Words Can Move
This is an excerpt from a sermon titled, “Words Can Move” from the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on September 26. To see the full recording navigate here.
It was the summer of 2016 and I was riding in a pickup truck with my friend, Alan, from Westminster Presbyterian Church, who is the Director of Finance and Property Management for Allen Temple CEDC. We were in the neighborhood called Pleasant Valley. Do you know this neighborhood? It is just off Augusta Road – tucked behind Blythe Academy. The truck pulled to a stop and out of our window was a beautiful home, with a front porch, single driveway, and well-manicured lawn.
Out of his mouth, Alan said, “You know Susan, I really need to charge the family $575 but she is a single mom with two children and even though she works full time at Furman University, she does not earn enough to pay this and juggle her other expenses….so I decided to charge her $525 because she has worked for over eight years for Furman. She also has her own car and gas adds up from here to Furman.
I stopped breathing. It hit me. I had helped build Habitat Homes, I had gotten to know the families, but it hit me in a different way, in a way that brought me to my knees, and I knew why. I had learned that the City of Greenville had identified in a process with an urban planning firm a gap of over 2,500 homes needed, just like this one. And the rent for this one was just above this gap – where the 2500 homes needed were at a rent of $500 or less.
I said, “What do you mean you needed to have her pay $575? You are a nonprofit developer.”
“I am.” said Alan. “We have costs that have to be met to operate and maintain our homes.” I remember saying, “It is just $50.” He said, “Every dollar counts and every penny actually counts when you run a nonprofit.”
I started to say to my neighbors, my friends, my faith community, “Did you not hear, did not see the words? Addressing the significant deficit of housing units affordable to our community’s low wage workers is both an economic and moral priority. Likewise, tackling the problems of concentrated poverty requires our best effort as a community.”
I started to realize that words can move people. Greenville City Council went on to give a historic unanimous approval to thoughtful public policy response to Greenville’s affordable housing challenges.
Fast forward to 2019 and continued community progress for the partners of now what is called the Greenville Homeless Alliance who had a new realization. That despite the progress made by our city and county, our number of children experiencing homelessness is continuing to rise because of words. Federal definitions of homelessness equal children and their families who do not have access to resources to end the experience of homelessness unless WE as a community wait for families to live in their car, live somewhere not meant for human habitation, or enter the limited beds of emergency shelter.
We know that words have great power and the ability to create reality. Words create our world. The way you use language – creates reality.
I want to share this illustration which is definition of HUD which is short for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This definition which is used by all agencies receiving HUD funding is creating a reality. Imagine you were suddenly defined by either having to live somewhere not meant for human habitation or imagine that you are fleeing domestic violence…either way you are told, “We are sorry but there is no room for you and your children.” Imagine that you are single father or a single mother with a son over the age of ten – imagine – how quickly you go from over 400 emergency shelter beds in Greenville County to six or less. Imagine how these words define your options to survive.
What if this was you – where would you go?
Imagine you are a child sitting in school and you are not sure if your favorite blanket will be there when you get home because you know that your family is about to be evicted.
Imagine this child wondering, “What is my identity without a home? What is being created in me when I experience this level of trauma?” Imagine if you were given words that don’t build up because suddenly your family has lost everything – you have returned home to find everything tossed onto the street.
This is why words are so important. Words have the power to create reality.
Words have the power to heal and to build up.
Words matter. Words have the power to hurt and tear down. Our words also have the power to create a reality in which people can live and thrive.
Friends take up the challenge – let’s go in this day and in the days ahead to use words that build up and heal. Let’s NOT choose words that hurt and tear down.
Let us use words to create a new reality. Let words move us to build a bridge to better tomorrow.
- Susan McLarty, Greenville Homeless Alliance Coordinator
Join us for the inaugural iGNITE Luncheon on November 15.
The Greenville Homeless Alliance is a public private partnership with over 120 partners and 1500 stakeholders. Our vision is safe, affordable homes for everyone in Greenville County.