Reflections of my time leading Girl Scouts Troop 6000 continue with a hat tip to the Troop 6000 partnerships of which I am most proud. Without their buy-in, consistent dedication, and collaboration, Troop 6000 would not be possible. Grateful for:
*Shelter providers, some of the most undervalued workers in New York. Because of their care and hustle, Troop 6000 expanded from 1 shelter to 10 shelters in 3 months under my leadership.
*Volunteers who were eager to help, and finally had a concrete outlet. Most New Yorkers have never been inside a shelter and feel helpless around the overwhelming homeless crisis. Your mentoring raised girls’ resilience. I’m grateful to the volunteers who took the plunge, dove into the discomfort of dismantling their perceptions of homeless people and reflected on any white savior tendencies. The program we designed brought together vastly diverse populations in NYC, people who wouldn’t typically mingle outside of a subway car. I am proud of that peripheral but revolutionary act of community building across wealth, race, housing status, neighborhood, and education levels. Thank you for allowing my team to be your guide!
*Elected officials who passed housing and homelessness policies that are good for people in shelters and the surrounding community, especially Diana Ayala, Gale A. Brewer, and Carlina Rivera.
*Donors who shared their resources to support our work, especially those who first asked, “What do girls need?”
*NYC Department of Homeless Services …The massive shelter system is more complex than many realize; without public servants’ tireless work to make sure everyone in need of a place to sleep has one, Troop 6000 would not have been able to grow to 2,5000 members. The troop’s success rests on the backs of DHS creating a coordinated citywide social safety network.
#homeless #shelter #Troop6000 #partnership #volunteer
Great Job!