Too often shelters around the country are known for being dirty, smelly, unkempt places. Often this is a result of lack of money to dedicate towards support staff and janitorial help. Missions and shelters are often placed in buildings that are aging and difficult to keep up.
Just as often however, it is due to the fact that we secretly believe that homeless clients don’t really care about such things, so why should we. Lack of motivation and lack of resources often puts the facilities into a death spiral that is very difficult to pull up from.
One of the primary goals I set when I first got to the Mission was to build upon our environment of excellence and enhance it with more beauty, design and cleanliness. Under the stewardship of my predicesors we were able to build and rehabilitate many of the buildings that now comprise the Tacoma Rescue Mission, but this isn’t all about new buildings. It’s also about having a strategy to make a statement about how you run every building you have, no matter if it’s new or old. Here’s a few simple priorities that make a big difference.
1. Keep things clean. REALLY Clean. This standard is so often lost in shelter work. With constant turnover and limited space, cleanliness is usually the first thing to go. Hold this standard high and you will begin to see almost instant positive feedback from your clients. Encourage them to be part of the solution.
2. Bring in a designer. Most communities have designers that would love to give you their opinion (pro bono). We’ve been blessed to have bunches of talented designers take on projects large and small to help us bring color and design to our shelters. The old hospital look is out…add some style and color.
3. Invest in art to inspire. The Bible tells us God uses the beauty of nature to draw people to Him. Yet somehow we forget all that when we move indoors and we begin to make everything utilitarian. Don’t do it! Add murals, art, sculpture and design to inspire homeless clients to seek God and find peace within your buildings.
4. Create a peaceful environment. If you were living in your car, under a bridge or in the doorway of a business how badly would you need a place of beauty and solitude to which to retreat? Answer: you’d need it badly. Let’s create shelters and Missions that let the people know how much they are worth and how much they are loved.
Watch this video to see me talk about Beauty and Dignity
Beauty and Dignity from david curry on Vimeo.
