On Thursday, Qiana called me.
She was facing a financial crisis and was hours away from ending up on the streets with her kids.
I first met Qiana in one of the weekly Speak Up writing groups. In the writing groups, people come from diverse backgrounds to pause, notice, and write together. Lots of good things emerge from those times: personal clarity, renewed confidence, durable community, and special friendships.
After our phone call, she sent over a writeup about her situation and a couple photos to help paint the picture.
We posted it Thursday evening.
Friday morning someone re-shared it.
Then a lady saw the shared post and pointed it out to her husband.
He called me and asked for more info.
I put him in touch by text with Qiana.
On Saturday they talked directly.
By Sunday the most urgent part of her need was resolved. Thanks to this generous family, she was able to relocate and now has weeks of housing runway to catch her breath and take good next steps.
The unexpected can happen to anyone. But having community—or access to community—can prevent the unexpected from becoming a catastrophe.
I’m so grateful for that moment two years ago when Qiana first walked into the room and sat down to write. We’ve shared so much together since then!
Speak Up writing groups make community, relationships, and connections possible between people who would never meet otherwise.