Mike Wolanin | The Republic Community members attend a panel discussion on homelessness in Columbus at Donner Center in Columbus on Nov. 17.
A gathering of about 150 people to talk about homelessness and related issues in our community on Nov. 17 was an excellent starting point in a conversation about what we can do to help those who lack the basic human need of shelter.
But as several people echoed, more needs to happen, and we agree. Our sincere hope is that we will see a continuation of this conversation on a strategic, intentional path that produces tangible results.
That said, this was an impressive and inspiring turnout that shows commendable engagement by members of our community who want to see us do better. And to be clear, engagement with numbers such as this shows a community that is taking these issues seriously and informs our leaders that people of good will mean business. At least three of our city council members already realize this, as Elaine Hilber, Grace Kestler and Frank Miller were instrumental in organizing the event.
The Republic’s Jana Wiersema covered the event in which Lena Blackstock of Process/Practice Studio moderated a panel consisting of Kelly Daugherty with Love Chapel, Diane Doup with the Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center and Megan Cherry with Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry in Seymour.
The community heard perspectives from these experts who deal more closely than anyone with homelessness and related issues. One of the things they made clear is that they often are seeing people in crisis well after the point when some measure of intervention could have prevented homelessness.
Another common refrain was that there are no easy answers to this complex problem.
That said, we are all familiar with another refrain: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
What has been demonstrated is that in Columbus, we have the will to address homelessness, and the more people involved in this effort, the greater the likelihood that real answers can be found.
A cascade of ideas and perspectives from a diverse group of people emerged from this first gathering, which Blackstock and others ensured was only the beginning.
We have a sense that Melinda Findley may have been speaking for a great number of people when she expressed gratitude for the initial community conversation on homelessness, along with a sense of exasperation. “… I think as a community, city, county, state, as a whole, as a country, we need to step up. This is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. We should not be in the shape that we’re in, and I’m ashamed that we are,” she said.
And while this is a complex problem, it also has simpler dimensions. As several people indicated, homelessness, at its root, is about how we treat our fellow man, and our commitment to ensure, as a community, that no one here lacks shelter.
In this season of giving, let us find it within ourselves as a community to find new ways to prevent homelessness and to help those who most desperately need a hand up.
