Remembering Father Bill

I saw in the Boston Globe this morning that Father Bill, a local champion for ending homelessness, passed away late last week. While I didn't know Father Bill personally, his work is something I have tremendous respect for. He served as the priest at St. John's in Quincy for 18 years, and while there experienced more and more people coming to him for help finding housing. In response, Father Bill took on this challenge and in 1984 started the Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition, better known as Father Bill's Place.

Father Bill's merged with MainSpring in 2007, and the new entity (Father Bills & MainSpring) is a valued United Way partner. They serve much of the South Shore, and have guided the region towards a Housing First model that is very much in line with Father Bill's original premise of bringing dignity to those without homes and ensuring everyone has a safe place to call home. I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the dedication and selflessness exhibited by Father Bill and ask that any readers consider how they can build on the work that he and others like him started.