicated and passionate advocate for our mission to end homelessness in our community through housing and support. During his nearly 3 years as our Rapid Rehousing Case Manager, he helped countless individuals exit homelessness, find stability in a new home, and build the tools needed to navigate barriers and pursue new opportunities.

Nicholas was also an active participant in our local Continuum of Care, the collaborative responsible for developing and implementing strategies to address homelessness in Buncombe County. He approached this work not simply as a job, but as a reflection of who he was—deeply committed, compassionate, and driven by a belief in community. Nicholas leaves behind a lasting legacy and a culture rooted in collaboration, care, and the shared work of building community together.

“I slept and dreamed that life was joy. I awoke and found that life was but service. I served and discovered that service was joy.” -Rabindranath Tagore

Our hearts are with Nicholas’s family and friends. We would welcome the opportunity to connect about his impact and the memorial fund created to honor his memory.

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“Nicholas really embodied who we are as an organization. His life reflected our values  – everyone has the right to housing, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, empathy, and holding hope for our clients. These things were just who Nicholas was, he was a fierce advocate for his clients and went above and beyond to offer them the support they needed to create stability.

So when I think of Nicholas and his time at Homeward Bound, I simply see him as the walking, talking embodiment of our work that he lived both on the clock and in his personal life. His teammates knew they could count on him to show up. Whether that was helping another case manager with cleaning a client unit, picking up donations, or just being willing to carry the heavy box up the steps to their office, Nicholas was servant-hearted and joyful to help.

He had so much pride in his work as a Rapid Rehousing Case Manager at Homeward Bound, maybe more than I’ve seen in my 10 years at HB. I feel honored that I have been able to work alongside and become a better advocate for our work through his example.”
Jenny Moffatt, Housing Services Director
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The Nicholas Poulos Fund for Rapid Rehousing

With blessings from his family, we have established the Nicholas Poulos Fund for Rapid Rehousing to honor Nicholas’ commitment to serving our community’s most vulnerable neighbors. This fund supports Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing program and the people Nicholas served as a Case Manager at our organization.

Donate to the Fund

Creating Community

Nicholas is featured in the short film, Creating Community, alongside his Rapid Rehousing client Jonathan. The relationships that case managers build with their clients create community.

 “I’ve seen a lot of just gratitude and love from Jonathan, and that he has this apartment that he can call home, and he’s grateful because he’s been through that adversity and gotten to this point in his life that he can think more about making music and having some quiet to write poetry.” – Nicholas

“I’ve recentered myself”

Joe Hart on January 28, 2026

Tana is a strong and motivated individual who has felt like an adult since she was 11 years old. She is a survivor of domestic violence, forced institutionalization, homelessness, and other traumatic experiences—many of which were caused by people who were supposed to love and support her. Without consistent, early support systems, Tana faced ongoing barriers to housing, education, and stability. Her story reveals how intergenerational domestic violence and poverty play in the lives of many women and families experiencing homelessness.

Tana moved to Asheville with her mother and siblings in an effort to get as far away as possible from her violent and abusive father. At the time, the family was already living in a domestic violence shelter. When her parents’ divorce was finalized, the court determined that they needed to move at least four states away from her father for their safety.

Starting over in an unfamiliar place was restrictive and overwhelming, but Tana focused on school and supporting her family. Her mother worked and attended massage school while Tana took on summer internships and part-time jobs to contribute to rent. Eventually, she graduated from high school and was accepted into a college in Central Florida, achievements she says were hard to earn.

At 19, Tana began pursuing an associate’s degree in arts and science. However, after her first year, she lacked the financial resources to continue a second semester. During this time, she was living with a partner, someone she loved, who became abusive.

“As a child of domestic violence, it’s like I brought that over into my relationships,” says Tana. “It was normal.”

Tana’s first experience sleeping outside began when her partner would kick her out, leaving her to sleep in her car parked outside their home. Because his name was the only one on the lease, Tana had little control over her living situation. Her last remaining support system was her paternal grandparents, though they often sided with Tana’s father since the divorce. Nonetheless, Tana needed a place to stay and moved in with them. This is where things became increasingly unstable.

Tana’s paternal grandparents were deeply involved in a cult and its harmful practices, creating a fearful environment. One night, after reaching her breaking point, the police were called. Despite her attempts to explain what was happening, the police assumed that Tana was lying and involuntarily committed her to a mental health institution. This experience was devastating for Tana. For 20 days, Tana pleaded for someone to believe her as she learned she was at risk of being placed under conservatorship by a judge. Eventually, a staff member listened, believed her, and helped secure her release.

By that point, she wanted nothing to do with her grandparents and was unable to move back in with her mother. With no remaining support system to rely on, Tana became homeless. Over the next decade, she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and deep trust issues. Unfortunately, Tana experienced another traumatic experience when she attempted to reconnect with her father in hopes of having a place to stay. As a result, she fell into a downward spiral and developed an addiction to cope with the pain of her past.

Living on the streets in Asheville was extremely difficult. Tana stayed in abandoned buildings, in the woods, and with friends whenever possible. Over the years, she held jobs while homeless, including work as a certified nursing assistant and with a local city department. Despite her efforts, housing remained out of reach. Rent prices were unaffordable, and even motel rooms were often inaccessible due to policies that made it difficult for people with in-state IDs to book. Carrying everything she owned from place to place took a toll on her body and well-being.

“I can’t tell you the number of times that I had strap burns and backpack rub all against me just because I was trying to keep onto the few things that I had left.”

Tana

While experiencing homelessness in Asheville, Tana began visiting the AHOPE Day Center. There, she met AHOPE Program Manager Kris, who became a reliable and encouraging source of support. Through AHOPE, Tana was able to receive her mail, regain important legal documents, and access essentials like coffee, food, and showers. For the first time in a long while, Tana could see a real opportunity for stability and healing. In the summer of 2025, she received life-changing news: an apartment was ready for her at Homeward Bound’s Compass Point Village.

“This is the first time I’ve been on a lease,” shares Tana, reflecting on how difficult it became to find a home that was truly her own until the age of 30. “I’m starting to build some stuff back up. Things that bring me happiness and joy. Some of the things I have don’t have the sentimental value of the stuff I lost. I will never get back that beautiful scarf that I got while I was in France, I will never get my high school diploma back and the gifts from friends who passed away.”

She hopes her story encourages the Asheville community to reflect on how people experiencing homelessness are treated, particularly based on appearance. “People treat you differently when they see you and think that you’re a homeless person.” Without housing, maintaining hygiene was often difficult and deeply embarrassing. At times, she worked hard to stay clean so people would allow her to sleep on their couch, often washing up in gas station bathrooms.

Five months into her new home, Tana has the stability she needs to work toward her goals. She’s sober, searching for employment, and hopes to return to college to complete her degree, with the long-term goal of becoming a cosmetologist. While challenges remain—such as gaps in her resume due to years of homelessness—Tana remains determined. She is supported by several meaningful relationships, including her Case Manager, Amanda.

Despite the many challenges she has faced, Tana finds motivation from the glimpses of joy in her life. She remembers visiting France with her high school, driving across the country, and other meaningful moments that motivate her goals of rebuilding her life and traveling again.

“I’ve recentered myself,” shares Tana. “I tried not to let all the torture that I endured affect my mental health. I always tried to keep some goal alive or an aspiration to hold onto so that I didn’t lose my mind. I’m happy now that I have my own space where I can go to be recluse…I’ve got a home base.”

Statistics on intergenerational domestic violence and homelessness: Research shows that poverty and domestic violence often have intergenerational effects on families and their well-being. Studies estimate that up to 40% of children raised in violent households are at an increased risk of experiencing long-term trauma and becoming victims of domestic violence in adulthood[1]. Additional research shows that 10.7% of children born into poverty will spend at least half of their lives living in poverty.[2] Together, these findings reinforce that intergenerational poverty and violence are not the result of a single crisis, but of systemic factors passed down across generations.

[1] J. Kaufman et al. “Do abused children become abusive parents?” The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (1987)

[2] Monica Privette-Black. “Intergenerational Poverty in the United States.” Ballard Brief. May 2021. www.ballardbrief.org.

Tana and her Homeward Bound Case Manager, Amanda

“Going above and beyond”

Joe Hart on December 9, 2025

Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention program provides short-term financial support and case management to individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness and to those already experiencing homelessness in Buncombe County. Our Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention Specialist, Jesika Davis, shares an experience from her work supporting Andrea, a mother of two who was facing homelessness with her two children.

“My client was forced to move because her landlord was unable to renew her lease. She was a perfect tenant, they acknowledged, but they needed the house for personal reasons. She and her two children were scrambling to find a new place that would accept their housing voucher. Her old landlord confirmed she would get her whole deposit back, but not until after she moved out, and gave her 30 days to do so. Time was running out, and her former landlord was planning to file an eviction against Andrea.

This is when Andrea used our Get Help webpage to apply for housing assistance through Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention program. We were able to help her with the inspection, lease signing, landlord negotiations, and ultimately the deposit within the week. When the new landlord spoke with me and learned more about Homeward Bound, he was willing to give Andrea the keys early just based on our word, also allowing her to avoid an eviction on her record. She was so relieved and grateful that she asked if she could thank our team personally.” – Jesika Davis, Rapid Rehousing/Homelessness Prevention Specialist

“I want to personally take the time to thank Homeward Bound’s Jesika, Amanda, Housing Services Director Jenny, and the whole finance department for making it possible for me and my kids to move into our beautiful home we’re in now. I am beyond thankful for the urgency, compassion, and going above and beyond to make this chapter of my life possible for me and my kids. I appreciate you all and thank you so much again for all of your hard work to make this happen.” – Andrea