Social service programs and systems help millions of our neighbors every year.

But many people are not helped in ways that are sustainable. Sometimes things go wrong; often, everyone does what they are supposed to, and some do more. But for too many people, it doesn't add up.  

The people who are helped the least are often the people who face the most challenges—the people who might need support and services the most. These are people who contend with violence and abuse, mental health and physical and addiction challenges, under-education and histories of court involvement, immigration issues and more. Too often, their neighborhoods lack decent schools, transportation, grocery stores, or other resources that many of us take for granted. Individual strength alone cannot overcome these challenges.  

Society and systems waste hundreds of millions of dollars encouraging—even forcing—marginalized people to participate, again and again, in services that are a poor match for their needs. What we get for everyone's effort is too often a revolving door, not lasting results.  

This wastes money, and it wastes lives.

And it doesn't have to be this way.

The real problem is that conventional wisdom about how to help the most marginalized is often incomplete, and sometimes wrong. Too often, what is valued is not what works.

We can change this. We must change this.