New beginnings

Tonight I attended a special event for a new program at The Campus called HPRP- Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. This particular program gets certain individuals into housing quickly and helps them to develop long-term skills to keep their housing.

One struggle formerly homeless people face when they move into housing is the loss of community. Therefore, HPRP includes a component to help to create a sense of community among the participants in the program. Tonight, thirteen men and women who have been recently housed or will soon be housed came for great food, fellowship, and fun. It was such a joy to see the excitement on their faces as they received household goods to take with them; to laugh together as we shared funny stories and random facts about ourselves; and to see the bonds beginning to form among the people present. As dinner was passed around, and I made a comment about the "nice" plates, one man replied, "Wow, do you know how long it's been since I've eaten off a real plate? I don't even remember." New beginnings can start with something as simple as kitchenware.

I drove home in the rainy weather. I looked up, and right in front of me was a beautiful rainbow over the city of Nashville. It was a physical reminder of the spirit of hope that was contagiously present in that dining room tonight.