From the Desk of Vassar Byrd

The feeling I had after going to the Metro meeting recently with 19 Rose Villa residents, is one of the big bonuses of my job. I hope that every one of you has occasion to have this feeling as part of this community: uniting on an issue or area of interest, showing up with all your brothers/sisters/pals, standing together, feeling the impact, and knowing you have made a difference. That feeling of harnessing the power of the group is unbelievable. The issue can be big or small, short-term or long-term, but the feeling is the same. The recognition, on an internal emotional level as well as an intellectual one, of being bigger than you can be by yourself, invoking shared wisdom and passion, being visible, claiming our space here together is powerful to me.  Getting involved in areas that many people write off as not worth it – government policy in particular – is all the more satisfying.

As usual, it prompts me to reflect on my deep gratitude to the people who have chosen to call Rose Villa home. This doesn’t happen just anywhere. This is how you lead the way.