History In The Making

Some of you were there. It was an amazing tribute to the perseverance and dedication of so many who believed in a vision. Believed that together we could achieve what many said we could not. As I stood at the podium that sunny afternoon, I was only able to get out: “Hello, my name is Ron Marlette,” and the emotions overtook me. Suddenly, the magnitude of what we had accomplished hit me head on. What we together had accomplished!

We were cutting the ribbon for 154 new shelter beds in Solano County! Not just beds, but the wrap around, holistic services that would guarantee the ability to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. If you were there, you too were gripped by the magnitude of it all. The President of our association said it well, “Missions across the country will look to Mission Solano and learn.”

What will they learn? I believe they will learn what this little Mission with a BIG heart has learned…and is still learning…to be successful, we must possess:

A passion and commitment to excellence, with a never-give-up attitude
An understanding of what REAL public/private partnerships look like. Real people embracing a real vision, with a real commitment to success.
The ability to admit when we are wrong, rechart our course and keep sailing!
A transparent, gut level accountability to being the best stewards of the support we receive.
Holistic services to meet an increasingly complex challenge our communities face.
A burning faith that is birthed in a growing relationship with Jesus and lived out in our actions of compassion and care. Realizing that if our theology doesn’t match our actions…our theology is worthless or better yet…dead.

These are just a few thoughts that come to my mind as I think of our Mission. All of us that day, together with one voice, we said loud and clear “WELCOME HOME,” here you will find rest for your souls and the faith, hope and love for your tomorrows. What a legacy we are leaving! The vision lives on because you have embraced it with us:

Our vision is to provide an economic and spiritual bridge for people striving to regain the basic necessities of life in order to restore hope in themselves and their future while achieving economic stability so that they are able to rejoin their community as full and active participants.

See how our HomeAid team made this vision a reality.

What a legacy we are leaving! Thank you for believing in us. They depend on us and we depend on you!

P.S. We hope you have considered us with a New Year gift to help us change lives in Solano County for a brighter tomorrow!

For the hopeless and helpless,

Ron Marlette
Executive Director