A Place At CSL For Everyone

June 3, 2022 | By: Doug Cowan, CSL President & CEO

It’s not just a t-shirt, it’s a welcome mat.

June is often recognized as Pride Month, and Pride colors have become recognized as a symbol of welcoming and acceptance, especially among the LGBTQ+ community. This year, CSL developed shirts that we have made available to our staff this month. While they might be fashionable, they are more than a shirt for us.

In our work at CSL, trust is a critical factor; it is perhaps the most important thing that we have. We’ve enjoyed community trust for 106 years. That trust comes from showing up, being there, and doing what we say we will. That legacy goes all the way back to a young Bess Wallace, who would become First Lady of the United States Bess Truman.

It takes trust to open the doors of one of our buildings. We often say that we see people on the worst day of their lives. Their world might have crashed down around them, and we want to be there to help them move forward. But, people must trust us before they engage with CSL.

We cannot be too ignorant to think our trust extends universally. Within some communities, trust might be harder to earn. Why is that? Some communities, especially people of color, have very difficult pasts that have yet to be reconciled. Immigrant families may wonder if an organization like CSL would report them to authorities. LGBTQ+ community members may have dealt with stigmas where they weren’t accepted for who they are.

At CSL, all are welcome. We state that – of course – but we must be overt in showing that. This year, we have launched our Cultural Connections outreach. So far, we’ve honored and uplifted the stories of women, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, and now in June, the LGBTQ+ community.

So, I wear my Pride shirt to show, in small measure, that there’s a place at CSL for everyone.