Taking Tangible Action
Beacon Now Attendee Spotlight. Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist
“The best thing you can do is to get involved in something bigger than yourself. Do something worthwhile for you and your community.”
Change happens when individuals come together. Tom Ruffaner from Living Table United Church of Christ in Minneapolis knows this to be true. As a frequent attendee of our Beacon Now: Weekly Virtual Tours, he is engaging with the innerworkings of our mission and growing as an advocate along the way.
“I feel energized by things that are tangible and actionable,” Tom exclaimed. “I am someone who really loves engaging with the great work done at Beacon. It’s a joy to hear updates on what we’re working on together and learning how I can take action now.”
“At Beacon, we’re working to build a movement that stands up as one to say that it’s inexcusable in our society that anyone is experiencing homelessness or housing instability,” asserted Craig Freeman, Beacon’s Community Connections Manager. “It’s vital to share Beacon’s mission and vision with everyone we can, and then invite them to get involved in a way that works for them. That’s what we do with Beacon Now.”
Beacon Now: Weekly Virtual Tours is a touch point for new and seasoned advocates alike. As we invite individuals to get involved in anyway that works for them, attendees like Tom are able to grow in their advocacy. Before his congregation joined with Beacon three years ago, Tom had a background in home.
“Having been a renter for a long time, I know firsthand just how on the edge many families are. In my professional life I majored in Urban Studies and even organized rental property owners,” Tom reflected. “However, Beacon was really the thing that brought me into this world of advocacy and action.”
“I remember attending my first Congregation Convening in 2019,” he continued. “It was eye opening seeing all the congregations involved. During my time collaborating with Beacon, I’ve enjoyed working with others on housing and seeing their enthusiasm and perseverance despite the uphill battles we face.”
Celebrating the power of faith communities, Tom has seen firsthand just how far we can get when we show up for Beacon events like Rent Is Due: Day of Action, our conversations with state representatives, and of course Beacon Now.
“I wear my Beacon button everywhere I go and try to talk up Beacon at my congregation and local coffee shop,” he chuckled. “We need more affordable housing yesterday. I was at the recent legislative meeting where we spoke with Sen. Draheim. We need more people to show up and insist our elected officials live into their stated values.”
The first step in taking action is simply showing up. When more individuals join us at our Beacon events, we grow our power and effectiveness. Having attended over four Beacon Now sessions and even inviting new individuals along with him, Tom knows how important these steps are.
“The biggest reason people should attend Beacon Now is because it gives you this sense of having power over our current housing crisis,” he thought aloud. “I just love attending to hear what’s happening, meeting other people who attend, and learning something new about Beacon’s work.”
“At Beacon Now, whether it’s a regularly scheduled Wednesday or one I’ll happily schedule for your group, you’ll learn Beacon basics and go in depth on one topic,” Craig added. “But more importantly you’ll have an opportunity to get involved in an effort to create a more just, equitable, and loving society.”
From sessions on creating homes like Emerson Village (pictured), to detailing our policy goals with Bring It Home, MN and more, Tom loves seeing the multiple layers of this work.
“Beacon realizes that the problems we are facing are multifaceted. It needs to be addressed on so many levels. We’re solving it together. Beacon is on track to do something big for housing, and we have the chance to be a part of it together.”
“If you want things to change you need to do something about it,” Tom continued with passion. “Things won’t change if you’re only pretending it’s going to happen. We need to take action now.”
It takes a collaborative to see that all people have a home. For many, attending a Beacon Now session is their first step in creating change for their community. Join us each Wednesday at 2 p.m. for a Beacon Now session. Throughout the month of April, we’re discussing racial equity in home.
To learn more contact Craig Freeman at cfreeman@beaconinterfaith.org.
