“At some time, often when we least expect it, we all face overwhelming challenges. When the unthinkable happens, a lighthouse represents hope. Once we see it, it is of no use to us unless we stay focused on it and navigate with determination toward it. Hope reveals powers within ourselves we may have never known- the power to make sacrifices, to endure, to heal, and to love. Once we choose hope, everything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve
This quote from Christopher Reeve, after he suffered the injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down, gives some insight into why we chose the lighthouse as the logo and symbol of The Other Side Village.
For many Village residents, there was previously no hope. We felt hopeless battling addiction, carrying scars of abuse, stigma, and the trauma of chronic homelessness. For us, The Other Side Village is a lighthouse, offering hope to those in need of a home, a community, a place to feel safe, heal, and grow.
We Each Offer Light to Each Other
The Other Side Village is much more than a place to live. Our peer-led model means that neighbors are helping neighbors, friends are helping friends, and new neighbors are learning from old neighbors who have been in their shoes before. Villagers are the people most qualified to help each other work through the difficulties of everyday life because they have been there.
Each person is a light to their neighbor. A seasoned Village resident has already navigated the turbulent waters of coming out of chronic homelessness and everything that entails–they have found the path into a safe harbor and a secure, stable life. With that experience, they are now equipped to guide someone else who is stuck in a stormy sea into a calm harbor.
We have seen this work at The Other Side Academy, where the therapeutic community model has helped hundreds of students create crime-free, drug-free, happy lives for themselves.
A Different Way of Living
While choosing our logo, we purposefully chose not to use a house because houses aren’t who we are. Yes, residents will have about 250-400 square feet of private space, but the solution to homelessness is not building a shelter–it is creating a strong community, even a family. If chronic homelessness is the result of a catastrophic loss of family, recreating family is key to ending it.
Through this new family, residents help each other learn a different way of living that creates community and growth. Living in The Other Side Village is a major change for many and they will certainly face difficulties as they go, but they will be surrounded by a community that will help them succeed as they try and try again.
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