The Prayer Was Clear. The Vote Was Not.

May 9, 2025 | Allies for Humanity

Community members gather outside the City-County Building ahead of the May 6 council vote, holding signs that affirm testimony, demand accountability, and remind city leaders: Our unhoused neighbors are not invisible.

At Allies for Humanity, we believe in the power of truth spoken aloud-and in the sacred responsibility to witness it.

On April 16, 2025, families, youth, and frontline advocates stood before the Indianapolis City-County Council to testify about the harm they experienced during the 2024-2025 Winter Contingency shelter season. They spoke of unsafe shelter conditions, denied access to education, and trauma that remains unresolved. Their testimonies were not abstract. They were lived, raw, and courageous.

And yet, on May 6, the Council voted to confirm Andrew Merkley as Director of the Office of Public Health and Safety-without a single public conversation about what had been shared just weeks prior. Only one councilor, Jesse Brown, voted no.

This blog exists because moments like this matter. Because what happens inside chambers and committee rooms ripples outward into real lives. Because silence, too, is a response.

We're launching this blog by sharing a full reflection titled "The Prayer Was Clear. The Vote Was Not." It is not just a response to a vote. It is a call to conscience. A reminder that our city deserves leadership rooted in transparency, care, and courageous listening.

We invite you to read the full piece below. Let it stir something in you. And if it does-stand with us.

👉🏽 Read the Full Op-Ed →

The Prayer Was Clear AFH OpEd.pdf

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