The Rumors Are (Not) True

Spreading the good news.

By now, if you come here often, you know I love music so I will say the title is slightly inspired by Lizzo's 2021 (hit) Rumors; I would not suggest listening to this song with children in the room or car - full disclosure. If there was ever a blog posting I couldn't wait to write, this would be it. Don't worry, Pam, I'll keep it mild.

If you've spent significant time in the city of Worcester I'm sure you have heard the saying "big city, small town feel" when referencing the "Heart of the Commonwealth" and I've found it to be true. For better or worse, it is a city in which the news spreads fast and the community rallies swiftly. And although there is still work to be done, I have enjoyed calling it home for the last (almost) four years. Let's be honest, nowhere is perfect.

A bit of a side note, when my family was on the market for a new home and new community, Worcester was at the top of my list; unfortunately, it was not at the top of the list for everyone in my family and the "threat" of Palmer was involved - no shade Palmer.

Meryl's Safe Haven's "why"is to provide a safe space for young people aging out of the foster care system in which they could thrive(!) with emphasis on thrive. "Thrive" is defined in the Oxford dictionary as "(of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously" - our focus FIRST is education and the connection to resources. Second to that, is shelter. What we know for sure, or, what I know for sure - I statements are important - someone is more likely to succeed if their basic needs are met. If I was a playwright, "shelter" would enter here, stage right. In our work, my goal as a CEO, is to ensure MSH takes a holstic approach to the support we provide to families and youth. Anyone can check a box, it takes a special kind of dedication to go the extra mile - this is my desire in all we do and the tiredness I experience tells me, some days, I'm on that path like many of my staff!

So, why the title, Doc? It has been brought to my attention by several people that there are individuals in a certain entity sharing what they do not know about Meryl's Safe Haven - specifically - our Transitional Youth Empowerment program. Some of this information has been shared directly with young adults and at tables we have not, yet, been invited to but have support at which is disappointing considering we were created to fill some of their gaps and the majority of our referrals have come from their staff. Yes, I've taken this personally. As the CEO of this organization and a family who has now adopted three children, I feel it is appropriate - maybe my board will tell me differently later.

According to a Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute data sheet, 18,538 youth emancipated or aged out of the U.S. foster care system in 2022. The data around this population is not positive. In fact, it is reported that they are likely to become pregnant at a young age, have criminal records, and/or have dependencies. We are failing our youth!

On March 10, 2025, after a long time waiting, MSH begin to welcome young adults into our Transitional Youth Empowerment program (TYEP). Over the course of the week, as a team, we begin to learn more about our young people and I have to say, the stories are heartbreaking. The last few years for me have been hard, these young adults speak of lifetime hardship. I digress. To put the education and resources into perspective and fill the gaps of our work, during the first week alone young people did the following:

1. Learned more about our "why" as an organization

2. Learned more about the program, the staff, and the expectations

3. Set goals: educational, personal, professional, and financial

4. Applied for housing

5. Made an "adulting" list of things they need to resolve sooner than later like getting a PCP, applying for SNAP, changing their address, etc. - a list created by them

6. Reviewed and revised their resume

7. Engaged in Career Exploration and a skill assessment

8. Discussed educational interests and supports needed to move forward

This was just the first week.

To be clear and not belabor the point further: WE ARE NOT JUST A SHELTER. When I meet with youth, I say directly to them, if you are not interested in support that can help you change your life, this is not the place for you. If you are interested in working with people who will care for you and help you move forward in life, we want you here. This will not be easy, but we believe it will be worth it.

As a founder of this organization, it was difficult for me to speak of many things - including this program - as if they were before opening the doors and now that IT IS my goal is to keep it that way while providing as much support to this population, and the families we serve, as possible. While we believe in the power of a village, we believe the village only functions when everyone in it comes fully prepared to be of service to others.

Spread the news. Skip the rumors.

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