The invitation can only be described as an extraordinary honor.
Representative Steny Hoyer, nearing the end of his four decades in Congress, personally invited LifeStyles CEO Sandy Washington to visit the nation’s capital as his guest at Tuesday’s annual State of the Union address.
A wonderful gesture from a leader who has been an incredible champion for LifeStyles of Maryland, supporting the organization at home in Southern Maryland and in the halls of Congress.
Of course, Sandy Washington accepted the invitation.
“The experience of being in the room — of even being asked — meant a lot for me personally and for LifeStyles as an organization,” she said on Wednesday. “To be sitting at a national event that represented our entire country, to be that close up and personal in the room was certainly an honor.”
She began the evening by sitting down with Hoyer and his staff to discuss the challenges in our communities and how LifeStyles strives to help those in need. She described the ways the organization is succeeding … and the areas where the vast need exceeds the available resources.
“Congressman Hoyer was gracious,” Washington said, “and his staff was awesome.”
Her anticipation built as she walked from Hoyer’s office in the Longworth House Office Building through underground tunnels to reach the United States Capitol, then navigated the extensive security check before finding her seat in the gallery overlooking the House of Representatives Chambers.
She marveled at the spectacle, chatted with guests sitting nearby, and prepared for an experience she knew she’d remember for the rest of her life.
She had come, she realized, seeking something she could bring home with her.
“I accepted and went because of all the things happening in our community, the number of people coming to us for help and the many things being requested of us,” Washington said. “I actually went not just for the honor, but for a little bit of hope. We talk about being able to provide hope for others when they come to us, and so I went to get my glass filled a little bit.”
Then the event began, pomp and pageantry followed by a State of the Union address that lasted nearly two hours.
In the end, did she leave with the hope that she sought?
“No,” she said.
* * *
It all began on a positive note. Washington mingled with visitors from all over the country — Montana, Texas, Tennessee. They were local officials, leaders in their communities. Many were also attending for the first time.
The entire group, it seemed, felt swept up in the moment. They stood and applauded in unison as military members and others were recognized for their service and for acts of selflessness and courage.
“We were all excited,” she said. “It was an honor. We were loving our country, feeling that shared excitement. And then ….”
Then, as the preliminary festivities gave way to the main event, she began to realize the vast disconnect between the world she lives in and the one in which she found herself sitting.
At every pause in the address, many cheered wildly. Others sat in silence. Some shouted jeers. Protesters were escorted out.
And the speech went on.
LifeStyles prides itself on being apolitical, enjoying bipartisan support from local legislators and strong relationships with donors, volunteers and community members of every political persuasion. The mission cannot be accomplished with anything less.
“It’s about the people, not the politics,” she said. “People who are homeless or hungry don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on.”
The address on Tuesday evening described a picture of progress that, try as she might, Washington could not reconcile with the reality that she sees each day.
In Southern Maryland, the homeless shelters aren’t just full, they have 300 people on the waitlist for a bed.
In Charles County alone, nearly 1,000 school-aged children are homeless.
Families have lost their healthcare.
More are struggling to afford basic necessities.
Former LifeStyles donors, who years earlier gave generously to help others in need, now come to LifeStyles asking for help themselves.
So as she sat and listened to the State of the Union address, Sandy Washington cried.
Someone next to her leaned in.
“Are you OK?” they asked.
“No,” she told them. “But I will be.”
* * *
When her tears were dried and her thoughts were gathered, what she came to realize was this: “Hope starts at home.”
While she is eternally grateful for the years of impactful support from Hoyer — and from other lawmakers, Democrat, Republican or Independent — Washington knows that real change must come from within our communities.
It will come from neighbors lifting up neighbors.
It will come from teachers caring about their students.
It will come from a kind soul offering a meal to a hungry stranger.
It will come from all of us.
“We can’t wait for someone else to fix it,” she said. “It has to start with us. Hope starts at home.”
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