The Power of One

A letter from Melissa + Bread Club signups

Good morning,

Mo recently talked about how our collective action is what makes change in this world. That idea is one of my favorite things to remember when I am tempted to lose hope. I know that if I do my part, and you do yours, we make a positive impact, together. 

“We’ve come to 
offer our contributions,
be they small as sand 
or fragile as feathers.
We will heap and stack
and pile on the plate
that favors love, 
the one made for us all, 
and it will happen…
the scales will tip.”

-Lori Hetteen

I had a good reminder of the power of what one person can do, when I had the pleasure of visiting The Beacon shelter here in Madison. I was familiar with The Beacon (in theory) because our church has a longtime partnership with them. But I never set foot in their doors until our staff team visited recently. I don’t think I’ve stopped thinking about it since. 

Here are some things I learned: 

• The Beacon was originally built to serve 140 guests a day, but now they see 300+ guests daily. The kitchen is TINY and they serve lunch every day.

• It is the only place in Dane County where a person experiencing homelessness can have a private shower.

• It is the only place in Dane County where a person experiencing homelessness can have their laundry done for free, any day of the week.

• It is the only place in Dane County that provides a mailing address for folks experiencing homelessness, which is often required to apply for governmental programs.

• The most rapidly growing demographic of their guests is the 65+ age range, and the oldest guest they currently serve is 95 years old. 

• Their volunteer retention rate is a whopping 65%, so their volunteers love being there, and it’s common for guests to become volunteers after they land on their feet.

The Beacon staff are passionate about what they do, and it was a joy to be around them as they talked about the ways they provide their guests with dignity and respect. Other than hearing from the staff members, here are a few stories that really stuck with me.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE STOCKER

Sarah is one person. She was a former congregant at our church and a champion for our partnership with The Beacon. She was a regular volunteer and always rounded people up to donate supplies of socks and underwear. Sarah passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. The Beacon was her place- her passion project- her sphere of influence. And her fingerprints are still all over it. Every staff member spoke about her with pride. Sarah was a shower volunteer- she would staff the supply closet and let people pick out toiletries before they went into the private shower rooms. The staff member proudly told us this was “Sarah’s project”, and that before she volunteered, the closet was a mess- everything was in a huge bin that the guests had to dig through. But we saw a closet that was neatly organized, categorized, and provided dignity to everyone in selecting their own shampoo. Every volunteer knew Sarah. I barely knew her myself, but the power of her influence on that space was undeniable. She left an impact- and it’s one that inspired me, just by witnessing the space where she used her gifts. 

Andy is one person. He’s a co-worker who started organizing a cooking project to provide The Beacon with lunch once a month. As I said before, the kitchen is TINY. It wasn’t designed with cooking for 300 people in mind. But when The Beacon receives a meal from Andy and his volunteer crew, they are so excited. The staff shared with us how much the guests love his recipes, and how impactful that one meal really is. Sometimes they almost run out of food to give… until Andy shows up. He would never be the type of person to seek out praise, frankly… he is super unassuming. But it was a gift for me to see him get his flowers that day. They were so thankful for him.

Sarah and Andy are people that chose to lean into action. They’ve made an incredible impact on the unhoused community in Madison. Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s a community that any of us could land in. The Beacon serves folks that work full-time, part-time, and previously had socioeconomic backgrounds all across the board. It’s especially sad to think the most rapidly growing demographic they serve is 65+. It’s simply hard to live in Madison on a fixed income. I could keep going on and on. 

In April, the profits from Mo’s bread baking will go to The Beacon.

If you want to take a step and volunteer yourself, there is a big need. 

• Shower supply volunteers (like Sarah) enable the private showers to be open to guests

• Computer lab volunteers allow guests to apply for things like jobs and housing

• Laundry volunteers clean clothing, so guests can feel confident. When we were there, there was the cutest pair of elderly best friends serving together. 

• Food prep volunteers allow The Beacon to serve lunch each day

• They have an Amazon list on their website if you’d like to donate material goods 

YOU are one person. Maybe your heart is stirred for The Beacon today, or maybe it’s stirred to another action. We need you out here, using your own gifts to make an impact. Hope is gritty, messy, tenacious, and worth it every time. Collectively, we will tip the scales. I love that for us.

Always,
Melissa

P.S. from Mo: Sourdough loaves are available to order right now for Saturday pickup at this link. And since it is the start of a new month, today is also Bread Club signup. If you know you’ll want a loaf every Saturday throughout April, joining Bread Club is a great way to pre-order for the next 4 weeks.