It’s not just beds and meals. It’s civic leadership.

When a small band of Mercy Coalition friends began plotting the nuts and bolts of the Winter Warming Centers last fall, none of them were thinking about civic leadership.  They were focused on warmth, food and safety for West Sacramento’s homeless population, and how to make the mechanics work across five different church properties over 76 rotating nights. 

Thursday night, May 2, we were all reminded again that it amounted to much more.

The Mercy Coalition, its 14 member churches and its hundreds of volunteers were honored at the Mayor’s State of the City Dinner with the Civic Leadership Award for Community.  Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and mayor pro tem Quirina Orozco presented the award, capping a week in which the Coalition was also honored with a proclamation from the West
Sacramento City Council and a resolution from the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

At each of those stops, you – the earnest volunteers who form the engine of this remarkable season – were lauded for the inspiration you’ve brought to the city.  It’s more than a feel-good victory lap.  It’s the realization that faithfulness with a little … will open doors for us to do much, much more for the vulnerable and marginalized of our community.  And it will inspire others to come along.