No Impact Man

I recently watched a movie called No Impact Man, a documentary about a man, his wife and young daughter who live in New York City that, over the course of a year, work to reduce their environmental impact to zero. The family implemented new ways to reduce their impact in phases, starting with not using an carbon-emitting modes of transportation; no cars, trains, buses, elevators even! Because most of our food travels over 1,500 miles before it gets to our homes, they avoided grocery stores and restaurants and only ate food from farmers markets that was grown within 250 miles of their home.

After six months of their experiment, the Beavans even cut out electricity from their daily lives in their apartment!!! For the remaining six months, they used their gas stove to cook, read and ate by candlelight every night, and used a cooler for their perishables.

Being a glutton for punishment, my immediate reaction to the movie was “How can I do this too?” My poor housemate was less than thrilled with the idea of turning out the electricity permanently (especially as we approach finals time). But it has forced me to look at what I consume and how I can not only reduce that, but how I can modify my daily living to make less of a negative impact on the physical world around me. This seems more realistic and attainable.

So before you shower me with accolades for being Earth-conscious (as I sit in front of my computer with a space heater blowing directly on my legs and I anxiously await jumping into my brand-new car to head to the gym), take a minute to check out Colin Beavan’s blog. Also check out the movie- it's available 'Watch Instantly' on Netflix! See what he’s doing and see if there are some small steps you can take to make the Earth better for those who will come after us.

A Brave New World Wide Web: Is technology closing the gap between the rich and poor, or is it making this gap larger?

Last Friday, the Franciscan Volunteers traveled to Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ to give a presentation about the Inn. Joining many other groups and students, the FVMs presented at a Ted* conference about how technology is impacting the guests served at our various ministries.
Since the mid-1990s, there has been a massive governmental push to head off the prospect of the ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor being exacerbated by the advent and expansion of the internet and related technologies. The government's hope is that by providing education and availability of technology to low-income children (mostly), a chasm will not develop that further separates the opportunities that exist for the poor and the more affluent.
Since we've offered free, unlimited internet and computer access at the St. Francis Urban Center, there has been little response. My theory is that many of our guests simply aren't aware of what the internet can do for them, especially in regards to applying for benefits, job searching and information gathering. In that light, the FVMs and I researched what has been done, what is currently being done, and how our guests understand existing technology and its ability to improve their situations.
The interviews were very insightful and ranged from people saying that they feared the internet to people who log on every single day at the local library to job-search and connect on social media sites. One young man mentioned that though he feels that internet is accessible to him, logistically it is ineffective because for applications that take 45 minutes to fill out online, the 30-minute time limit at the library hinders his ability to adequately and appropriately apply.
It seems as if regular access to the internet everywhere I go (though not on my phone just yet) is something that I take for granted. I also take for granted that every time I want a recipe for anything, or need to find a phone number, or hear something I want to learn more about, that I can just click a little button and I have the whole world at my fingertips. This concept is foreign to our guests and puts them at a severe disadvantage (of course that could be my privileged egocentric perspective speaking).
The project was enlightening for all of us, allowing us to confront our own privilege in relation to the lack of opportunities for our guests in ways that they may never realize.


*Ted is a Youtube-type site whose catchphrase is "Ideas worth sharing." Many topics and issues are addressed, ranging from technology to social justice to hunger and wellness. The website is www.ted.com, you should check it out!

Tent City to close in Camden, NJ

Really interesting article from www.philly.com

In a notoriously dangerous, drug-ridden city, Tent City in Camden, New Jersey provides respite for a group of sixty or so individuals that are making the best of their otherwise dire situations. This article confronts many conflicting ideologies of what the responsibility is, if any, of the state, the city, social service agencies, and us as humans in improving the lives of these people. There is a group of predominantly men who, for a variety of reasons, are living in Tent City. Whether they are choosing to so they can spend their money on things other than rent and utilities, or are forced into living their due to the lack of income and affordable housing, this organized and well-provided-for group claim they have everything they need.
For six years Tent City has been home for many homeless people, but in a week, they are facing eviction and the city is compromising by offering job search support, housing assistance, and in-patient rehabilitation programs. Their refusal of services is sparking controversy among many individuals who attribute their situations to their poor choices and that it is now up to those individuals, who are facing more extreme circumstances when forced out of Tent City, to remedy their own lives.
Working with the population we do here at St. Francis Inn Ministries, it is really hard to pinpoint a particular sentiment towards this type of situation. On the one hand, we surely would like to see them all recover and to be “productive members of society.” There is nothing we’d like more than to be out of jobs. But our main ministry is to be a ministry of presence, to be with people where they are and to help them to find grace and peace amidst their otherwise unstable and chaotic lives.
So often our egocentrism clouds our ability to really see what is needed and inhibits our ability to help. We allow ourselves to believe that we know what is best for others rather than listening to their needs as told by them. I’m not sure what the solution is here, but I don’t think closing down the one place these individuals call home and throwing services at them is the best way to achieve self-sustainability and reform.

Happy Easter!

Our community at St. Francis Inn Ministries wishes you and your family a blessed and holy Easter.

May we stand in wonder of the sacrifice and love poured out for our salvation and may we allow ourselves to be enrobed in God’s love for us.
As Jesus and his disciples followed God’s will, may we find within us the grace and humility to surrender our will to the will of our loving God.
Grant that we may die to ourselves for the salvation of others and the greater glory of God. Amen.

“Love and ever more love is the only solution to every problem that comes up. If we love each other enough, we will bear with each other’s faults and burdens. If we love enough, we are going to light that fire in the hearts of others. And it is love that will burn out the sins and hatreds that sadden us. It is love that will make us want to do great things for each other. No sacrifice and no suffering will then seem too much.”
-Dorothy Day