City Hope Friends,
These past couple of weeks have been particularly hard. Trauma has been heaped on top of trauma as we’ve once again borne witness to death, injustice and immeasurable pain. Many of us feel angry, overwhelmed, and discouraged. We wonder how to respond and what ‘doing better’ looks like. As a biracial Black woman whose life is intrinsically wrapped up in all that is happening and whose human dignity is part of what is up for debate in this country, I personally wrestle with the tension between lament and hope, wondering when - if ever - change might come. The results of these systemic injustices that have for generations disenfranchised Black and Brown people are evident to us at City Hope. These hard times have a face on the streets of the Tenderloin, in the eyes of our guests, and in the recurring oppression that tinges so many of their stories. At City Hope, we don’t turn away from these realities. We can’t turn away because truly loving our neighbor means seeking to fully see our neighbor and to fully see the world we all live in for what it is. To those who are hurting right now, we at City Hope see you and we are hurting with you. We will continue to work to address the hard stuff - the pain born of injustice - right in front of us. While City Hope meets basic needs with hot meals, groceries, and, in these COVID-19 times, masks, our organization has always existed to meet the fundamental human need for community and belonging. We all need a place where we are seen, heard, and believed. Going forward we will bring you deeper into the City Hope journey. Watch this space for continued stories ‘from the field’ - the stories of our guests, in their own words - as well as resources and personal reflections on justice, equity and the intertwined systemic issues that so deeply impact us. We invite you to learn and understand alongside us, and are grateful to be in this together with you. Peace, Pastor Sally Co-Director, City Hope
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