dear mk community As Miriam’s Kitchen approaches its 40th anniversary this Fall, I can’t help but recall the events that led us to this moment. I imagine that when Miriam’s Kitchen was started in October 1983, the compassionate volunteers – who got up early to make breakfast and welcome people in off the streets – thought that this would be a temporary problem until better systems were built to address the root causes. During that time, homelessness solutions were focused on addressing individual behaviors such as substance abuse and mental illness, instead of the “housing first” model that we utilize today. The problem with focusing most resources on these interventions is that they didn’t address the root causes of homelessness, which include high housing costs and income inequality fueled by centuries of racial discrimination in housing and beyond. What we know now is that homelessness is a housing and systems problem. It is not about individual behaviors. However, we also know that folks who experience personal challenges rarely struggle to maintain housing if it is equitably accessible to them. When housing becomes unaffordable for those who are underemployed, homelessness is far more likely. Rising housing costs – coupled with discriminatory and ineffective systems – create further risk factors. Homelessness becomes even more likely when there are precipitating events such as loss of work, physical disability, and loss of family. The good news is that our systems are being redesigned to ensure housing justice. In D.C., this contributed to steady declines in homelessness during 2021. There has been a 22.1 percent decrease in chronic homelessness since 2021; and a 32.6 percent decrease since 2012. At Miriam’s Kitchen, we are spending our 40th anniversary embarking on strategic planning and advocacy work that will help us ensure that we don’t spend another 40 years ending homelessness; because we now know what we didn’t in 1983 – homelessness is a housing and systems problem. You can help us in this work by continuing to be the kind of valiant supporter who has made it possible for us to achieve program and advocacy success throughout our nation’s most worrisome time. Whether it is through volunteer hours, your partnerships, or your donations, you have remained at the heart of what we do at Miriam’s Kitchen for 40 years. We look forward to continuing to partner with you as we create a more equitable community where every person has a safe, permanent place to call home. In service,
Scott B. Schenkelberg President & CEO Miriam's Kitchen
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mk spring 2023 newsletter