As we approach the 4th of July, I am reminded both of the significance of our original declaration of independence, signed by 56 of our country’s founders over 200 years ago, but also of the paradox of America’s definition of independence - both past and present. The founders of our country believed that all people (well, just white men really, but that’s a different blog) had an inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What is often overlooked in this eloquently penned manifesto is the word right. I understand a right to be something granted to you just by virtue of the fact that you are a human being. Unfortunately, these rights, however true in theory, have become privileges accessible to only a select few. For the young mothers who come to Almost Home seeking our assistance, this dream of independence and happiness has been held just out of reach - and they are striving to grasp it.
That’s where Almost Home comes in. For too many of our country’s citizens (our clients included), these inherent human rights are nothing more than empty promises. We assist the young mothers utilizing our transitional housing & community-based services to realize that, although it is unfair these rights have been denied to them, that it is unfair some are born with privileges which make the American dream a given reality, they must still strive for these goals because they are attainable. The road to independence and stability for our clients is never easy, but at Almost Home it is our mission to instill in these young women the courage, tenacity, and perseverance to overcome all obstacles standing between them and their dreams.
On this Independence Day, as we celebrate the brave step our country took to liberate itself from oppression, we hope you will also think of our clients and the courage they display in their journeys to conquer modern injustice and tyranny. This is our declaration of independence - “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the bonds which have bound them to poverty, insecurity, and dependence, and to assume the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and humanity entitle them, this people will defy the causes which hold them in this state, displaying remarkable grit and determination in the face of adversity, never desisting until their dream independence is achieved.
