People of Housing Security:
Lilly Meister

Lilly Meister has called Bloomington home her whole life, sharing that she feels a deep sense of pride for this community. Now, after stepping into a new role as a Heading Home Street Outreach Case Manager, that pride has only grown stronger. 

In October 2025, Lilly joined the Heading Home team thanks toa partnership with the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, with funding provided by the Lilly Endowment. Lilly shared that she had been searching for jobs around the time that Heading Home began their employment search and was immediately impressed by the work Heading Home was doing. “I love the aspect that we’re working with so many people in the community,” Lilly said. “This is exactly what Bloomington needs.” 

Through Heading Home, Lilly has been placed to work specifically as a case manager at Centerstone. She works closely with Rosalynd Doyle, another street case manager from Heading Home. She shared that it has been nice to have Rosalynd onboarded alongside her, as they have been able to navigate these new positions together. 

Before beginning her position at Heading Home, a majority of Lilly’s life has been centered around music. In high school, Lilly was part of a band called “The Stone Parachutes” where she was a singer and played the guitar. She had been singing publicly since the age of eleven, performing at places such as weddings, the farmer’s market, and open mic nights around Bloomington. Once she joined her band, they continued performing locally and in Indianapolis. Her band held a contract at the Tin Roof and played venues such as Bluebird and nearly anywhere that featured live music in Bloomington. 

In between performing, Lilly completed online school and earned her GED. She then worked a part time job as a barista at a boba shop, eventually becoming a manager and assisting with several other businesses owned by the same employer. Lilly explained that she and her bandmates stopped performing around the time that the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Another fond memory that Lilly reflected on was her time working at the Ferguson Crestmont Boys & Girls Club. Lilly worked there for two years during the pandemic, specifically working with kindergarteners. This was both a fun and challenging time period for Lilly due to having to lead e-learning activities with kids who had never been in school before.  

Through the transition from her previous work into her new position at Heading Home, Lilly has gotten the opportunity to see a new side of Bloomington. Lilly shared that one of the most surprising things she has learned is the amount of work going on behind the scenes in this community. “I didn’t realize the extent of the work that all these nonprofits and organizations are doing,” she said. Lilly had nothing but kind things to say about her experience so far, emphasizing how welcoming the field has been. “Everyone just wants to help everyone,” she said. 

Lilly also noted that her parents are from Bloomington, so her family has always been invested in the wellbeing of the community. “It’s cool to tell people the active things people are doing and that we just need more support in this mission,” Lilly said.

Since starting her new role, Lilly has already learned a lot about Centerstone’s work, highlighting their Horizons Day Center as one of the organization’s most impactful resources. Horizon House offers resources for Centerstone clients including on-site laundry, showers, kitchens, computers, and phones. “I’ve gotten to meet people there and see how they can support those who are unhoused or in shelters,” she shared.

Everyday for Lilly has been different with most days spent focusing on finding and connecting with clients. Lilly explained that Centerstone’s street outreach team will visit different locations, such as encampments, Shalom Center, Wheeler Mission, and the downtown library to talk to existing clients as well as come across more people who could use services. Lilly emphasized the importance of visiting these places regularly to allow community members the opportunity to become more familiar with them. “I want to try to meet as many people as I can and house as many people as possible,” Lilly said. 

“I’m grateful to have a safe, warm place with the people that I love…I want everyone to have that too“

Lilly mentioned that right now street outreach case managers have also been assisting individuals affected by recent encampment closures. She explained this includes asking individuals about their plans, if they need help moving belongings, and overall supporting everyone in any way possible. 

Outside of work, Lilly describes herself as a homebody who enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Sam, and dog, Jäger. She explained that her appreciation for having a safe and stable home really motivates her in her work. “I’m grateful to have a safe, warm place with the people that I love,” she said, “It’s hard knowing that people don’t have that, and I want everyone to have that too.”