Roots and Branches: Reflections from Donna Bullock (Spring 2025)
Every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., the Project HOME community gathers. A large group of people from different walks of life are seated in the backroom at the Christopher J. Seward Residence at 1515 Fairmount. They bop or sway to music being played by the host while watching a large TV monitor as a few dozen people log-on remotely in smaller groups or as individuals from community rooms, offices, or living rooms. Smiles fill the screen as folks log in. A few boxes just include a name, as some community members just log in to listen—muted and off camera- perhaps on a busy bus, in the office multi-tasking, or enjoying the sun at a park. The gathering includes staff, residents, volunteers, alumni, community members, donors- all together for 25 minutes. We call it Inspiration Tuesday. It is the embodiment of our beloved community.
At Project HOME, the vision of a beloved community is not just an ideal but a daily reality. Every day, I witness our beloved community in action. Whether it's a volunteer organizing clothes at HOMEspun Boutique, a donor bridging the gap to finance a project, or staff and residents holding and lifting each other up during times of loss, these moments exemplify the spirit of the beloved community.
Coined by philosopher Josiah Royce and popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the beloved community represents a society where love and justice prevail, and every individual is valued and respected. In a beloved community, our means are as loving, kind, and just as the ends we seek. For us, inclusivity, empathy, social justice, and unconditional love serve as the means to end the cycles of homelessness and poverty.
During Inspiration Tuesdays, we share information, updates, a few testimonials, shot- outs of gratitude, and if we have enough time, we’ll end with a joke. I am challenged to offer a weekly message more inspiring than the last. My nerves are set at ease by Mr. Stanley, a resident who faithfully saves a seat for me right next to him (I’m often rushing to Inspiration from another meeting). He smiles, in his army baseball cap and Eagles Sweatshirt, and loudly says with a slight chuckle: “Hi, Mrs. Bullock.” Announcing my late arrival.
Inspiration Tuesdays remind us of Project HOME’s mission, values, and beliefs. Our Mission Nurture team provides the music and the snacks—and runs through a list of upcoming events for staff and residents. Our advocacy team may provide a legislative update or encourage community members to register to vote. People share accomplishments—we celebrate. People share losses- we pour into them and offer a shoulder. Collectively we recommit to our vision: None of us our home, until all of us are home.
This is community. This is our beloved community. Drawing from it, protecting it, and building it is a necessary priority to continue the mission. As I reflect on the future of Project HOME, I am filled with optimism and hope. I believe that the beloved community model is not only effective but essential for addressing the ongoing crisis of homelessness in a changing economic and political landscape. Now more than ever, our beloved community is our means to influence policy, to drive resources, to help others on their journey home, and to ultimately solve homelessness.
