Engineering for hunger, health, housing, and hope

Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News had a wonderful column (Building on hopes) on Easter Sunday.  The column profiled Larry James, the president and chief executive of CitySquare.  CitySquare is located just south of Deep Ellum and Interstate 30 - -  a warehouse-chic campus in one of Dallas' most blighted neighborhoods.  CitySquare, the nonprofit formerly known as Central Dallas ministries, is building the Opportunity Center, a $12.5 million complex that will house one of the nation's largest hunger-relief pantries and a commercial kitchen that will prepare a million meals for at-risk children each year.

Engineering is dedicated to the principles of health, safety, and welfare for all people and groups.  My only complaint is with the word "welfare" - - we have a collective tendency to selectively focus our talents and energies.  Our historical tendency is to view welfare in terms of who we are - - and we are still mostly white, middle class, and male.  We engineer for the the middle class - not the poor.  We design and innovate for the middle class - not the poor.  We bring efficiency to the world of the middle class - not the poor.  We construct and build for the middle class - not the poor.  We live with and understand the middle class - not the poor.  We go to school with the middle class - not the poor.

As professional engineers, we define and measure "welfare" in terms of the middle class - not the poor.  In many ways, our narrowing of the word "welfare" has insulated the professions from our obligations and responsibilities regarding the under served.  What is truly needed in many cases is a more intentional professional purpose and response regarding the welfare of the poor and needy.

CitySquare provides a more specific definition and example of welfare in the context of service to the poor.  Their focus is on the four H's - - hunger, health, housing, and hope.  CitySquare provides food to 35,000 neighbors in the community.  CitySquare is a medical home to over 2,000 uninsured neighbors.  CitySquare provides permanent homes to over 350 neighbors every year.  CitySquare provides hope - - addressing legal, educational, and employment needs while being an advocate for policy and social change.  CitySquare is part landlord, homebuilder, real estate developer, medical provider, caterer, food distributor, and job trainer - - doing all of this in the context of the four H's.

In many respects, CitySquare speaks the language of engineering.  Mission, impact, root cause, efficiency, and innovation - - even the title of the article, "Building on hopes," are themes that engineering embraces.  Engineering has a huge problem - - how do we become more socially relevant in the context of the many problems we face in our city centers?  How do we create opportunities that value the poor and under served?  Can one engineer make a difference like Larry James? 

Engineering must have a shared vision regarding our professional responsibilities of restoring hope in our urban environments.  Easter weekend was a good time to start thinking about the four H's.  Today is a good day to put thinking into action.