Joy, Truth, and Gratitude

With the year coming to an end, we reflect on all of the ways that we have experienced joy and gratitude in the last year. Here at Room One, joy comes in many forms, but it’s almost always rooted in relationships with one another. That can look like staff collaboration, one-on-one meetings with clients or Room One supporters, board meetings, parenting groups, community partnerships, or working with youth and elders.

Our goal here at Room One is for our engagement to go both ways so that we are constantly learning from the community, which keeps our services and programs as responsive as possible.

Although there have been many moments of joy in 2021, there have also been many challenges. The truth is, there is a great deal of pain in our community. There is intimate partner violence, there are days when people do not have enough food to eat, there are people who experience mental health challenges, and many of our neighbors do not have stable housing. To these folks I say, we see you, we hear you, we are here for you and you teach us incredible self-determination, dignity and resiliency every day.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are different from my own.” - Audre Lorde

As a diverse community with different needs, we resonate with Ms. Lorde. So it is that we enter into 2022 excited for all the year will bring us. We enter 2022 strong in our commitment and desire to continue working together, listening to one another, and caring for one another so that we can all be free. We invite you to join us in this commitment.

Our deepest gratitude with all of you who shared what you could this year, whether that was time, financial support, kind words, allyship, and so much more. You are truly part of what we do.

Blessings/Bendiciones,
Kat Goering, Executive Director