When the Famvin Homeless Alliance was created in 2017, we could not have imagined where we would be only two years later. By 2019, we had developed a website and social media platforms, published materials on Vincentian spirituality, started a process to collect information on global Vincentian homelessness engagement, brought together over 100 people for a conference in Rome and launched a global campaign to end homelessness in all of the 156 countries in which the Vincentian Family works.
As exciting as these development were; they also taught us a lot. And so we used the beginning of 2019 to reflect about what had been achieved, the feedback we had received and what we would want to focus on moving forward. These reflections were brought together in the FHA’s Strategic Plan 2019-2021 and will thus shape our work over the next few years.
The Strategic Plan is built on our paramount commitment to the Vincentian values – they are the main driver of our work and we are committed to transfer them into all of our activities. We believe that the Vincentian dedication towards the poorest of the poor and the devotion, perseverance and creativity with which work is carried out are not only a great source of inspiration but also a source of knowledge. The Strategy therefore explicitly focuses on local expertise and local solutions and their application to the global stage through collaboration.
This commitment to local knowledge and solutions is reflected in all of the three key activities that the FHA is carrying out to support the Vincentian Family’s service to homeless people:
- Sharing of knowledge, both practical and spiritual, within the Family
- Aiding the growth of new services for homeless people through collaboration
- Advocacy, both globally and locally, to promote systemic change
The Strategic Plan 2019-2021 aims to multiply the impact of these activities by focusing on actions that will help us to better understand what is currently done across the Vincentian Family – including the development of a network of Ambassadors to increase our reach; provide opportunities to learn about “homelessness in its many guises”; improve and transform the lives of homeless people across the world; and encourage structural changes both locally and globally.
We are excited about the journey that lies ahead and encouraged by the many Vincentians who have already joined us. We invite you to become a member of the Famvin Homeless Alliance; to let us know what you are doing in your country; to talk to us about what we could do to help you; and to become part of this global movement to end homelessness.
The poor are our masters. If we listen, and if we make their voice heard, we will change lives.
Read our Strategic Plan on our website or download it on PDF.
Source: https://vfhomelessalliance.org/
