“In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.” ― Paulo Coelho

June is Pride Month 

As you may know, June is internationally recognized as Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, promoting inclusivity, and advocating for equal rights. At Mercy Housing, we strongly believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where all employees feel safe, respected, and valued for who they are.

Pride Month serves as a reminder to acknowledge and honor the contributions of our LGTBQ+ colleagues, friends, and family members, along with (or in addition to) Mercy Housing residents. It is an opportunity to continue our commitment to promoting equality.

Senior Residents Decorate Beaming with PRIDE Tree 

Built on the core values of Respect, Justice, and Mercy, many Mercy Housing communities come together to celebrate and honor Pride Month. Including Notre Dame Senior located in San Francisco.

For Mercy Housing’s Notre Dame Senior residents, June is a time to get together to decorate the community’s annual “Beaming with PRIDE” Community Tree.

Draped in many colors, the tree is full of different leaves added by residents. Each leaf includes words from residents that speak to diversity, inclusion, and identity.

“The tree is very colorful,” Notre Dame resident, Roseann says, who has called this Mercy Housing community home for 11 years. “The decorations have a feathery look to them. There are also round papers on which to place comments, which I like to read” she adds.

Organized by Notre Dame Residents Services Manager I, Jennifer Soto, the monthlong celebration also includes a PRIDE slideshow on the lobby television that helps to educate residents, staff, and visitors about PRIDE.

“The slideshow also features important figures who have contributed to the LGBTQ+ community,” Jennifer explains.

Roseann, whose daughter is part of the LGBTQ+ community, has marched in the Gay Pride Parade three- or four times and shares, “It’s important to project a positive message about the LGBTQ+ community, both here at Notre Dame and in the community at large.”

Roseann is proud to be part of a Notre Dame community that she describes as including residents, “from different backgrounds, nationalities, religions, and beliefs, living under one roof. We are a close-knit community.”

Become an LGBTQ+ Community Ally

We encourage you to actively participate in Pride Month activities in your local communities. For many people, Pride Month is celebrated with parades, festivals, and rainbow flags, but for LGBTQ+ people, Pride Month represents more. It is an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to educate others about issues of inequality and pay homage to the lives lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS.

In addition, Pride Month provides everyone with the chance to learn, engage, and support the LGBTQ+ community.

Read more: Our top-ten tips for being a good ally

Building Inclusive and Affordable Housing Communities

Our values guide us in our mission to build and provide inclusive, affordable housing for people with low income. For more than 40 years, Mercy Housing has dedicated itself to building and embracing a culture in which everyone feels valued, respected, and appreciated.