Today ... and the path ahead ...

Today I will pack up the last of my stuff from the office that has been my "home" for the last 13 months, and I will once again launch myself into the uncertainty of being under-employed.

I can look back on 13 months of having done something to address the many needs that arise from the poverty, homelessness and the housing crisis that is gripping Brandon. I've gotten to know the names and stories of those who are directly affected by these issues. I've raised the profile of the work of agencies seeking to help. AND I've taken time to understand the complexities of poverty, hunger and homelessness in Brandon ...

I wish I could say that the last 13 months have changed something ...

We've put new ideas out there
We've pulled together some new partnerships
We've started some programmes and projects that will in time make a BIG difference

But at the end of the day the status quo is maintained and the talk of "change" continues with little movement to suggest, much less indicate any substantive change in the way things are to the way things need to be ... the middle managers are happily entrenched, they back slap each other at the airport while heading off on their mid-winter vacations and BELIEVE they are doing "SO MUCH" to address the needs of the people ...

Meanwhile, homelessness continues ... the housing crisis deepens ... and talented, capable people who want to make a difference are simply walking away ...

I can fortunately look back on the my last 13 months and KNOW that I did what I could under the restrictions and limitations imposed on my position - AND I've been privileged to help bring into being several partnerships that WILL continue to help those in need ... and maybe that's the best we can do ...

Today is a hard day, not because I'm out of a job ... that I can cope with ... it's a hard day because after 13 months I've realized how entrenched things really are, and the things I've raged against in the church are equally present in the greater community and too many people of good intentions will simply shrug thier shoulders and say - "what can we do?" when they realize the levels of incompetence and dysfunction that operate in our illustrious bureacracies ...

One day change will come ... regretably, not today ...

As Rev. Jesse used to day - "Keep Hope Alive !!"