Posts Tagged ‘Marti Maltby’
History Lessons
from Peace House Community A Place to Belong... By MARTI MALTBY With this year being the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, my 16 year old daughter Amber took more interest than usual in the day’s significance. She asked what I remembered of that day, which led to a variety of stories. I told her of my own misguided reaction when my roommate (who had a tv) yelled to me that a plane had hit the Twin Towers, and I (who didn’t have a tv), thought, “That’s a strange accident.” Only when I arrived at work an hour later did I understand what was happening. I hope that when my daughter finally does face a catastrophe, she can draw on the strength and dignity of who have risen to the challenges they didn’t see coming. I told her about how different people processed what was happening, from David Letterman’s understated but inspiring comments on The Tonight Show to the morning radio host who demanded that, every 36 hours, the US launch a nuclear attack [...]
Peace House Community: To the Unsung Heroes
Marti Maltby. Photo: Courtesy the author. By MARTI MALTBY Today I attended the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ annual conference, and I got to see four people receive Unsung Heroes awards for work they have done to improve their communities. As you would guess, these individuals go about their volunteering quietly, but their dedication and concern has inspired others. I love the idea of unsung hero awards, because so much recognition goes to people who are already well known, or whose work is plain for all to see. With few exceptions, Nobel prizes, academy awards, and many other awards go to well-known individuals, while few “everyday people” are recognized or rewarded for what they do. I think that’s a shame, because so many people work so hard to maintain sanity and stability for themselves and those around them, without the advantages that the big names have. Yes, it would be fabulous if a scientist found the cure for cancer, but they would do that only if they [...]
What’s in a Word?
Peace House Community Journal Over the last few years, there has been a movement to stop using the word “homeless” to describe those who don’t have permanent housing. Phrases like “those with lived experience of homelessness” or “the unstably housed” have popped up to fill the void. Those advocating for the change intend to reduce the stigma attached to homelessness by highlighting the difference between the person on the one hand and the place where they sleep on the other. Although I like reducing the stigma around homelessness, I’m ambivalent about the words we use to talk about homelessness. Reducing stigma is great, but solving the problem rather than renaming it would be better. I’d rather see more focus on providing housing than on vocabulary. But having said that, the stigma that arises from the belief that homelessness results from bad choices and irresponsibility makes it more difficult to generate support for efforts to end homelessness. As long [...]
