We are all in this together.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
Obviously John Donne, a 17th-century English poet, didn’t have the 21st-century Greenville Homeless Alliance in mind when he wrote these lines. But for me, this poem has always been a touchstone; an unflinching reminder of my own connectedness and obligation to the rest of my fellow human beings -- known and unknown, seen and unseen. And I’m sure it was lurking close to my consciousness in 2015 when I was asked to be part of a small team working to craft a Homelessness White Paper that eventually would lead to the formation of the Greenville Homeless Alliance.
During that process, I began to see much more clearly that yes, I am linked to every person who experiences homelessness, whether briefly or for years or decades. We are all “parts of the main.” We are all worthy of dignity. We are all in this together. For those of us who are not experiencing the trauma of homelessness, the question is simple: What is the universe waiting for us to do?
The answer, of course, is different for each person. But the Greenville Homeless Alliance is where all those answers can be blended together into a strategy to make homelessness brief and rare in the county we call home. Four years into its existence, the Homeless Alliance includes more than 120 partners and 1,500 stakeholders, homeless service providers but also other nonprofits, faith groups, business leaders, interested individuals, representatives of law enforcement and city and county government, community activists, and foundations.
Because of the dedicated work of the Homeless Alliance and its stakeholders, Greenville has seen positive changes since it first formally convened in May 2018. Innovations like the medical respite program that Miracle Hill and New Horizon were able to begin, which gives vulnerable homeless people a safe place to go when they’re released from the hospital. And the Second Chance pilot, that helped get families with school-age children into housing and break the cycle of couch surfing and uncertainty about where they’d lay their heads each night. The community-centered motel response plan, which mobilized the community to respond when the sudden closure of a local motel threatened individuals and families with homelessness. And alongside all these initiatives, the Homeless Alliance’s tireless issue advocacy at County Council and City Council meetings.
Above all, I am convinced that because of the Greenville Homeless Alliance, homelessness is no longer invisible. People experiencing homelessness are less likely to be just “islands” for others to move past or not even see.
We at the Jolley Foundation invested early, and we have continued to support the Homeless Alliance, because we see the impact it is having as a convenor, as an advocate, as an educator, and as an innovator. The commitment and energy of the Homeless Alliance’s Working Groups continue to inspire us with hope, and a belief that so much passion and knowledge and optimism are bound to pay off for Greenville -- but even more for the people who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness.
As the Homeless Alliance moves into its fifth year, I am grateful for all those in Greenville who share my (and Donne’s) conviction that every person is worth fighting for. I’m writing this while watching a news story about a barber in Philadelphia who gives haircuts to homeless men. “Everybody matters,” he says. “A man sits in my chair for a half hour or an hour, and I get to know him. I get to know his story, and what he hopes for.” This barber is “involved in mankind,” and John Donne would honor him. As do I.
Tish Young McCutchen
Director, The Jolley Foundation