This past year has been among the busiest, and least boring, ever. As we prepared for the renovations of our Drop-in & Resource Center, we moved our day-program over to the Church of St. Paul & St. James (temporarily) and our administrative offices over to East Street (permanently). We onboarded new outreach staff and expanded our services for people who are unsheltered and use drugs. We created new staff positions explicitly for those with lived expertise, in line with best practices.  We deepened our relationships with long-time partners, like Cornell Scott Hill Health Center by signing a multiyear agreement to house their Homeless Healthcare Medical Clinic at 266 State Street.  

By all measures, DESK is a stronger and healthier organization than we have ever been in our four-decade history; we are having a greater impact in the lives of New Haven’s most vulnerable residents than was ever imagined.  And despite our growth, we have remained true to our grassroots and community-based values by building an even bigger tent of supporters and volunteers, and bridging the divide between those we serve and the broader community.  I have never been more proud of this organization, our staff, our volunteers and interns, our Board, and everyone who has felt drawn to our mission of service.

But let’s be clear: things are not alright.  There are more people living on the streets of New Haven—as in many cities across this country—than have been at any time in the last two decades.  There are not nearly enough affordable housing units, shelter beds, outreach workers, or drop-in centers for those in need.  The very existence of those we serve is under attack, as our cities have been emboldened to criminalize homelessness.  Meanwhile, the modest gains we’ve made in combating the opioid crisis through evidence-based harm reduction strategies are threatened by a likely return to the failed enforcement approach of a previous generation. The public funding that supported best practices, compassionate care, and stabilizing lives over the last four years—and enabled DESK’s ability to respond to the need—has dried up.

To sustain what we have built and fulfill our mission, DESK must remain true to our roots as an organization that responds to, relies on, and is led by you: our community. To serve those most in need will require our community to embrace DESK’s compassionate and empathetic approach that prioritizes stability, seeks solutions, and forefronts the voices and needs of those most vulnerable. Thank you for bringing us this far, and I look forward to working with you in the year ahead as we build a better community for everyone.

Yours in service,