‘Peace House Community Journal’ Archives
Peace House Community: A Place to Belong
Pleased to Almost Meet You By MARTI MALTBY I stole the title for this column from Colin Hay, the lead singer from Men Without Hats. His song “Pleased to Almost Meet You”™ is a tongue in cheek commentary on how people these days tend to talk a lot about getting together without ever actually meeting. The song opens with the lines: I'm pleased to almost meet youThe pleasure's almost mineI can see that you're busyPerhaps another timeI'm pleased to almost meet youHere let me get that doorNo need for conversationThey do say less is more Before covid hit, I heard many people talk about being too busy to spend time with friends or family. After covid hit and everyone started interacting through video chats, the discussion focused on how much people missed face to face interaction. Now I”™ve heard debates about whether workers will want to come back to the office or stay at home, whether we will keep connecting with far-flung friends through our phones [...]
It Might Be a Start
PEACE HOUSING COMMUNITY: A PLACE TO BELONG By MARTI MALTBY I recently received a survey regarding racism in the Hennepin County homeless shelter system. The results of the survey will become the basis for a workgroup that will look for ways to eliminate racism from the shelters. Because of my work schedule I can”™t attend the workgroup meetings, so I don”™t know what outcomes to expect. I sincerely wish the workgroup success, because they”™ve undertaken a big project. Their task intersects with systemic dynamics, volunteer training, racism within the homeless community, mental illness, and a host of other issues. Homeless individuals and families face enough challenges already. Experiencing racism in the middle of the system that is supposed to help them almost defies description in how insulting it is. Because I received the results of the survey a week or two later, I have seen the variety of views that the workgroup will have [...]
The Never-Ending Tragedy
Peace House Community - A Place to Belong By MARTI MALTBY I”™m writing this on February 5, during the first really cold spell we have had this winter. Yesterday was not a shining moment in my career of serving the homeless. One of our community members who has serious physical handicaps mentioned in passing that he needed to get his tent and belongings from another part of town because his life was in danger. I commute to work by bike so I wasn”™t able to help him, but his comment about being in danger didn”™t register with me and I didn”™t look for other resources for him. When I arrived at work this morning a garbage hauler was standing over a collapsed tent in the vacant lot behind the Peace House Community building. As I rode past I recognized the wheelchair sitting next to the tent and realized that the community member was probably in the tent. Worse, because the temperature had dropped below zero during the night, I knew there [...]
