Building a Permanent Shelter for our Unhoused…
I’m involved in various community projects in both of the communities I live in here in California. Recently, it was a full-circle moment as I attended the ribbon-cutting for a new shelter for the unhoused.
The story I’m sharing here is of how I first spoke up in 2006, back when I seldom spoke up about anything, while at a Board Meeting for Rotary being held at the home of two of the members, and how this moment lit the spark for an 18-year journey, much of it controversial.
I was a new Rotarian and had asked that year’s President if I could attend the meeting to be held that evening. He said yes and told me that it would be good for me to meet the Board members and see how things were done. He also reminded me that while I welcome to attend the meeting, I did not have voting privileges and was not to repeat anything they discussed away from the meeting.
I showed up promptly at seven and was invited to take a seat at the dining room table. The hostess had a reputation as an excellent cook and I helped her serve some of the dishes she had prepared. It wasn’t until later that I noticed that she and I were the only women out of almost twenty people that evening.
After dinner, the conversation turned to helping the homeless in our city and I was shocked at the comments being made by some of the Rotarians. In that moment, I could have remained quiet and not upset the status quo. Instead, I found the courage to speak up in a way that felt like someone else was speaking. They obviously had strong opinions on this topic…
“We don’t have those people in our city.”
“Yes, we actually do. And it’s not all men or drug addicts. There are women and families.”
“How would you know?”
“My mother and I were homeless twice while I was still in elementary school. That’s why I started working so young and helping her out.”
I paused, knowing that I had revealed more than what most people knew or thought about me, and now I was pulling back a curtain that could never be closed again and in my new community where I was hoping to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur and business owner. This would be a turning point for my life and I braced myself as the barrage of comments came at me.
“They’re not from here. They come down from the Antelope Valley and expect us to take care of them.”
“That’s right. They need to go back where they came from and not make problems for us here.”
“Why don’t they just go to Los Angeles where they’re used to dealing with human trash.”
Their words burned in my psyche but I couldn’t turn back now. And then I added something that raised a few more eyebrows and changed the way I would always be thought of by this group…
“They’re down in the wash behind the shopping center. Sometimes I drop off a box of food for them, and they are always grateful. It would be nice if our Rotary Club made sandwiches for them once a month and I could deliver them, unless someone wanted to go with me.”
You could have heard a pin drop and it was Ed Bolden, the first Black man to join this Rotary Club back in 1962 who broke the silence.
“You have a good heart, Connie and that will make you an excellent Rotarian over time. There are many worthwhile projects to get involved in, here and all around the world.”
With that, everyone got up and moved into circles, based on the project they were involved in right then. I went into the kitchen and helped wash the dishes and put everything away. The hostess was the wife of our current Rotary President. Her silence while we cleaned up told me everything I needed to know about where she stood on this issue of providing food and shelter for the homeless.
Someone on the Rotary Board made a motion to set up a temporary, winter shelter in our community. It would be open for twelve weeks and be funded by private donations. If it worked out the first year, we would take it to the City Council for future consideration.
The motion passed by a narrow margin and they moved on to other Club and community business. The Rotarians were known as the movers and shakers in the city and we had a number of members who were current or past elected officials, along with being involved in law enforcement and other non-profits in our community.
On that night and in that dining room the conversation began that would be the start of a discussion leading up to the opening of our first permanent shelter 18 years later. It’s been a long road and there is still much work to do.
I an grateful every day that I found my voice and now use it to help people in so many ways. Starting my business back then changed my life forever because I was forced to step into the light and make things happen.
This week, as we attended the ribbon-cutting for our city’s first-ever permanent homeless shelter, it was a full-circle moment. This was a celebration of how far the community had come to help the homeless and an acknowledgement of those who made it possible.
Many of us still remember contentious meetings the city had for years when it was time for the annual discussion on where the temporary emergency winter shelter would go. It seemed at though most people thought it was important, but no one wanted it in their neighborhood.
Many people helped get this project off the ground, up and moving forward, and finally completed. They endured the unkindness of many people in our community, but all the generosity and open hearts of so many more.
I am honored to have been a small part of this project over these past 18 years. Along with people from Rotary and several other non-profits and service organizations, we organized food and clothing drives, prepared sandwiches and asked local grocery stores and Farmer’s markets to donate fruit and other items for the sack lunches we prepared, and joined with local churches to prepare and serve meals to those in need on a regular basis.
When I look into the faces of the people who will now have shelter and a place to call home, I see myself, my mother, and all those we knew during some of the most difficult times in our life. I also see the faces of the children I taught for brief periods of time in Los Angeles, usually not knowing that they were in a shelter and would only be in my class for 30 days before having to move on. And when I look in the mirror, I’m proud of the person I’ve become over time and wouldn’t trade a single moment for these experiences.
I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author, marketing strategist, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green. Come along with me, if you will and let us together discover the secrets of the ages that will make a difference for you and your life experience.
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