Roots and Branches: Reflections from Sister Mary
As we have been celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, we at Project HOME are keenly aware that the wide network of people and organizations who contribute skills, resources, energy, and vision, coupled with God’s grace, are the reason behind any and all accomplishments.
Community is one of the themes of this anniversary celebration. Community is not just an ideal, it is a very practical reality. There is virtually nothing we have accomplished over the past quarter century that hasn’t been done through partnerships and collaborations. When we first started, resources were scarce, and we were pretty thin in concrete skills. But over the years we have been blessed by an amazing array of staff and residents, of friends, trustees, and supporters. They have come from all walks of life, all parts of our society, and they have brought diverse talents and expertise. From architects and urban planners to GED tutors, from healthcare professionals to volunteers helping with data entry, from private companies doing fundraisers to religious congregations opening their doors for shelter or giving a platform for residents to share their stories – all of these contribute to the ultimate goal of ending homelessness.
These are all expressions of the rich and wondrous community that is Project HOME: Trustees oversee our financial planning. Business consultants help market our social enterprise products. Students join us in phone banking on an advocacy campaign. Residents gain training in peer support counseling and help strengthen our case management services.
Perhaps one of the most powerful lessons of this past quarter century is that every one of us is part of the solution to homelessness. Every one of us has a gift to share – but when we come together, those gifts multiply. Together, when we gather around a common mission and strategically pool our energy and talents, we accomplish more than we could have possibly imagined.
At its core, it is a community grounded in love, in justice, in human dignity. We thank all of you who are part of this community. We are grateful for all that we have been able to accomplish together. We will continue to widen the circle, to move forward toward our goal of ending homelessness. And we know that along the way, each one of us is deeply enriched by being part of this community.
