Rainbow Village campus.
By Melanie Conner
CEO, Rainbow Village
DULUTH, Ga. | As the children of Rainbow Village prepare for their “back-to-school” return, I am reminded of countless school years from my own childhood. I fondly remember the classes and teachers that I loved, as well as those courses I did not love. I recall thinking “when on Earth will I ever need to use algebra or geometry in real life?”
Conner
And while I do not in fact apply either of those mathematical disciplines in my everyday world today, I have since learned that there have been occasions to apply many other lessons learned – even though those opportunities did not present themselves until much later. I have also discovered that we don’t have to be “matriculated” in a school program in order to learn. Because the world around us is constantly changing and new experiences present new opportunities to enhance our understanding, I have wholeheartedly embraced my role as a lifelong learner, and I never hesitate to encourage the same in others.
When families experiencing homelessness apply for residency at Rainbow Village, they are “matriculating” in a program that inspires a willingness to become resourceful lifelong learners. While simultaneously learning to deal with the trauma of having been homeless, they learn key competencies in the areas of family stability, well-being, financial management, education and training, and employment and career.
Of course, trauma doesn’t magically disappear just because we provide them with a roof over their head. New coping skills are required as new experiences present themselves. The true test comes when they leave the safety net and program of the village and begin applying the knowledge they acquired into practice in a new environment. We urge all graduates of our program to continue to learn and grow in exciting and healthy new directions beyond the borders of our Village.Talking recently with a Rainbow Village alum, she shared her joy about her new accomplishment of owning a home, but made clear that it was not without its difficulties. As if being a homeowner and a single mom in a challenging economic environment wasn’t difficult enough, a minor plumbing issue in her new home was a curveball she hadn’t seen coming. Instead of panicking, she educated herself online on how to solve the problem and avoided a costly bill from a plumber. I could see her sense of self-pride during our time together!
The encouragement of a willingness to learn isn’t limited to the families we serve. It’s something I ask of my team, as well, as we continue to evolve our program to be the best it can possibly be – making big strides towards ending homelessness… one family at a time.
On August 1, we welcomed Randy Redner to our team as chief of strategy and philanthropy officer. There will be endless opportunities for us to learn from one another, brainstorm exciting new ideas together and continue to pave the path forward for Rainbow Village and the families we serve.
We also welcome the opportunity to educate others in our community who express an interest in learning more about the Rainbow Village program. If you’d like to tour our facilities or wish to have a more hands-on experience as a volunteer, we’d love to have you! To schedule a tour or inquire about volunteer opportunities, contact community engagement coordinator, Brittany Lowe, at blowe@rainbowvillage.org.
If your child is returning to school this month, we wish them a happy and impactful school year! May they, too, be inspired to become lifelong learners!
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