On Tuesday afternoon, top state and union leaders gathered at Harrington Hall in Cranston in support of the “Zero: 2016” campaign aimed at ending chronic and veterans’ homelessness throughout Rhode Island.

“All the work we have done for the past five years has been to get us to this exact moment in time, to the place where we stand today – at the point of our state becoming the first state in the country to end veterans’ and chronic homelessness,” said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. “We are a fighting to have a state that refuses to let any man, woman or child be homeless, and we have more hope than ever before.”

Harrington Hall is the state’s largest homeless shelter, housing nearly 90 men a night, making it a fitting location for the campaign kickoff. Rhode Island was one of the five states chosen for the national initiative, which seeks to achieve its goals by 2016.

Those on hand for the event toured Harrington Hall and met several of its clients. All the officials expressed their faith that homelessness in Rhode Island can be made a thing of the past.

“It breaks my heart to think that we have people in our state that have nowhere to go, nowhere to live,” said Gov. Gina Raimondo. “We know how to end homelessness – by investing in affordable housing and homelessness resources. We won’t stop fighting until every one has a warm place to lie their head every night.”

“In a state the size of Rhode Island, we should be able to end homelessness, and we know the solution,” said Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. “We can save lives, and what’s better than that? We need to make sure that government is working for you by putting in place those safety net services and programs.”

Jean Johnson serves as executive director of House of Hope CDC, which has operated Harrington Hall for the past five years. She said the visit from Raimondo and the other top state officials demonstrates how invested the state’s leadership is in ending homelessness.

Looking out into the crowd of men at Harrington Hall, Johnson said, “You are all generously supported. Our government is fully committed to ending homelessness.”

General Treasurer Seth Magaziner reassured those in his attendance of his commitment to making sure no Rhode Islander falls through the cracks.

The men in Harrington Hall cheered and applauded each speaker. One of the most excited people in the room was Lynn Loveday, vice president of RI Council 94, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, the largest public employee union in Rhode Island.

After a visit to Harrington Hall, she dedicated herself to helping the men there, and reached out to the state officials to visit the shelter themselves. She said Tuesday’s event was meant as a “rededication” of the effort to end homelessness.

“What got you here does not have to keep you here,” she told the gathered men at the shelter.

George H. Nee, president of AFL-CIO, praised Loveday for bringing the event together.

“What we are seeing here today is the power of one person, Lynn Loveday, who asked us all to be here today,” he said. “But we are also seeing something unique. With all of the general officials, here we are not only seeing leadership, but leadership with compassion. They are going to turn the state around, but they are going to do it without leaving anyone behind.”

One resident, John O’Reilly, 48, who has been homeless for two years, said, “I have been [at Harrington Hall] two months and have already changed my life around more than I have in the last six years.”

Although his thanks was appreciated, the goal is to have shelters such as Harrington Hall eradicated.

Ryczek said the event served to reaffirm the commitment of all in attendance toward the common goal of ending homelessness.

“We need to make places like Harrington Hall temporary, not where people live,” he said. “With this many suits in Harrington Hall, you know something is going to be done.”

For more information about the “Zero: 2016” campaign, visit their website at cmtysolutions.org/zero2016.