09/29/2026
Meet Filisha James, program director at our City Road Chapel location in Madison.
Filisha has been part of the CCF family for five years now, and if you ask her what's kept her here, she won't hesitate to say, "The people and the mission."
Before CCF, she spent years working in healthcare with women and children navigating substance use and other hard seasons of life, work that shaped how she shows up for our guests today. "My experiences working with people and youth and helping them overcome different challenges eventually led me to CCF," she says. "I wanted to do work where I could make a difference in people's lives, and CCF gave me that opportunity."
As Program Director, Filisha oversees staff, day-to-day operations, and the countless moving pieces that keep guests supported, from paperwork and community partnerships to housing resources. But no two days look the same. "You really have to be flexible," she says, "because you never know what the day is going to bring."
One thing hasn't changed in five years: the moments that remind her why this work matters. "Seeing someone come in feeling like they have no options, and then eventually get housed and begin rebuilding their life... that makes you realize all the hard work was worth it."
That's radical hospitality in action. Not just a bed or a meal, but dignity, patience, and someone willing to meet you exactly where you are.
"You may come in thinking you're going to help someone else," Filisha says, "but you may be surprised by how much the experience teaches you and changes you as well."
Five years in, she's still all in. We're so grateful she is.
