We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Ball and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The Faith Community has both a responsibility and a right to care for vulnerable populations, It’s universal. Every world religion has a call to aid the weak in body and spirit. It’s out job. Open any book of any faith and it’s in there. It’s time we answer that call. The Faith Community of San Diego has never come together to address any of our social burdens as a team.

That may surprise outsiders. It surprised me & I’m an insider ♥

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
There is an opportunity for the Faith Community to step more boldly into social services right now and really lean in on coming out of covid better than we went in, on many levels.

One of those levels is housing stability. Just as at the turn of the 20th Century Churches built lots of hospitals to serve God’s people with medical services, we need to support our communities with housing and supportive services right now. How? By building housing on our extra land, supporting case managers for the housing insecure with robust volunteer support, and engaging with permanently housed residents in group activities to mitigate loneliness factors which can lead back to the street.

The low income housing shortage is the greatest source of unnecessary misery in America right now.

The housing shortage is negatively impacting lots of people – the folks that need the housing, the merchant class that needs people to have disposable income, which they don’t if they’re paying too much for rent, the local economies that could benefit from the construction of the required number of units.
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The Faith Community of San Diego needs to wake up to the power we have together. Now is the time to invite the public into a life of service. So many souls are seeking a sense of purpose right now. The most loving thing we can do is offer people an opportunity to connect in a positive, productive, joyful way. And get some housing built in the process.

That’s probably one thing that sets me apart – that I believe we can do this! The challenges are non-stop. But with God all things are possible. Or in City Hall lingo with God all things are feasible 🙂

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Week long – Restaurants: Brigantine Portside, University Club, El Indio, Hob Nob, Athens Market, Coasterra, Ruth Chris
Places: Balboa Park, Zoo, Little Italy, Torrey Pines Park, Central Library, Symphony Shell, Coronado

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
That’s easy. All God’s People. Every single person I’ve served and served with over my lifetime. That includes family, friends, colleagues, supervisors, employees, my Christian Sisters & Brothers and all my friends and family of all Faiths even the ones that say they have none. So many people helped me through the bad times and the good. And you all know who you are. Thank you for helping me stay close to the Lord in the storms. Through challenges I would never have chosen, But I would never trade what I learned. Lessons that moved life forward reinforcing faith. Love you guys! ♥

Website: www.upliftsandiego.org, www.yigby.org

Other: email: monica@upliftsandiego.org

Image Credits
Nada

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