We are a group of Ward 3 residents that have been brought together by Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) and Good Faith Communities Coalition (GFCC) to show our support for the construction of temporary housing in Ward 3.

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Our mission is to be a living example of welcoming the stranger in Ward 3. The residents of the District have made it clear that the closing of D.C. General Emergency Family Shelter is a priority for them. The site, the conditions, and the lack of safety for children at that location have been very troubling.  

Our resolve to address this issue is driven by our shared faith and the clarion call of Deuteronomy 15:7-8 to not only provide services to those in need, but to ensure those services reflect the inherent dignity of each and every individual: “If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsman in any of your settlements in the land that God is providing you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he may need.”

The defining marker of a community—that which marks it as such—is its willingness to come together when it matters most for its citizens, to rise above personal differences, and to ensure that each of us has a fighting chance to becomes our best selves. Too many families in our midst have come upon hard times without a safety net to not only protect them, but lift them back up. It is our moral obligation to work together to actualize a solution—one that may not be perfect for everyone—but at its core embraces those who need the kind of help Ward 3 will provide. When we do this we become stronger, more just, and more worthy of the very word, community.