Our philosophy of meeting people wherever they are with extraordinary care
Homelessness is an issue that continues to be highly stigmatized—resulting in many misconceptions about the people we serve.
Homelessness is not always a choice. Our guests experience homelessness for varying reasons, many of which are due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control. Feelings of fear, loneliness, and rejection isolate our guests from feelings of trust, security, and hope.
Dignity and respect are elusive. Despair and defeat are reality.
And whether things are growing worse or just more visible, we’re losing sight of optimism. Optimism is critical; it fuels our sense of opportunity. And for people moving through homelessness, few things are more important than opportunity; it’s a source of strength and fuels resilience.
Without optimism the vicious cycle turns ever downward. To paraphrase Helen Keller, we cannot progress.
What's our solution? We believe that it starts with Radical Hospitality.
What Is It?
Radical Hospitality is our philosophy meeting our unhoused neighbors wherever they are and delivering extraordinary care.
Radical, because this level of care and innovation are rarely extended to people moving through homelessness. Raising the bar is revolutionary.
Hospitality, because it’s rooted in generosity; we go gladly as many miles as it takes to deliver a feeling of comfort and care.
And to the streets, because that’s where our unhoused neighbors are.
By putting Radical Hospitality into practice, we quickly learned that how you serve people is as important as the service itself.
Why Does It Matter?
Imagine that you haven’t showered in weeks. You don’t have a bed to lay on, or a new change of underwear or socks. People won’t sit next you on the bus, or even look you in the eye. What would that feel like?
This is a daily struggle for our unhoused neighbors. Often, this loss of humanity and dignity further contributes to the traumatic downward spiral of homelessness.
How do we change the narrative? How do we change the game?
The problem is that when it comes to dignity, society has different standards for those with resources and those without.
And what we’ve seen in our work confirms that people everywhere will rise to the level of care and treatment they’re offered. This simple principle can and should be applied to everyone; equally.
How Does It Work?
It’s actually quite simple: we treat each other with dignity. We have witnessed it work for our guests.
We treat them well; surprisingly well. When we look them in the eye, address them by name, provide them with a warm shower, a plush towel, and some chill out music, all behind a closed door, something vital shifts. It’s not just what we deliver that matters.
Design matters. Relationships matter.
It’s the extraordinary level of care that restores dignity; that rekindles hope and optimism and fuels the sense of opportunity that is vital to stopping the downward spiral.
Imagine what might change if people turned toward an unhoused neighbor, rather than looking away, offering their own small gesture of Radical Hospitality; sharing a connection human being to human being.
