Thank you for your interest in supporting Minnesota Engagement on Shelter and Housing (MESH). We believe we need all of us working together to navigate the complexities of ending homelessness. Please use the form below to make a donation and support our critical work to that end.
Thank you very much for your support!
Imagine for a minute…you learn that a new playground is going to be constructed in your neighborhood— just down the road from your home. Exciting, right? Now imagine that you learn that the people who will design the playground have never actually used a playground before—nor have they ever brought their kids to a playground. What’s more, they plan to design the playground without any involvement or input from the neighborhood; no input to consider concerns that you or other residents may have with parking, lighting, safety issues, etc. Still excited?
This example is akin to the design of our homeless response system; designed mostly by (well-meaning) people, with no personal experience of homelessness. Increasingly, we at MESH have recognized that empathy and good intentions cannot adequately replace lived experience. People who have experienced homelessness know the nuances of seeking help and navigating the resources needed for housing stability. It is vital that those with such knowledge and experience play a primary role in designing the system. MESH is therefore working to develop steps to improve the role people with this lived experience have in designing and changing homeless response systems—The SMAC Directors Council is a prime example of this work.
As the fiscal host of Directors Council, MESH is working to make sure that Directors Council members are adequately compensated for the time and leadership that they bring to shaping SMAC’s homeless response system. With 15 Directors Council members contributing roughly 6-8 hours of support each month, the Directors Council annual budget exceeds $40,000. Thus, we are seeking your help. Can you help us support the SMAC Directors Council in the year ahead?
