At the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, inspiration is not hard to come by.
Each day, I watch lawyers devote their time, skills, and expertise—their very lives—to end homelessness. They work with limitless energy and passion, inspiring me to continue the fight even on days when the scales seem to tip toward hopelessness.
But there is another group that inspires me equally, and sometimes even more: our donors. While it’s easy for me as a Law Center staff member to stay focused on the issue of homelessness, our donors work in a variety of fields. Their job duties do not necessarily compel them to consider the lives of homeless Americans. They could choose to ignore the woman on the corner who has lost everything and is asking for help…
But they don’t.
Despite their responsibilities, obligations, and thousands of good causes demanding their attention, our donors choose to invest in the well-being of America’s homeless citizens. They choose over and over again to listen and respond to injustice when many choose to tune it out. They affirm that homelessness can be solved, and that the solution requires more than the passion and energy of public interest attorneys – it requires resources and the commitment of everyone who refuses to ignore what is so plainly evident: homelessness is a crisis and a tragedy, and it won’t solve itself.
During this appeal season, I want to extend my utmost gratitude to all our donors, present and past. Thank you. Your gifts have impacted American homelessness law and policy and touched millions of lives, and your generosity and commitment to our society’s most vulnerable people are an inspiration to me everyday.
Click here to join the ranks of our awesome donors and stand up for the rights of homeless people.
-Jessica Libbey, Development Associate