Georgia Mjartan
When we started this monthly newsletter earlier this year,
someone brought up the idea of profiling staff members.
I resisted the idea, thinking most readers would be more
interested in the work we do than the people who do it.
But the idea came up again, and, truthfully, it was the
person who brought it up and what she said that made
me reconsider. Our team member had herself been
homeless—on and off—throughout her college years. Her
scholarship and jobs were enough to pay for school and
books but not enough to cover housing. Sacrificing
temporary housing for a permanent education, she kept
her clothes in a locker on campus. Her evenings were
spent on the streets. When she talks about her time as a
homeless person, she speaks of “living outside.”
During her time living outside, when so many people
seemed not to care, a few people gave her hope that her
life could be better. There were three professors who took
the time to talk to her and to help her through difficult