Some people do this work as a job. For Dottie Kastigar, it has been a calling for more than 30 years.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate Dottie, who was recently honored with the Compass Health Network Community Hero Award through the Great Rivers Regional Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Council. CIT brings together law enforcement, behavioral health professionals and community partners to strengthen how our region responds to individuals experiencing mental and behavioral health crises. The Community Hero Award recognizes those whose work and commitment make a meaningful difference for vulnerable members of our community.

And that describes Dottie pretty perfectly.

For more than three decades, Dottie has dedicated her career to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, housing instability and other significant challenges. She understands that behind every number, every data point and every system is a person, a family, a story and a life that matters. Her impact can be seen throughout our region.

Dottie was instrumental in establishing the Tri County Continuum of Care and in implementing Coordinated Entry, helping create a more coordinated system for connecting individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis with available resources and support. Throughout that work, she has brought nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare providers, funders and community partners to the same table to tackle some of our community’s most difficult challenges.

But those of us who know Dottie know her impact can’t really be measured in programs or partnerships alone. It’s in the families she has advocated for. The people she has treated with dignity during some of their hardest days. The partners she has brought together. The colleagues she has mentored. And the countless times she has quietly stepped in and simply done what needed to be done. Dottie doesn’t seek recognition for this work, which makes us even happier to see her receive it.

Congratulations, Dottie. We are so grateful for the heart, wisdom and determination you have brought to Community Council and to our entire community. This honor is incredibly well deserved. And a special thank you to Dawn Tegeler for nominating Dottie and putting into words what so many of us already know: Dottie Kastigar is a true Community Hero.