Community Impact Network awardee spotlight: Jessica Burton
The 2023 Listening Award recipient pays attention to ways she can help clients beyond her area of expertise.
Whether it was as a loan processor for a mortgage company or assisting people getting into rental properties for Beyond Housing, Jessica Burton has always enjoyed helping people get into a home.
No matter who she’s talking to, Burton treats every client with dignity and respect, and often hears from clients about how much they appreciate her approach.
“There’s nothing worse than needing services and someone is making you feel like less than or you’re not important,” Burton said. “It really felt good to get feedback from people like, ‘Thank you so much. You didn’t talk to me like I’m a burden or you don’t like helping me or you’re checking something off your box. I really enjoyed it.’”
Burton’s efforts earned her recognition from her peers as well, as she was one of three recipients of the Community Impact Network’s Listening Award in December 2023. The award was given during the Network’s annual A Night With the Stars celebration that honors direct service providers working in the 24:1 region of North St. Louis County. Burton, then an occupancy specialist for Beyond Housing, is now a lending specialist working on helping clients get approved for down-payment assistance.
Burton, who was born in Germany but has spent most of her life in St. Louis, said it’s fulfilling to know she’s helping people in her community get into stable housing. Beyond Housing gets over 200 housing inquiries per month, and many clients come to Beyond Housing from long-term housing instability, domestic violence or other crisis situations.
“Even with the overwhelming workload, Jessica leads with patience and empathy when listening to clients’ needs and directing families to valuable resources,” her nomination for the Listening Award said.
It made my heart smile to see people that really care about making a change.
Jessica Burton, on the A Night With the Stars awards celebration
As a service provider, listening means more than just listening to how you can help someone, Burton said. If she hears someone needs furniture or another service, Burton tries to track down another organization or department that can help the client with that.
“It means you’re not just listening but you’re understanding,” Burton said when talking about the importance of listening. “It’s more than just listening. You have to listen to see how you can be of service beyond just your role.”
Burton said she was shocked to be nominated for the award. The awards celebration brought together more than 200 people from around the philanthropic community to honor the nominees and award recipients. Burton said it was a heartwarming sight to see so many people trying to make a difference.
“It felt really good,” Burton said. “There is a community out there of people who really enjoy doing it. …It made my heart smile to see people that really care about making a change.”
Read more about Beyond Housing’s work here.
Nominations are currently open for this year’s A Night With the Stars awards celebration. If you know someone who is making a difference in the 24:1 area, you can nominate them here.
