Movin' On Up

Moving.

Just the mere mention of this word sends people into a panic. This laborious activity separates acquaintances from friends and best friends from fantasy football league friends. No one enjoys packing the contents of their life into boxes. Its tiresome, expensive, tedious, and stressful. After doing some research, I realized there were no concrete statistics telling how many times a person moves during their lifetime. Most of the data (US Census Bureau, HUD, and numerous others) suggests the average American moves 11-16 times during the course of their life. Staggering, eh?!

Initially, I thought these numbers were too high. I can rattle off many people who have been firmly planted at their current residence for decades. My grandparents lived in the same house for almost 50 years with nary a UHaul van ever gracing their driveway. But that was a different generation. And as times continue to change (now I sound like my grandparents), residential longevity and stability are fleeting concepts. After a while, it dawned on me that I've moved close to 10 times already and I'm not even close to 'grandparent' age.

There are too many reasons to list that prompt people to move. Pursuing an education or a job are common enough and require effort. Transfers or military duty are other factors as well as retirement or simply wanting a different pace of life or change of scenery. And, don't forget meeting that special person online and moving to meet them. That always ends well! These moves, while difficult, can produce positive changes in an individual or family.

But there are other reasons spawned from less enviable circumstances. Loss of employment or domestic violence can also result in moving, and often the quality of life decreases. Not being able to pay rent or a mortgage can result in more than packing and storing boxes. The emotional toll suffered during these times can be devastating. Humiliation, frustration, and a sense of failure can accompany those forced to leave one place for another. Often, its most difficult for children who must leave friends and family to switch school districts and familiar environments. Parents feel the gravity of the situation as they cannot provide for their families in ways they deem responsible.

The responsibilities of operating a homeless shelter are bogged down with spread sheets, fundraising, legalities, and endless other types of logistics. But at the end of the day it all comes down to the fundamental issue of offering a quality of life for our residents that will help them retain the dignity needed until they can secure permanent residency somewhere. For every ledger filled out, or board meeting attended, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture. It is our honor to make the moving process as easy as possible for our residents.

After all, moving is just one step along the journey.