ABOUT
City With Dwellings has been building trust-based relationships with people facing homelessness in Winston‑Salem and Forsyth County since 2012.
Our aim is to move folks from trauma and instability into healing and housing stability. We accomplish our mission through:
person-centered
street outreach
day services featuring problem-solving, resource navigation, and restorative activities
peer-based supportive housing services
What Makes City With Dwellings Unique?
Community
We don’t just offer services; we build a caring community where relationships transform lives, offering connection, trust, and support through every step of the journey.
Healing
We believe in the power of healing where lived experience and compassionate care come together to help neighbors rebuild their lives, supported by our team who knows firsthand what it takes to move forward.
Resilience
We equip individuals with the tools and support to not just survive but thrive, focusing on personal empowerment, recovery, and long-term stability as they move from crisis toward lasting housing solutions.
Our Story
In 2012, community and faith leaders came together to address the urgent need for winter shelter in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Through collaboration with congregations, community groups, and civic organizations, they established a multi-site seasonal shelter effort. City With Dwellings was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2017 and has been dedicated to connecting with vulnerable neighbors year-round through outreach, resource navigation, programs at the Community First Center, and housing support.
We prioritize building trust and providing non-judgmental support to help neighbors meet their immediate needs, improve their health, and work toward stable housing.
At the Community First Center, staff and volunteers connect individuals to essential resources like shelter, food, healthcare, and more. Team members also walk alongside newly housed neighbors, offering guidance and support as they transition into their new lives.
MISSION
Our Mission
We cultivate a community of care so that people can move with dignity from trauma and homelessness to healing and housing stability. We share in our community’s collective responsibility to create safe, stable dwellings for all by disrupting unhealthy systems and providing outreach, resource navigation, and supportive housing solutions.
Our neighbors without homes often lack social and family support — a lack of trustworthy relationships — (think how fortunate we are with our various communities of support — your neighbors, church family, relatives, friends — taking care of each other in our time of need) — our unhoused friends don’t have that — they have no support network, no supportive community — and this is where CwD comes in. City With Dwellings began in 2012 when Moravian pastor Russ May organized a group of volunteers to provide emergency shelter in downtown church facilities. We became a nonprofit five years later, and now we are working to build a supportive community for our most vulnerable neighbors all year-round.
We exist to create change and cultivate a community of care so that people can move with dignity from trauma and homelessness to healing and housing stability. We provide safe spaces, foster belonging, connect people to next-step resources, and expand shared knowledge and understanding around the complex issues related to housing. We serve people in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, with an intentional focus on those who are living outside, in places not fit for human habitation.
The assistance we provide is both housing-focused and person-centered. So while we began with shelter, now our work is about much more than shelter — it’s prevention, safety, support, resources, and community.
VALUES
Belonging
We believe everyone deserves a community where they are seen, valued, and supported. By fostering connections and a caring environment, we help combat isolation and empower our neighbors to rebuild their lives within a strong, supportive network.
Dignity & Respect
Every individual deserves to be treated with compassion and respect, recognizing their inherent worth and potential for growth.
Stability-focused Housing
We believe that stable housing is the foundation for all other aspects of life —providing safety, security, and a platform for healing and growth.
Person-Centered Support
Our services are tailored to meet individuals where they are, empowering them to take control of their own journey toward stability and well-being.
Healing Thru Restoration
We focus on healing, accountability, and rebuilding relationships, creating an environment that recognizes past challenges and supports individuals on their journey toward recovery and stability.
Collaboration & Partnership
We strengthen our impact by building meaningful partnerships and working together with community organizations, faith groups, and public services to create a holistic safety net.
STAFF
RUTH COLE BURCAW
Executive Director
Ruth joined City With Dwellings in July 2021, bringing a blend of curiosity, passion, leadership, and collaboration. She holds a BA in Sociology from Moravian College and a Master of Public Affairs from UNC Greensboro. Ruth’s career includes serving as a key advisor to Winston-Salem’s first female mayor, Martha Wood, co-founding a corporate event management firm, and most recently, leading the Board of Cooperative Ministries for the Moravian Church, Southern Province. At City With Dwellings, Ruth leads a dedicated team focused on creating lasting change and helping our most vulnerable neighbors rebuild their lives within a supportive community.
email: ruth@citywithdwellings.org
LEA THULLBERY
Assistant Director
Lea began her relationship with CWD in 2013 as a volunteer organizer for the Overflow Shelter, and immediately identified outreach work as a passion she did not even know she possessed.
In the summer of 2015, she left her full-time job to find out all she could about the systems that supported our neighbors experiencing homelessness.She is a founding member of the non-profit and leads CWD’s Case Coordination and Street Outreach Team.
email: lea@citywithdwellings.org
CARLOS TOLBERT
Director of Living
Well Initiatives
What brings Carlos the most joy in being part of the CWD team is being present and walking alongside people in our community on their individual journeys. He first got involved with the Overflow Shelter as a volunteer overnight monitor in 2013 and has worked as a monitor at First Presbyterian every year since.
In May of 2019, Carlos joined our staff as a full-time Peer Support Specialist. The HEART (Housing Emergency Assistance Response Team) Project’s unique approach combines housing with consistent, supportive services and resources for chronically homeless individuals in our community, helping them develop and achieve their short and long-term goals for health and housing stability.
KRISTA O’CONNELL
Director of Guest Support
Being part of the CWD team has brought Krista joy through the unconditional relationships she has made with community members, both similar and different from herself. She started volunteering for CWD in 2015 and joined the staff as Organizational Administrator in the fall of 2018. Krista transitioned into her current role October of 2020.
email: krista@citywithdwellings.org
MARK DOCKERY
Director of Outreach
Mark is proud to be part of the CWD team because we see everyone in our community as equal, treat everyone with respect, and have compassion and empathy for people facing crisis moments. He was one of the first volunteers at the Community First Center when it opened in 2017, joined the Overflow Shelter staff as a monitor in 2018, and began his full-time role with CWD in October of 2020.
email: mark@citywithdwellings.org
TANISHA MORELAND
Certified Peer Support Specialist
Tanisha has been part of CWD’s staff since 2021, though her involvement began three years prior to that when she volunteered with the women’s overflow shelter. Tanisha works to connect adults facing homelessness to housing and supportive services. She also facilitates Women of Vision, a group of housed and unhoused women who’ve joined together to create a safe space to explore, heal, and grow from past traumas. Tanisha believes that it is important for everyone’s voice to be heard.
email: tanisha@citywithdwellings.org
BETH STAFFORD
Office Manager
Though she primarily works in the office in the morning, you may see her friendly face around the building. Beth is retired from Winston-Salem State University and has a background in public service, having previously worked with the Winston-Salem Housing Authority and the City of Winston-Salem’s office of the mayor.
email: beth@citywithdwellings.org
JESSY BURCAW
Director of Operations & Program Impact
Jessy joined us full-time in the role of Program Support Manager in April of 2024. Jessy’s computer and data management skills are very welcome, but it’s her people skills we really appreciate. She assists our program managers with the collection and organization of data, represents us on the Coordinated Entry team of the Continuum of Care, and makes sure we are measuring our impact.
email: jessy@citywithdwellings.org
ANDREA HOWELL
Director of Community Engagement
Andrea joined the team in January 2026 to lead communications, volunteer engagement, and donor cultivation efforts that invite people into meaningful connection with our mission and with one another. As a long-time resident of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Andrea is motivated to help people understand how they belong to something larger, and how their presence and support make a real difference.
email: andrea@citywithdwellings.org
ARRIYAH ARMSTRONG
Guest Services Coordinator
Arriyah rejoined the CWD team in May of 2024, previously working as an assistant monitor for CWD’s overflow shelter. She welcomes and engages guests and volunteers during open hours at the Community First Center (currently 1:30 to 4:30pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). Arriyah’s background in customer service gives her the skills to help staff maintain a client-centered, trauma-informed care space for day center guests, staff, volunteers, and visitors.
email: arriyah@citywithdwellings.org
EVAN HUSS
Guest Services
Evan joined CwD in April of 2025 to help with Guest Services for our open hours. Since then he has been instrumental in assisting CwD in numerous ways including transportation of our guests to medical appointments, coordinating with volunteers during Open Hours, organizing and running weekend clinics, and more. He quickly became valuable to our guests by partnering with Cycle Recycle, a bicycle donation program here in Winston-Salem, that provides bicycles free of charge to our underprivileged neighbors. He takes a group of our guests every Tuesday to their facility to receive bikes.
Evan has become a well known member of our team to our guests and strives to assist them in their endeavors any way he can. Evan will admit that sometimes the job can be challenging, but the work is very important and he enjoys helping those in need.
email: evan@citywithdwellings.org
Liz Mitchell
Prevention and Housing Stability Coordinator
Liz is our new Prevention & Housing Stability Coordinator, and she’s already making a meaningful impact.
She supports neighbors facing housing crises and brings a clear-eyed understanding of the real issue: it’s not that people can’t find housing, it’s that there’s not enough affordable housing to find.
Liz is here to listen, support, and walk alongside neighbors during some of their hardest moments.
When she’s not at CwD, Liz is spending time with her family, singing, or curled up with a good book.
email: Liz@citywithdwellings.org
Maia White
Housing Support Case Manager
Maia White joined the City with Dwellings team three months ago, and she already knows exactly why she is here: “I will always be the 1 percent of people in the world to help people and make change.” As a Housing Support Case Manager, she works with neighbors eligible for Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing, walking with them through the process of finding and keeping a home.
What she loves most is doing that work alongside a team that truly cares. When asked what she wishes people knew about CwD, Maia keeps it real: “We can’t fix everything, but we are here to support you in the best way we can.” Outside of work, she loves God, hiking, reading, cake, and plants. Her kids, too. (Her words.) Things she could do without? People who can’t drive and a lack of common sense.
email: maia@citywithdwellings.org
Nikola Granados
Community Care Navigator
Nikola Granados started as a CwD volunteer over a year ago and liked the work so much they joined the staff. Now, as a Community Care Navigator, they get to see neighbors’ journeys from walking through the door for the first time to becoming housed. That is what keeps them coming back.
When asked what they wish people knew, Nikola does not sugarcoat it: “You have the power to end homelessness.” Their vision? A place where people can move quickly from the streets into free, guaranteed housing and then into permanent, deeply affordable homes, no qualifying required. Nikola is also quick to share the credit: “We couldn’t do it if we didn’t have our team.” Outside of work, they love third spaces, handmade goods, learning, growth, and human rights.
email: nikola@citywithdwellings.org
Ashley Sutton
Community Care Navigator
Ashley came to City with Dwellings about three months ago, and has already become a familiar, steady presence for the neighbors who walk through our doors.
As a Community Care Navigator, he helps guests navigate the practical steps that can feel overwhelming when you’re in the middle of a crisis: obtaining vital documents, applying for jobs, and working through the systems that stand between someone and stability.
But he’ll be the first to tell you that some of the most important work he does is simply sitting with a neighbor and listening. Ashley believes something that guides everything he does: the people we serve are just regular people too.
When he’s not at the Community First Center, you might find Ashley cooking out with friends, out on the water kayaking, working through a crossword puzzle, or watching birds. We’re so glad he’s here.
email: ashley@citywithdwellings.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CARMEN CARUTH
Board Chair
Director of HR (retired),
City of Winston-Salem
SCOTT SEAWELL
Vice Chair
Retired, Wells Fargo
TANISHA MORELAND
Secretary
PSH Case Manager City With Dwellings
JEFF MANNING
Treasurer
CFO, Verger Capital Management, LLC
REV KATIE BRYANT
Rostered Minister for Youth and Emerging Ministries, Augsburg Lutheran Church
NIKKI BYERS
Retired Missions Director, First Baptist on Fifth
DAVID JACKSON
Firefighter, City of Winston-Salem, Divinity Student, Moravian Theological Seminary
KRISTEN MACHADO
Director, Our Lady of Salem Shelter
GUY MORGAN
Manager, Bellomy Research
JARED ROGERS
Owner, QAH Group
SPENCER AUBREY
Multidisciplinary artist, DJ, poet, and community organizer
BETH STAFFORD
Retired, Winston‑Salem State University
PARTNERS
Our Partners
FAITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Ardmore Baptist
Ardmore United Methodist
Augsburg Lutheran
Calvary Moravian
Centenary United Methodist
First on Fifth
(First Baptist)
First Presbyterian
Highland Presbyterian
Home Moravian
Knollwood
Baptist
New Philadelphia Moravian
Redeemer Presbyterian
St. Paul’s Episcopal
St. Timothy’s Episcopal
Unity Moravian
Thanks to all our loyal community
and faith partners!
FINANCIALS
Financials
City with Dwellings is a 501 C3 nonprofit. We receive money from individuals, churches, community organizations, corporations, special event fundraisers, and the government.
Our tax ID number is 81-3208939.