Last November I went to a city council meeting - this isn't news to anyone who has read a blog or two though, right? In case it is, to fill you in, I began attending meetings, honestly, to learn more about ... the powers that be? I know how that sounds, but think about it. There's some truth here at the end of the day. My experience has been that there's a sense of community at these meetings, I can't completely explain, that comes with a silent understanding of: our perspective(s) may be different, but we come with the same intent which is to better our community. I've heard things argued, ahem... "debated" I didn't even know should go in front of city council. I've learned about things that directly impact me and my family, and I've learned about things that will impact me as an executive of a nonprofit organization. To say the least, I've learned a lot about the place I call home and politics, generally.
Getting to the point... I attended a number of meetings in 2023; I even went one night not knowing it had been canceled; my sad truth, but don't tell anyone. As I stated, I've seen some things by attending a number of meetings, but it was a meeting in November that really goes with me on a daily basis and I feel like I'm still processing. This meeting haunts me like that register sound I mentioned in a previous posting and I'll explain why.
The topic was shelter and housing. As you know, this is an area Meryl's Safe Haven operates in. On the floor was a discussion about the cost of these kinds of "projects" (shelters and such). At some point, a councilwoman stood up and began to question the city manager. The questions, although reasonable from the perspective of a councilor in the sense of range which included: how much does it cost, how much would it cost, who have we sought resources from and how much has it costed the city for some of the projects in the works to provide shelter to the unsheltered in the city. Again, reasonable line of questioning when attempting to understand city spending and/or where additional resources may be. It was where she ended the questioning that really sticks with me. Somewhere in her line of questioning, it became obvious it wasn't just questioning for understanding of spending but a "Who is responsible for..." that seemed to lack a sense of accountability considering the seat she occupies. Again, I'm still processing. From my seat, and maybe only my seat, it felt like a complete "pass the buck" moment and I say this because as she spoke, she looked in my direction - a founder of a nonprofit organization who has directly reached out to her and who has spoken in front of that body multiple times looking for support in addressing a need of our community. Maybe I shouldn't take it personal and I'm thinking too much into it; I'll need to work on that. While I work on that, there's something I want you to think about which is, we, as a city, are running at a deficit in shelter and affordable housing. Where does the buck stop?
Take it from me, this work is not for the weak of heart. The long nights, the imposter syndrome, the thought(s) of just wanting to walk away are enough to make anyone question why they ever got started! Makes me question why I ever got started. And don't even get me started on the personal connection to the mission, vision, and overall creation. As a pre-adoptive parent, I can tell you it is not easy to work within certain systems and the legal battles are long and hard. As someone who has stayed on the couch of a previous supervisor, I can tell you homelessness is taxing. Yet, here we are, Meryl's Safe Haven. No political titles. No capital. No investors. Nothing, but a true desire to fill a need and an overwhelming sense of responsibility to our community and neighbors. If we can tout the importance of successful businesses in the city of Worcester, I'm sure there is space to understand the importance of being accountable to our neighbors who may sleep on the streets in the cold while powers that be mutter over who is responsible for identifying resources and providing care. Let's call it a "Yes and…” situation like I stated in one of my testimonies at council.
Now, at the start of a new year, this month Meryl's Safe Haven will not only celebrate our one year anniversary, on January 13th we will hold our first fundraiser at The White Room, and on January 27th we will celebrate the life of our namesake. As an organization, we are fortunate and we don't take that for granted. Because of that, because of you, because of her, our new year's resolution is to stand in spaces of responsibility and accountability to our community. Will you join us?
Yours in Service,
Dr. Tasia L. Cerezo
CEO, Meryl's Safe Haven
Comentarios