Once,

People without a place to call home
Made us feel uncomfortable.
Not uncomfortable for not doing enough,
But a discomfort in all hearts when one looks away.
Once, we concerned ourselves with our differences,
Not the difference each of us could make.

Once, we called someone in the street criminals,
When the only crime was failing to honor the heroic,
And we left them unrecognized, without the gratitude of a nation.

Once, we were afraid that someone might get something
Without working as hard as we did—
Not how hard it was to find work.

Once you have lived without a place to lay your head,
How could a dream possibly find you?
Like piecing together clouds
As they dissolve in the air.

Once, we thought things had to be the way they were.
Why didn’t we harness the power of our collective will
And change the way things are?

That the world can be different.

Away from alcoholic,
To hope-aholic.

It is action which unlocks potential and the fullness of life.
It can turn what little one has into enough.
It creates acceptance
And changes stranger into friend.

It turns four walls into a home,
And a meal into a feast.

But it is a choice each of us must make on our own.
To be or not to be accountable to our internal witness.
What do we stand for?
Who will we stand with?

Your time has come to shine.

Once, we saw things as they were and asked, “Why?”
But the first step began when we imagined things that never were
And asked, “Why not?”

— Our Vision