This week was a meeting week for me—lots of time spent
explaining what Hope House does and how we do it. Somewhere in the middle of
explaining it all to others, it became clearer to me. So here is my explanation
of what we are, as well as my “ah-ha!” moment.
First, do you realize that Hope House is a social service
agency unto itself? A very successful one at that—although we are always trying
to work our way out of a job! So, in explaining that we are a “Basic Needs
Provider” in our community, it became necessary to explain what a basic need
is. In 1943, Abraham Maslow defined a pyramidal structure of human needs, with
the most basic on the bottom of the pyramid. Hope House meets these needs from
the bottom level:
1.
Food
2.
Clothing3. Hygienic assistance
Simple, right? It is simple looking at it that way; however,
Hope House meets needs way further up the pyramid than this. From the safety
level, we meet the need of resources. One more level up, we offer friendship
and sense of belonging to a family community. Finally, at Hope House we offer
respect, we encourage confidence and achievement and we attempt to boost
self-esteem.
So back to my moment—who is to say which human need is the
most important? Does it truly matter where on the pyramid you are working at
any given time? Or is your most pressing need your most basic need today?
Within the first year of opening Hope House, we had a young homeless
man arrive needing some food and clothing. The next time he came in, we
remembered his name and greeted him with a smile. Within a couple of weeks, Michael
was stopping by every day, usually just poking his head in and looking at us. When
I asked him why he was doing this without receiving services, his response was:
“I just need to hear someone say my name once in a while so that I know I am
still here.”
Basic needs aren’t always tangible items.