Words matter. I have seen firsthand how our guests at City Relief can often be described with language that would dehumanize and demoralize any of us. Let’s face it, the words we use to talk about people inevitably end up impacting the way we engage with people.

This month I have been focusing on employment and specifically on how simply "getting a job" when you’re experiencing homelessness is rarely as easy as it sounds. Today I want to talk about the meaning of a "living wage" and its profound connection to homelessness

Today, I’d like to tell you about one innovative solution to this problem that some companies are starting to explore and implement to create more equitable access to some kinds of jobs that don’t require specific training or experience: “Open Hiring.”

For the month of September, we turn our focus to an often misunderstood and overlooked aspect of homelessness: employment. The notion that all homeless folks need to do to get off the street or out of a shelter is just work hard and “get a job” and their problems will be solved is deeply ingrained in our society. Unfortunately, it’s rarely that simple.

As the seasons change, we at City Relief are shifting our focus to a pressing issue that connects directly to homelessness: employment. This month, we want to unravel the intricacies of how the current employment system inherently discriminates against unhoused people.

Today, I want to take a moment to discuss a topic that often remains unseen, yet significantly impacts those we serve at City Relief – the profound difficulty of securing employment when you're unhoused.

As we wrap up our focus this month on Access to Food & Basic Necessities, I'd like to delve deeper into the role of shelters in addressing homelessness and where they sometimes fall short.

We often hear about climate change and its devastating impact on our planet—melting ice caps, endangered polar bears, and extreme weather events. But have you ever considered how it affects the people who are the most vulnerable?

Imagine waking up hungry and uncertain where your first and perhaps only meal of the day will come from. This is the harsh reality for many homeless individuals every single day.

Living on the streets, in shelters, or on subways presents a vast array of challenges that most of us never have to think about. In today's newsletter, I want to shed some light on one of the daily hurdles faced by many of our friends at City Relief - accessing basic hygiene facilities.