June 03, 2020

An Open Letter to Louisville

6/3/20

Maryhurst helps children and families facing crisis from all over Kentucky, but Louisville is our home. And Louisville is enduring a period of profound grief—a time marked by so much uncertainty around our public health and livelihoods.

While our community collectively mourns the death of Breonna Taylor, we're also grappling with a pattern of mistreatment and injustice that too often threatens the lives and safety of Black people across this country.

As a human services agency, we believe in affirming the individual worth of all people, which must include the right to wellbeing and personal safety. We also believe in seeking reconciliation between those who have been harmed and those who harm. This reconciliation requires accountability, a commitment to understanding differences, and justice. 

The truth is that our staff witnesses injustice daily. Our work is done in communities and with individuals who are exposed to trauma every single day, both systemic and interpersonal. Each one of our programs—from residential work to in-home therapy to transitional support—serves children and families impacted by racial disparities in health outcomes, food security, access to education and more.

So we are joining our community in raising our voice against the recent killings and acts of injustice against Black Americans. These acts have exposed fractures in our society that can only be restored through tangible, systems-level change. In our work, we seek to empower children and families suffering from inequities that have persisted for generations.

To our staff and those children and families we serve: our promise to you is that we will listen, learn, and do better. We will be intentional about reserving space for reflection and healing. We will explore the ways that Maryhurst leadership can use our influence for progress and solidarity—and to help families cope and heal.

To Louisville's leadership: we recognize and appreciate the steps being taken but understand there is much work left to be done. Let us know how we can help. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we want to be a bigger part of the solution.

To our community: please remember to take care of one another. Throughout these last several months, we've seen Louisville band together in unprecedented ways. We invite you to join us in our commitment to build upon the good work being done for one another. At the same time, it's important to remember that the events of this year have been traumatic and taxing on mental health. Your wellness is important. We have therapists who can help families. So do other agencies. We hope you'll find and do what's best for you, your neighbor, and our city.

In our Journey of Hope,

Judy Lambeth (CEO)

Paula Garner (COO)

 

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