I talked to a friend about his thoughts on the structure for the proposed day center for homeless people in Greensboro. My friend suggests that for every day center task force member who is “paid to care,” that there be a member who is not paid to care, to balance it out. He suggested using the same approach for other committees working on the day center concept. He commented that he, for example, would have no interest in serving on a funding committee, but that we could find someone else who is not paid to care who would want to serve in that way. I agree with his ideas.
He also suggested making a list of all the things that must be done and then making sure that everyone whose name is on the list to make it happen actually has the time and energy to get those things done. I agree.
The latest news is that a task force will be formed that will be involved in governing the day center. A structure committee (on which my friend and I both served) suggested a working board with at least half the members being currently or formerly homeless. We hear that the task force (I think it’s kind of the same as the working board), as it is currently envisioned, will have a 40% makeup of people “representing homelessness.” But that 40% includes representatives from the homeless coalition and Ten Year Plan Task Force, and the membership of both of those groups is an overwhelmingly “homed” group of people, almost all of whom are professionals. The homeless coalition is largely made up of homeless service providers.
I like the “not paid to care” idea. I think that not being paid to care allows me to be more effective as an advocate for homeless people. It has certainly strengthened trust in many of my relationships with them. I like my friend’s ideas. I hope others do, too.
Update: The friend I talked to about this was Tim, but the person behind the “not paid to care” idea is Marsha. Since another of our friends figured out I was talking about Tim, he wanted Marsha to get credit, too, so both agreed to be named. 
