A personal message from Caitlin, the executive director
Join us in celebrating a new chapter in the Coalition's book. We hope this name change gives you a better understanding of who we are, what we aspire to, and our commitment to the cause.
Why the name change...
In 2018, the Coalition began drafting our
strategic plan (FY 2019-2022) and decided that a name change was a necessary part of advancing the Coalition's work and mission. The Coalition was founded in 1988, and has never changed its name before so we do not make this move casually. We hope this new name will be more cohesive, inclusive, and defining for all parts of this coalition.
Reason #1
Changing Lexicon
Reason #2
Definitional Power
Reason #3
Mission Reflection
Over the last 30+ years the way we as a society speak about people who experience homelessness has changed. We believe that the people experiencing homelessness are not defined by it; that is to say, a person's worth is not determined by their housing status. Referring to someone as “the homeless” is somewhat derogatory and fails to highlight the inherent worth and dignity everyone has.
We understand that there is power in the naming of something. We also understand that our previous name did not accurately represent the work we are trying to do, which is to end homelessness in Rhode Island, something which we think is very possible in our state. Will you help us disrupt the status quo to make this happen?
In that same vein, during the Coalition's strategic planning process we reworked our mission statement and vision. We believe that the new name, Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, now more accurately reflects the mission and vision of the organization, which is heavily committed to both ending and preventing homelessness.