Soul care to the streets

Situated at the intersection of homelessness, poly substance use and survival street-based prostitution, Sacred Streets will be providing soul care on the streets and in the places where our unhoused neighbors stay or frequent.

This means sitting with people in their suffering and acknowledging their attempts to make meaning and find relief. This also means greeting their inherent dignity and particularity in every encounter, offering active listening, love, care and accompaniment. The only agenda for these encounters is to call attention, reflect back and be an empathetic witness who holds (with them) their own hopes for flourishing. 

Nourishing the Soul of social work, social services, healthcare, government and ngo’s

Grounded in years of empirical and ethical practice and held accountable by an advisory board of folks with lived experience, Sacred Streets will be developing and facilitating innovative, person centered trainings and guidance for the agencies, businesses and individuals who have contact with this population.

This includes emergency room and hospital staff, first responders, police officers and other crucial touch points. It also includes social service agencies, city offices, business owners, religious communities and neighborhood groups. These trainings and consultations will equip people to offer kind, compassionate and trauma-informed care on behalf of the most stigmatized members of our society here in the global north. 

The Soul of the Street

I truly believe that storytelling helps build a bridge across otherness. And building a bridge across otherness is exactly what we, as a society, must do before any programatic “attempts” are made on behalf of the precious other.

I want to be clear though: I do not believe in the notion of “being a voice for the voiceless”. Our neighbors who sleep outside have a beautiful, wise, distinctive voice but they often don’t have the privilege of stopping long enough to share their own stories, participate in the Marches or speak to policies.

I will never feel comfortable sharing stories until all the precious people I see and know who are othered in our society are able to live freely among us. But until then, I do my best to honor them, my teachers, and midwife only stories where I have been given a blessing.

I believe this is crucial, therefore I put my time and attention towards building a bridge across otherness in all things: presence, writing, speaking and guiding.