Celebrating and learning about those on the frontlines of public service is core to our mission at Civic Roundtable. Our platform is shaped by the voices of leaders like Lorain Crowl, who dedicate their careers to solving complex public challenges.
Meet Lorain Crowl - Lorain has spent over two decades working in community development, advocacy, and nonprofit leadership, with a particular focus on homelessness and affordable housing in South Carolina. She played a pivotal role in the South Carolina Interagency Council on Homelessness (SC ICH), leading statewide efforts to define and address youth homelessness. Today, she leads LeadWell 360, a consulting firm that helps organizations develop sustainable solutions to social challenges.
How did you get into this work?
I’ve always loved writing and design, but a personal tragedy shifted my perspective and pushed me toward public service. My first role was at the Phoenix Center, a local drug and alcohol coalition, where I saw firsthand the impact of policy work. That experience led me to the South Carolina Interagency Council on Homelessness, where I focused on youth homelessness and helped drive statewide initiatives like the South Carolina Young Voices Matter Campaign. I served on SC ICH for several years and became chair last year. After rolling off the board, I transitioned my focus to running LeadWell 360, which has become my retirement plan.
What were the main priorities while you were at SC ICH?
SC ICH serves as a neutral convener of organizations working in the homelessness space, creating a shared space where different perspectives can align toward common goals. The council operates with four core purposes:
1. Neutral Convening – Providing a space where organizations, advocates, and policymakers can collaborate, ensuring that everyone is working toward collective solutions despite differing perspectives on homelessness.
2. Advocacy & Education – Moving the needle on policy changes by raising awareness and pushing for legislative action.
3. Data & Reporting – Compiling statewide information to produce an annual "State of Homelessness" report, which pulls data from multiple systems to create an aggregate picture of homelessness in South Carolina.
4. Training & Support – Offering resources, knowledge-sharing, and best practices to help organizations and service providers better address homelessness. The role of neutral convening is especially important, as it allows organizations with different definitions of homelessness—whether that means living in a car or not having a key to a home—to come together with a unified vision. By ensuring that all stakeholders were “singing the same song,” SC ICH helped align efforts and maximize impact across the state.
How did your work at SC ICH shape your approach to tackling homelessness?
At SC ICH, I focused on addressing youth homelessness at a time when South Carolina lacked a clear definition of the issue, making it difficult to coordinate resources and drive policy change. Our team worked to change that by advocating for legislation that established a formal definition of youth homelessness, which laid the foundation for the South Carolina Young Voices Matter Campaign. This initiative enabled us to conduct a statewide youth count—an effort to identify and document the number of youth experiencing homelessness across the state. The Youth Count is one of the most impactful projects SC ICH has undertaken. It’s not just about gathering numbers—it’s about using that data to drive action. Expanding the count, updating reports, and working toward a single, standardized definition of homelessness ensures that future efforts are based on reliable, comparable data. That consistency is key to tracking progress and informing meaningful policy decisions.
What are your key priorities and responsibilities in your current role?
Now, at LeadWell 360, I help nonprofits build the strategic and operational capacity they need to make a lasting impact. Right now, we’re working with low-income housing developers to integrate supportive services into affordable housing properties. That means ensuring families have access to childcare and after-school programs, while seniors have community spaces that prevent isolation. We also support efforts like the McKinney-Vento program and the annual youth count to ensure homeless youth receive the resources they need.
What’s the most challenging part of your work?
The hardest part is maintaining boundaries. When you work in service, it’s easy to take on the struggles of others, almost as if wearing their challenges like a coat. Setting those boundaries to protect your well-being while staying deeply invested in helping others is a constant challenge.
What keeps you grounded and motivated in this emotionally demanding field?
The variety of work keeps me engaged. Each day presents a new challenge, and I love the problem-solving aspect. The ability to step into different sectors and tackle new issues excites me. It’s all about finding solutions that make a meaningful difference.
Do you have tips for preventing burnout in this space?
I always tell people to start with the hardest task first. Procrastinating on difficult things only makes them harder. Setting clear expectations from the start is also important. For example, when I work with someone, I make it clear that I’m there to help them move forward in their way, not impose my plan on them. This helps avoid situations where things go wrong, and they feel like I failed them. It also means recognizing personal limits and seeking support. Self-care is crucial—whether it’s setting clear work-life boundaries, leaning on a trusted network, or taking time to recharge.
How does Roundtable fit into your work right now?
When we began planning the Youth Count, one of our biggest challenges was communication—figuring out how to coordinate efforts without overwhelming people with emails and PSAs. When I saw Civic Roundtable, it was exactly what we needed: a centralized place for communication, documents, training, and connections. You can have the best plan in the world, but if people can’t find or use it, it won’t make an impact. Roundtable is helping us bridge that gap, and I’m very grateful.
