On the 20th anniversary (or thereabouts) of TANF…

…I wrote this for Mother Courant, about Community Soup Kitchen in New Haven.

“Normal” America isn’t a small town of white people

In fact, it’s New Haven, says FiveThirtyEight. Sa-LUTE! While politicians and pundits argue about American values and what means “normal America,” most of them haven’t got a clue. Meanwhile, check out this New Haven-based photographer who does have a clue.

If you’ve nothing better to do…

…I’m speaking at the historic Trinity Church on the Green in New Haven, and I’m part of an awesome group. My prayer is that I don’t swallow my tongue or something, and that is a real concern. I went there recently to get a feel for the place, and it’s high church all the way up the …

Humanists do not scare me

Nor do agnostics, atheists, Baptists, Buddhists, Jews or Muslims, either. And they shouldn’t scare you, either. I wrote this for Mother Courant. If we in the Christian faith are threatened by other expressions of faith, or by people who t don’t believe in God, then our faith is pretty stinkin’ small. Onward. To a fuller tomorrow.

Dear Syrian refugees: Come to CT.

The New York Times carried a story today about a Syrian family whose members waited three years to be accepted into the U.S. The story includes the work of Chris George, and his wonderful Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven, which has done incredible work getting new Americans settled. The family, whose members waited in …

So I took a class to a homeless shelter on Thursday

It’s a public relations writing class (I know) at University of New Haven, and as a class project, we are writing an end-of-the-year appeal letter for Columbus House in New Haven. I love Columbus House. They’re a leader in preventing and ending homelessness, and an early adapter of best practices. They were a leader in …

They. Did it. And more.

The dedicated team that worked on the Greater Hartford 100-day challenge to reduce chronic homelessness moved heaven and earth and did some amazing things — but not just in Greater Hartford. There were similar efforts in Fairfield County, southeastern Connecticut and northeastern Connecticut. This in addition to the original effort in New Haven last year. …

A letter from a former Rapid Re-housing skeptic

You can read the background of the email below here. And thanks, Lou, for sharing this. Hi Kay, I was at your CCEH (Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness) sponsored Rapid Rehousing workshop last Tuesday in New Haven CT.  I was your “skeptic” for the day. Though I came prepared to leave the day thinking it …

A closet at a homeless shelter

Earlier this week, I took a tour of  Columbus House, a New Haven, Conn., non-profit that works to move people from the streets into permanent housing. Part of their programs include a traditional emergency shelter, where you get a bed if you get a bed. That part is always full, just like the other shelters …