Love... lived in service

The Very Poor In Need of Concern

2012-02-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Flush with victory after win in the Florida primary, Mitt Romney appeared on CNN Wednesday morning and said this: "I'm in the race because I care about Americans. I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there."

We here at St. Francis Inn Ministries are very concerned about the very poor. We experience them every day in our ministry. We walk with them and listen to their stories.

As has been widely reported, a full 15 percent of Americans live below the poverty line (which is $18,530 for a family of three) and 6.7 percent of Americans live in deep poverty (defined as half the poverty line.) Half of all Americans are either poor or low-income, living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Unlike middle-income Americans, low-income and poor Americans often do not have the resources to recover from any economic hurdles. Without any kind of savings or other assets, these hurdles can level low-income and poor households facing very difficult circumstances, even homelessness.

Earth Day and Good Friday!

2011-04-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

It is significant that Earth Day coincides with Good Friday this year. Our faith call us to recognize the presence of God in each other, Earth and all creation. We must awaken ourselves to the deep realization of our interconnectedness with Earth, and challenge ourselves to live in mutually enhancing way that reconciles us with all creation.

Fasting and Prayer to Protect Vulnerable People

2011-04-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

We don't have a budget crisis in Washington. We have a moral crisis. A large coalition of Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other advocacy organizations have announced a broad-based movement of fasting, prayer and advocacy called Hunger Fast. This action was provoked by budget cuts proposed by Congress that would disproportionately hurt those living in poverty.

Leaders of these and other organizations will be joining in fasting, prayer and other acts of personal sacrifice over the course of the next several weeks, and are challenging people of faith and conscience to form a "Circle of Protection" around programs benefiting poor and hungry people.

Go to www.hungerfast.org for more information and to sign-up for the fast.

From Ashes to the Font

2011-03-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

The call to continuing conversion reflected in the readings for Ash Wednesday is also the message of the ashes. We move through Lent from ashes to the baptismal font. We dirty our faces on Ash Wednesday and are cleansed in the waters of the font. More profoundly, we embrace the need to die to sin and selfishness at the beginning of Lent so that we can come to fuller life in the Risen One at Easter.

When we receive ashes on our forehead, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember we are people on a journey of conversion ("Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"). We remember that we are members of the body of Christ.

Renewing our sense of who we really are before God is the core of the Lenten experience.

Budget-cuts and our Vulnerable Citizens

2011-02-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

It's budget time in the halls of government, and everyone's talking about belt-tightening, severe cuts, and even the possibility of a government shut down.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would slash about $65 billion in government spending between now and the end of September. Budget cuts in the middle of the government's fiscal year are a bit unusual. This proposal is being driven by the class of freshman tea-party Republicans who swept into office in November promising restraint on spending. The government does need to get deficits under control gradually. But the 100 billion target demanded by Republicans is an arbitrary rush job to fulfill a campaign pledge. Also, the proposed cuts are lopsided against programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens.

The House cuts would include the following:

Head Start ($1 billion)
Job training ($1.4 billion cut)
Community Health Centers ($1 billion)
Substance abuse treatment ($200 million)
Community Block Grants ($341 million)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance fund ($390 million)
FEMA Food and Shelter ($100 million)
Title 1 ($693 million)
Community Supplemental Food Program ($26 million)
Community Development Fund ($2.95 billion)
Public Housing Capital Fund ($1.07 billion)
Housing for the Elderly ($551 million)

In addition several programs would be terminated.

Action is needed to stop these extreme and damaging cuts. The Coalition on Human Needs offers ideas to influence the Senate and take action against these cuts.

http://www.chn.org/takeaction/index.html

Some Happenings In Our Ministry

2011-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

During the month of January we have been busy with some events and changes taken place in our community.

Evette our new staff member at the Urban Center has been busy the last three weeks learning about our mission and adjusting to her new role and responsibilities. Also, the staff has been involved this month in welcoming a new family to St. Margaret House (permanent supporting housing for families). Recently Patricia and her two year old daughter, Georgia Anne, moved into their new apartment. Patricia who is 22 years old grew-up in a south philly neighborhood. In the near future we are going to be sharing more about the stories and progress of the families in our housing program.

On Saturday January 15, an event took place in the yard at St. Margaret's House to celebrate the mural and to commemorate the life of Charlene Nessler. The mural was done in the memory of Charlene. A group of about 30 friends and family members gathered on that very cold January day to admire the great visual masterpiece, and participate in a "Blessing of Peace Service." The friends of Charlene said: "they appreciate having the opportunity to participate in such a worthwhile, uplifting project and hope it brings joy to the families who reside in the house."

Mayors Report on Hunger and Homelessness

2010-12-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

On December 21, 2010 the U.S. Conference of Mayors released their annual report, the 2010 "Hunger and Homelessness Survey." For more than a quarter century, The Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our cities, as well as efforts cities are making to address these challenges. The report presents data collected on emergency food assistance and homelessness assistance services provided between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010.

Some Key findings:

Every city surveyed reported that request for food assistance increased over the past year, and those requests increased by an average of 24 percent across the cities.
Among those requesting food assistance, 56 percent were families.
Unemployment led the list of causes of hunger cited by the survey, followed by high housing costs, low wages, poverty, and lack of access to SNAP/food stamps.
Among households with children, unemployment led the list of causes for homelessness cited by city officials.
Providing more mainstream assisted housing led the list of actions needed to reduce homelessness in the survey cities.
Officials in 48 percent of the survey cities expect resources to provide emergency shelter to decrease over the next year.

New Staff

2010-12-27T06:41:00.001-08:00

We are pleased to announce that we have hired Evette Pena for the staff position at the Urban Center. She is a local woman who is looking forward to sharing her experience and expertise in our ministry. She will be starting the week of January 10, 2011.

Kensington Neighborhood On Edge

2010-12-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Since November 3, three women have been murdered by strangulation and at least three others have been attacked. The police have a description of the man and this week they released surveillance video showing a man who allegedly assaulted a woman and may be responsible for the rape and strangulation of others. He has been dubbed by the media and on the street as the "Kensington Strangler."

Two events took place recently that has the community together. A couple of weeks ago a vigil was held at the intersection of Jasper and Cumberland Streets, where Nicole's body was found on November 13. With white candles in hand about 100 people huddled in the chill night in a vacant lot centered around a make-shift memorial to Nicole. The memorial had been set against a tree with her high school picture, candles, and a teddy bear. Follow the words of family members and community leaders, attendees solemnly marched down Jasper Street to Kensington Ave in a showing of neighborhood support.

Last Saturday a community meeting was held to give people a chance to express their concerns and feelings about the murders and violence in the neighborhood.

The incidences of violence that is connected to the Kensington Strangler has left a real void and a sense of fear in the neighborhood, especially as the perpetrator is still on the loose. While the strings of murders connected to the strangler have received a great deal of media attention, they are connected to deeper issues of drug abuse, prostitution and violence within our community that does not always receive adequate attention by the city, the media, and even the police.

"And it burns, burns, burns..."

2010-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

The following is Fr. Michael Duffy's reflection on the excitement in our neighborhood this week...

10/25/10 Last night during Mass we heard fire engines, but that is not unusual. But they got louder and louder and there were more and more of them. After Mass we went outside and saw the end of Hagert St alive with fire engines, police cars, emergency vehicles and a huge orange glow with lots of smoke.... The former Cavco Co factory building, abandoned now, was ablaze, completely engulfed in flames and reaching 60 or 70 feet above the roof.

Soon the news helicopters arrived, hovering overhead.

All the houses were evacuated and all roads blocked off. The firemen told the people to evacuate but to leave their animals in their homes. "They'll be all right" they said. (I wonder what the SPCA would think of that?) I had to back three cars out of Hagert St so Katie Sullivan could get her car out which by now was surrounded by trucks and hoses. They hooked up to every hydrant within 3 blocks. All of Kensington was out watching the blaze. Huge billows of black smoke filled with glowing embers would shoot out from the building twisting like tornadoes at what seemed like a hundred miles an hour. Then all our houses and the Inn darkened as the power went out on all the streets. We stood watching for hours transfixed by the power and destructive force of such a huge inferno. Luckily the wind was blowing north. If it had shifter to the west, those embers would have fallen on the abandoned factory at the end our block next to Barbara and Karen's house. If that happened, our whole block would have gone up and we would have lost all our houses on the north side, including the Inn itself. It made us a little apprehensive.

Finally at about 10:30 we walked back to the house to find a channel 6 ABC reporter standing in front of our door. He shoved a mic in my face and asked questions. It was on the 11 o'clock news. But of course I didn't see it because we had no power. Today all our volunteers and many of our guests told me they saw it.

With no power, what do you do in the house at night? You can't read, you can't clean your room. You can't do your laundry. It was odd. I spent an hour with a flashlight crooked between my neck and shoulder and did desk work. Then I decided to take advantage of the situation and I went to bed at 11:30. Very early for me. I had to set my battery powered travel alarm to make sure I got up.

We prepared breakfast at the Inn in the dark with candles all over. Once the sun rose it was easier. But how to prepare the dinner with no electricity? What of all the food in the freezer? We opened no refrigerator door nor did we enter the freezer lest we hasten the spoilage. We planned on giving all the meat away to the guests during the evening meal. Then at about noon the lights came on, power was restored, and so was our sanity.

But all day long the streets were hazy with smoke and the smell of the still burning building. Sometimes it would blow in a different direction and sometimes right up the street at us and into the Inn giving us curls of smoke clouds wafting through the dining room and kitchen. It is now 10:30 the next evening and the fire is still burning. Everything is hazy and the air is heavy with the fire smell. As I look down the street, the firemen are busy with "surround and drown" the term they use for placing fire trucks on all sides of the smoldering building and soaking it with the streams of water with their hoses to prevent "rekindle."

As if Hagert St. isn't exciting enough, the fire added to mix. We are grateful that no one was injured and no homes were lost (even though this morning a insurance adjustor shoved his business card in my hand asking me if I had any smoke damage!). Please be careful with fire. Change the batteries in your detectors and be safe!

As an addendum to this, it has now been a full 60 hours since the inferno first began and the streets are still closed down, fire trucks are still a constant presence, and smoke is still wafting out of the charred building. Demolition is supposedly set to start today.

Job Opening!

2010-10-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Your (somewhat) faithful, beloved blogger is moving on to warmer climates in a few weeks. The blog will remain, but with my leaving, there will be a vacancy that we are seeking to fill. In addition to putting oh-so-much time, effort and personality into this weekly blog, the main thrust of my work was in managing a supportive housing program for single mothers and their children. If you or someone you know are interested in this position, please view this link and follow the directions posted there. I'll be singing my swan song soon so keep an ear out!

The Feast of St. Francis!

2010-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis! We can be grateful for the continued celebration of his life 800 years later and are truly humbled by those examples of humility, grace, and love of creation in our lives today.

Canticle of Creation:

O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God,

to you belong praise, glory,

honour and all blessing.

Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation

and especially for our Brother Sun,

who brings us the day and the light;

he is strong and shines magnificently.

O Lord, we think of you when we look at him.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon,

and for the stars

which you have set shining and lovely

in the heavens.

Be praised, my Lord,

for our Brothers Wind and Air

and every kind of weather

by which you, Lord,

uphold life in all your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water,

who is very useful to us,

and humble and precious and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire,

through whom you give us light in the darkness:

he is bright and lively and strong.

Be praised, my Lord,

for Sister Earth, our Mother,

who nourishes us and sustains us,

bringing forth fruits and vegetables of many kinds

and flowers of many colours.

Be praised, my Lord,

for those who forgive for love of you;

and for those

who bear sickness and weakness

in peace and patience

- you will grant them a crown.

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister Death,

whom we must all face.

I praise and bless you, Lord,

and I give thanks to you,

and I will serve you in all humility.

Health Care Reform TODAY!

2010-09-23T10:08:00.001-07:00

Today, September 23, marks the start of the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act. Six months ago, history was made as President Obama signed into action a step towards affordable, universal health care in the United States. This is the first of many installments that will promote general health welfare across the United States, helping to insure more people, to give people the safety net they need, and the opportunity to be advocates for themselves.

The first installment of the Affordable Health Care Act, starting today, will allow young people to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26. It also prohibits employer plans from withholding health care from children under 18 with pre-existing conditions. Further, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to drop people when they get sick. It delineates that there will no longer be lifetime limits on coverage (though doesn’t, at this time, prevent annual limits), and new plans must offer free preventive care. Lastly, patients with new plans starting after 9/23 will be able to appeal decisions made by the health plan to a third party, giving patients more of a voice for themselves and advocating for their own well-being.

The hope is that by expanding who will be covered and putting health care into the hands of those who need it, we will be moving towards a nation where everyone will be covered... eventually. It seems as if the full effects of the plan will not be realized until 2014, but the benefits to those who are currently uninsured and faced with mountains of bills are seeing glimmers of hope with the advent of this benchmark in Obama’s presidency.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

2010-09-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare's musings in Romeo and Juliet offer quite a point of interest for those choosing a name for a child, a car, a pet, or, say, a supportive housing program. While we fully recognize that simply a name for the house will alter the outcome of the mothers in the program, as everything else owned by St. Francis Inn Ministries is named, we felt compelled to follow suit. Most of our houses are named after people (Juniper House, Mary House, Clare House, Jean Donovan House, etc), but we wanted to name the house after someone or something that could be accessible to the mothers living in the house. And thus, we've settled on St. Margaret House, after St. Margaret of Cortona.
We look to St. Margaret of Cortona as an example of integrity, conversion, hope and strength of character. When Margaret was just seventeen, she left her parents to follow a man who promised love and security. For ten years, she lived, unmarried, with the man who was one day mysteriously murdered, leaving her to raise their son alone.
After being abandoned and forced to raise her child alone, Margaret returned to the home of her father and stepmother, only to be rejected by her stepmother, forcing Margaret to seek refuge with the Franciscans in Cortona. It was here that Margaret began a life of penance, simplicity, and devotion to life in servitude of God.
St. Margaret of Cortona underwent a significant conversion experience from a life in pursuit of earthly things to a soul centered on the Divine. Her radical shift from self-indulgence to selfless love and commitment to something greater not only gives us hope for ourselves, but for the lives of those who will reside in St. Margaret House.
St. Margaret is the patron saint of single mothers, as well as many other patronages. But for many of the single mothers that will live here, their character imbued with the desire to pursue a life of virtue, with little guidance or conviction to follow through, is common. We hope that by looking to St. Margaret of Cortona, the women that participate in this supportive housing program will harness her strength and spirit to seek integrity, conversion, and hope within themselves and their families.

2010-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

One of our guidelines for ministry here at St. Francis Inn Ministries is that “We seek to involve others in our ministry.” We typically have people calling, emailing, knocking on the door, sending text messages, asking if they can help, and often the requests far exceed the need. You wouldn’t think that to be the case with the ghost town that was Hagert Street this week!

Not only did we not have a week-long high school group (as is customary throughout the summer), we also suffered the blows of the last week of summer, drawing all of our regular volunteers out of the city and, presumably, to the shore. Furthermore, our normal Team of eight permanent staff members dropped down to just five this week with coinciding retreats, vacations, and side jobs taking them away from us! We were, however, blessed to have been able to call former Franciscan Volunteers and other long-time veteran volunteers of the Inn to offer their hands and hearts to us and our guests this week.

We’re looking forward to having everyone back, training the new FVMs, and the beginning of the school year, meaning the revitalization of our daily high school and college groups that assist us with serving the evening meal!

New faces, new energy, and the fulfillment of one of our guidelines for ministry!

Oh, Dorothy Day...

2010-08-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

In a recent article posted on CNN.com, Target was spotlighted for their endorsement of an organization that backs a known anti-gay candidate. The Human Rights Campaign has resolved to boycott the national chain until they revoke their generous ($150,000) contribution to the organization or until Target makes a matching donation to a pro-gay organization. It has caused a national outcry from employees of Target, individuals, and other small human rights and gay rights organizations.

This all comes much to my own dismay. I should’ve moved in to Target, or at least bought stock in the company, for all the time and money I spend there. But this is not a blog designed to rally people to support gay people, or even to get people to boycott Target; it is intended to bring to light those systems, companies, institutions that oppress or exploit people.

So where do we turn when we’re faced with social injustice? Dorothy Day, of course! She challenges this blog, yet again, with the concept of nonparticipation...

“Love of brother means voluntary poverty, stripping one's self, putting off the old man, denying one's self. It also means nonparticipation in those comforts and luxuries which have been manufactured by the exploitation of others .... If our jobs do not contribute to the common good, we pray God for the grace to give them up .... This would exclude jobs in advertising, which only increases people's useless desires, and in insurance companies and banks, which are known to exploit the poor of this country and others. Whatever has contributed to the misery and degradation of the poor may be considered a bad job, and not to be worked at...” [Catholic Worker, December 1948]

When we take the time to research what companies we’re supporting by our patronage and consequently what we're endorsing, we too often find systems of exploitation of some group or another. It is our duty to stand up for those being oppressed and the most tangible way to do so is nonparticipation.

So does this mean I won’t be going to Target? Yikes, but yes. It’s not that I have a strong belief in or alliance with the LGBT population, but I do side with the oppression of any individual or group. Therefore, the red bullseye will not be receiving any of my money until a resolution has been reached.

The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi

2010-08-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

We give thanks and praise today to Saint Clare of Assisi for the perpetuation of the Franciscan order after Francis’ death. If not for her devotion to and deep-rooted belief in the radical simplicity and corporate poverty of St. Francis, it is probable that the order would have died out. Below you’ll find a letter Clare wrote to her sister, Agnes; it is one of the few writings of Clare and continues to be a source of strength and support to those engaged in ministry.

What you hold, may you always hold.
What you do, may you always do and never abandon.
But with swift pace, light step,
and unswerving feet,
so that even your steps stir up no dust,
go forward securely, joyfully, swiftly,
on the path of prudent happiness,
believing nothing which would dissuade you from this resolution
or which would place a stumbling block for you on the way,
so that you may offer your vows to the Most High
in the pursuit of that perfection
to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you.

The cost of bread increases... now what?

2010-08-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

CNN issued a report saying that the cost of wheat has increased by 80% and is at its highest cost over the past two years. It goes on to say though the United States produces enough wheat to sustain itself, if drought-ridden Russia cannot provide the grain for the rest of the world, as it is most accustomed, the United States will then have to begin exporting its products, causing a price increase for domestic consumers. CNN posits that if the price hike holds steady for more than 20-30 days, consumers across the world will experience an increase in the normal cost for wheat-containing products, such as bread and pastries, a staple in many Americans’ diets.
In Victorian-era England, a demand for a minimum wage was realized using the cost of wheat to determine how much is necessary to most basically live at that time. The Speenhamland System (crazy name, legendary concept) created a base of acceptable living conditions and subsequently provided relief to individuals and families whose earnings fell below the cost of wheat. Additionally, the System instituted that it was no longer up to individual townships or parishes to determine individual or family eligibility of relief, but became a nation-wide accepted implementation of a general welfare system. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
England’s “cost of bread” concept was adopted by the colonies upon their foundation and is still used today, though solely conceptually, using basic commodities as a means for determining purchasing power (aka, the cost of living).
If the "cost of bread goes up," will the minimum wage increase? Will general welfare and SNAP benefits increase? How will this price increase affect those who struggle to make ends meet with limited income?

Check out the article on CNN here for more information. And the Speenhamland System here.

The Feast of St. Martha

2010-07-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

In light of the feast of St. Martha, Brother Lawrence, a lay Carmelite from the 17th century, offers a compromise between the busy-ness of service and ministry of Martha and the consuming attentiveness and awareness of God among us of Mary-

“Our sanctification does not depend upon changing our works. Instead, it depends on doing those things for God's sake which we commonly do for our own. Brother Lawrence thought it was lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end, addicting themselves to certain works which they performed very imperfectly because of their human or selfish regard. The most excellent method he found for going to God was that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men but purely for the love of God.

Brother Lawrence felt it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times. We are as strictly obliged to adhere to God by action in the time of action, as by prayer in its time. His own prayer was simply a sense of the presence of God, his soul being at that time aware of nothing other than Divine Love. When the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no difference, because he still continued with God, praising and thanking Him with all his might. Thus his life was a continual joy.”

-Fourth Conversation from "The Practice of the Presence of God" of Brother Lawrence and friends

Pax et bonum, 2009-2010 FVMs!

2010-07-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Summer is a crazy time at St. Francis Inn! Between our week-long high school groups, to the comings and goings of our interns, and the end of the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry year to the beginning of the new one, and the stale, humid heat, the only thing that keeps us sane is water ice (or if you’re a local, wooderice)!

This past week, the FVMs attended their closing retreat in Buzzards Bay, MA. They joined the other two FVM sites from Wilmington, DE and Camden, NJ for a time of reflection on their year of service and rest before venturing on to their next steps.

As they depart, Mary and Celia will return to the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry program (though their placement is as yet unknown), Leo will be teaching at St. Michael’s Indian School in Arizona, and Rory has returned home to New Hampshire.

We pray for their future endeavors and we give thanks for their gifts shared with our community!

The Federal Strategic Plan To End Homelessness

2010-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

By John Gill, ofm

On June 22, the Obama administration announced an ambitious plan to end homelessness among some of society’s most vulnerable groups within the next decade. The report was prepared by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The full report, titled Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is available at www.usich.gov. Opening Doors is the Obama Administration’s official policy position on homelessness. The plan has been shaped by the recommendations of state and regional interagency councils on homelessness, national and local advocacy groups, direct service providers, homeless people, and the general public.

The plan sets ambitious measurable goals that will be the key to driving progress. It articulates four major goals: 1) finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in five years, 2) prevent and end homelessness among veterans in five years, 3) prevent and end homelessness for all families, youth and children in 10 years, and 4) set a path toward ending all types of homelessness. The plan outlines 10 objectives and 52 strategies to accomplish these goals, and it provides an extensive overview of issues of homeless and all of the subpopulations who experience it.

Of course, plans are wonderful, but it is the implementation that will really make a difference. The Obama administration has already given some indication that it can and will make the necessary changes. It is good news having the federal government be an important player in the movement to end homelessness in our nation.

Ministry Update

2010-07-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

On April 7, 2010, as all living things do, St. Francis Inn Ministries grew. Br. John and I (okay, mostly Br. John) developed a new idea for ministry. We were no longer satisfied with the stagnancy of the Urban Center ministry, feeling that we were not making any sort of long-term change with the work we were previously doing. If our goal was to break the cycle of poverty, it wasn’t going to happen within the existing framework.

Our ministerial venture was (is) overwhelming. In April, we signed papers for a 3-unit house with the hopeful vision to fill it with single mothers and their children. We had been planning for months; making forms, program-developing, doing some legal and logistical leg work, and anxiously awaiting the day that we could get in, get some work done, and get started.

Some major renovations had to take place, such as a rotted bathroom floor, new tile, new carpet, and twelve rooms to be painted. April 8, we were in the new house, assessing the work, making plans, and bracing ourselves for our new titles as contractors, homeowners, and handy-people.

We both got to work and now, three months later, putting the last mini-blind up and sweeping and mopping the third floor apartment, we are ready to start our supportive housing program. Supportive housing is defined as “a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives.” Our target population is single mothers because we knew that by providing support and life skills to the mother, the child(ren) could be raised in a stable household, therefore breaking the cycle of poverty.

We’ve already begun this new ministerial venture with a mother and her 3-year-old son. We are all really excited to get to work; for me and John- to give this woman the tools she needs to make good choices in her life, and for her, to be in a safe, stable place for her and her son. Over the next couple of months we hope to fill the other two apartments and are energized by seeing our vision come to life!

Please say prayers for us and for our families!

"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart."

2010-06-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

I find sanctuary whenever I leave Kensington. I don’t expect to have to step over needles, see people passed-out drunk on the sidewalk, or break up a fight. And, gratefully, most of the time I am granted the reprieve. But the other day I was at Wawa (a Philadelphia-area convenience store) and greeted one of our regular guests who was sitting outside begging for money. He didn’t recognize me at first, but once I smiled, a big smile crossed his face along with a little wave.
I went in, got my Caffeine-Free Diet Coke and some cash from the ATM, and upon my exiting the store, I was instantly transported back to 2441 Kensington Avenue. John, the guest, was engaged in a tussle with another man who was taking swings. Amidst the blows, the Wawa customer was yelling profanities surrounding derogatory racist and homeless comments. To water it down, “This guy is always out here begging for money! Why doesn’t he just get a job!?” To be fair to the customer, John is always out there begging for money, but the violent reaction to a humble request for some spare change seemed unwarranted. This type of incident isn’t unusual, in fact, crimes against the homeless are on the rise, especially in our neighborhood. But I didn’t expect it outside of my community.
In typical St. Francis Inn fashion, I began calmly talking John out of the fight, hoping that I would be able to diffuse at least John’s defensive attack. Just as I started the intervention, a SWAT Team, along with 3 police officers (one of which that was undercover) came running outside and abrasively separated the two men. I snuck away, secretly grateful that I didn’t have to work through that fight on my own, but unsettled by the violent and harsh manner with which the situation was dealt. Suddenly I understood the value of a peaceful presence and the pacifistic way the Team handles such situations.
Maybe after 3 years, St. Francis has taught me something after all.

Locavores

2010-06-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

The average food commodity item travels 1,500 miles before it gets to your plate. From the bread you eat to the strawberries that top your shortcake, it is highly likely that, unless you went to your local farmer’s market, your “fresh” food traveled at least half way across the country to fill your belly.

There are many issues wrapped up in the way our food is grown, processed, managed and shipped. When we go to the grocery store, we don’t think about how, despite the foot of snow on the ground outside, we are still getting fresh strawberries or lettuce, or even though our local farmers haven’t even seen the ground since December. We neglect to consider the many additives that are included in our fresh foods to toughen them up for their journey, and we don’t realize that what we think are fresh apples or watermelon were actually harvested a minimum of five days before and are the social darwinism champions that have survived their journey across the country or ocean.

The “locavore” movement is designed to not only revitalize small farm owners and local businesses, but also to shed light on the plausibility of eating locally. Since the early 1990s, Americans have had the ability to get any type of fruit, vegetable, grain or meat whenever they wanted, regardless of the season. With efficient technology and transportation, we can obtain asparagus in November, fresh spinach in January, and green beans in February, even if it costs more. We’ve lost sight of patience and delayed gratification. Our sense of urgency and demand for satisfying our cravings is depleting our own bank accounts, but also the social capital of the United States. Our small farms are at risk of losing land and their livelihood; the carbon emissions from the distribution of produce are polluting the atmosphere; and the very soil we walk on is being compromised all for our taste buds.

For those with the patience to read, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver is an excellent memoir of a family that chose to become locavores for a year. It is informative and anecdotal and provides some personal insight into a life shift that could replenish what has been lost.

If you don’t have the time or like to read, “Food, Inc.” is a film that, less endearingly but no less informatively, exposes the globalization of the food industry in the United States and across the world. It focuses primarily on the meat industry but the gut-wrenching command for change is the same.

This is simply a broad brush stroke of locavores and the movement to eat locally. Do some research, discover local farms and farmers markets in your area so you can contribute to your local economy. It’ll take time and patience, but the pay-off will be big.

My Trip to Jail

2010-06-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Visiting somebody in jail always has a sense of excitement and anxiety for me. Each of my experiences have been vastly different, ranging from an “official visit” where I was allowed a minimally invasive search, unlimited visiting time, and private space for the inmate and I to talk, to being rejected for the supposed presence of drugs on my body.

Last year, my first visit to the Philadelphia Correctional Facilities was marked by a feeling of loss of identity and individuality. I was treated like a number, shuffled through and processed, and expected to follow the same rules as the inmates. No crossing your legs, you must sit straight forward, no touching, no jewelry, closed-toed shoes only, no revealing clothing. You are invasively patted down (sometimes a few times), drug tested, sent through a metal detector, and are under the watchful eye of the guard as you sit in a large room with any other inmate receiving a visit and their guest. “1072984, 15 minutes... 1072984, 10 minutes... 1072984, 5 minutes...” are warning signs that I will soon leave the cinderblock-walled, stale room, back to my freedom and the inmate is ushered back to her cell, left to absorb the visit as I may be the only person that goes to visit her this week, this month, or at all. When I approach the locked door, I give the guard an anticipatory look, waiting for the loud buzz and click to permit me through, I am patted down again, retrieve my earrings, nose ring, watch, slips of paper, and even my belt from the locker, and get back into the inmate shuttle van that takes me back to my car.

I can’t help but think that if that is how the visitors are treated, how are the inmates treated? Like criminals? Well, I guess that’s probably expected. But what is the rationale behind our prison system? Punitive or Rehabilitative? There are two camps at work here, that people have done a crime, they should pay the time. Lock them away, deprive them of every luxury so as to deter them from ever committing another crime again. The other ideology is seen as rehabilitative, seeing the inherent potential for good in each inmate and providing them with the tools and training to make better decisions on the outside.

Given my de-humanizing experiences, I would venture to say that at least Philadelphia tends more towards the former, resulting in shockingly high recidivism rates, 68% of men and 58% of women re-committing the same crime that landed them in jail in the first place. We simply cannot expect people to make better choices if they are not educated and provided the opportunity to work through their issues in a most therapeutic and individualized manner.

2010-05-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is Joan Chittister's modern-day version of the Apostle's Creed, re-vamped to appeal to who we are as Christians and what we are called to be. It's a bit long, but stick with it, it's really good!!!

I believe in one God

who made us all

and whose divinity infuses all of life

with the sacred.

I believe in the multiple revelations

of that God

alive in every human heart,

expressed in every culture,

and found in all the wisdoms

of the world.

I believe

that Jesus Christ,

the unique son of God,

is the face of God

on earth

in whom we see best

the divine justice,

divine mercy,

and divine compassion

to which we are called.

I believe in the Christ

who is One in being with the Creator

and who shows us the presence of God

in everything that is

and calls out the sacred in ourselves.

I believe in Jesus, the Christ,

who leads us to the fullness

of human stature,

to what we were meant to become

before all time

and for all other things that were made.

Through Christ

we become new people,

called beyond the consequences

of our brokenness

and lifted to the fullness of life.

By the power of the Holy Spirit

he was born of the woman Mary,

pure in soul

and single-hearted--

a sign to the ages

of the exalted place

of womankind

in the divine plan

of human salvation.

He grew as we grow

through all the stages of life.

He lived as we live

prey to the pressures of evil

and intent on the good.

He broke no bonds with the world

to which we was bound,

He sinned not.

He never strayed from the mind of God.

He showed us the Way,

lived it for us,

suffered from it,

and died because of it

so that we might live

with new heart,

new mind,

and new strength

despite all the death

to which we are daily subjected.

For our sake

and for the sake of eternal Truth

he was hounded

harassed

and executed

by those

who were their own gods

and who valued the sacred

in no other.

He suffered so that we might realize

that the spirit in us

can never be killed

whatever price we have to pay

for staying true to the mind of God.

He died

but did not die

because he lives in us

still.

“On the third day” in the tomb

he rose again

in those he left behind

and in each of us as well

to live in hearts

that will not succumb

to the enemies of life.

He changed all of life

for all of us thereafter.

He ascended into the life of God

and waits there

for our own ascension

to the life beyond life.

He waits there,

judging what has gone before

and what is yet to come

against unending values

and, in behalf of eternal virtue,

for the time when all of life

will be gathered into God,

full of life and light,

steeped in truth.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the breath of God

on earth,

who keeps the Christ vision present

to souls yet in darkness,

gives life

even to hearts now blind.

Infuses energy

into spirits yet weary, isolated,

searching and confused.

The spirit has spoken

to the human heart

through the prophets

and gives me meaning

to the Word

throughout time.

I believe in one

holy and universal church.

Bound together by the holiness of creation

and the holiness of hearts forever true.

I acknowledge the need

to be freed from the compulsions

of my disordered life

and my need for forgiveness

in face of frailty.

I look for life eternal

in ways I cannot dream

and trust

that creation goes on creating

in this world

and in us

forever.

Amen.

Amen to creation, to the God who is life, to courage, to hope, to the spirit of truth, to nature, to happiness, to wholeness, to the place of women in the plan of God, to the Christ who calls us beyond the boundaries of ourselves, to forgiveness, to everything that makes living the first step in the stretching of the heart to the dimensions of God. Amen. Amen. Amen. In all of this we can surely believe. As God has.

In Search of Belief, Joan Chittister

“They didn’t have much to give except the name of Jesus.”

2010-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Pentecost

There’s so much to be celebrated about this day... the feast of the Holy Trinity, the birthday of the Church, the adoption of the Sinai covenant for the Jewish people under the Prophet Moses. This day, when the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven, it was made known that there was to be an all-encompassing and constant presence of God among His people. At a time when Jesus’ disciples and Apostles were still feeling the pain of Jesus' crucifixion, God had become present yet again in their midst. It was from this point that these men began their ministry, preaching the Gospel to everyone that would listen.

This same Spirit that ignited the Apostles ignites us as well. It is with the same blessing that we, today, are given gifts that will further God’s kingdom on Earth. It is easy to lose sight of that. We are so heavily laden with the guilt of our sins that we find it easy to create a chasm between us and Jesus and the first disciples. We think that God is working less in us than He did in the founders of our Church.

But Pentecost, 2000 years ago and today, is the day when the Holy Spirit descends upon God’s people and, with “tongues as of fire,” we are gifted with the burning passion to spread the Gospel according to the gifts we’ve been given. So today, the Christian Church is born; the founders of our faith tradition began evangelizing the love and grace of God. And we, as followers of Christ, are reminded to carry the torch of our founders and use the fire of the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel today.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’” Rom. 8:15

2010-05-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is the Gospel reading for today. I know that we hear it all the time and its ideas have been so secularized that it loses so much of its gusto, but maybe today, maybe in the place where you are sitting, reading this, you need to hear it once again. So take a moment. Read it slowly. Absorb the beauty, simplicity, and fullness of this commandment.

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.” Jn 15:9-17

Date with destiny?

2010-05-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard of the Times Square bomb scare by now, you should probably crawl out from under whatever rock you’ve found. That aside, the details are strewn about the news, journalists and Homeland Security are saying this is the most serious bombing attempt since the Christmas Day attempt on the airplane heading to Detroit. And the residents, tourists, and I are breathing a big sigh of relief that, by some twist of fate, this bomb did not detonate.

I was actually leaving Times Square Saturday evening at about 7pm when the overwhelmingly busy square block of New York City was flooded with emergency response vehicles while the many tourists that were enjoying the sights were evacuating. To be honest, I did not think much of the scene and didn’t even know anything serious was taking place until the next morning when a friend informed me that we cheated death. (Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not quite!)

When retrospectively faced with my mortality, I thought about what it means to be, unknowingly, at the mercy of somebody else, when your life is in their hands and you don’t even realize it. Daily we put our faith in the goodness of our brothers and sisters that we will make it through the day. We trust that others seek to do good and avoid harm, or that they’ll at least resist their urge to harm.

I am humbled (time and again) by what little control I actually have over my own life and what amount of power others may have over mine. I am grateful that my Pakistani brother did not properly construct the bomb, that the souvenir salesman immediately notified the authorities when he saw smoke coming from the car, and that the emergency response personnel acted in a swift manner to eliminate any potential harm. And again, we put our lives in the hands of others whom we may never meet.

Our lives are all intimately connected, whether we realize it or not. We have the power to make big changes in the lives of people with whom we will never be face-to-face. Our actions affect those around us and people we don’t even know. Think about it.

No Impact Man

2010-04-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-04-16T09:57:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

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

"...trying to make a world where it is easier for people to love, to stand in that relationship to each other."

2010-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have recently been reading the writings of Dorothy Day, a peace activist and one of the founders of the Catholic Worker movement, a vibrant and thriving international community of people committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer and hospitality to the marginalized. Day’s writings are gut-wrenching, terrifying, and humbling, calling us all to lives of saints. The work of the Catholic Worker movement is so broad with irons in so many different fires that it is humbling to examine our own meager effort to achieve social justice, equality, peace, and environmental stewardship. That being said, I’d like to share some passages from the book I am currently reading, “Selected Writings” because Dorothy compels us far more convincingly and gracefully than I ever could. I fear that just by reading it, I’ll never be the same.

“We have repeated so many times that those who have two cloaks should follow the early Fathers who said, “The coat that hangs in your closet belongs to the poor.” And those who have a ten-room house can well share it with those who have none. How many large houses could be made into several apartments to take in others? Much hospitality could be given to relieve the grave suffering of today. But people are afraid. They do not know where it all will end. They have all gone far enough in generosity to know that an ordeal is ahead, that the person taken in will most likely turn into “the friend of the family.” No use starting something that you cannot finish, they say. Once bitten is twice shy. We have all had our experiences of ingratitude, of nursing a viper in our bosom, as the saying goes. So we forget about the necessity of pruning, in the natural order, to attain much fruit. We don’t want to pay the cost of love. We do not want to exercise our capacity to love.”

“To love with understanding, and without understanding. To love blindly, and to folly. To see only what is lovable. To think only of these things. To see the best in everyone around, their virtues, rather than their faults. To see Christ in them!”

“Compassion, it is a word meaning to suffer with. If we all carry a little of the burden, it will be lightened. If we share in the suffering of the world, then some will not have to endure so heavy an affliction. It evens out. What you do here in New York, in Harrisburg, helps those in China, India, South Africa, Europe, Russia, as well as in the oasis where you are. You may think you are alone. But we are members of one another. We are children of God together.”

"Don't you know, they're talking about a revolution..."

2010-03-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Congress is going to vote on the health care reform bill proposed by Obama in December. While each party continues to waver and discern what is in the best interest of their constituents, Obama and the Democrats are doing everything they can to ensure the passage of such a monumental program.
It is hard to say what the correct path to take is. Popular opinion across the country is almost a 50/50 split and, depending on the day, either side takes the lead. In an (unprecedented) effort to remain neutral, I'd like to encourage you to pray for our politicians. Despite their role as representative and advocate of their constituents, it is easy to cast that aside for personal interest.
In a post I wrote right after the State of the Union address, I discussed how Obama was shifting political interest from big government to the individual and I think it is just this mentality that needs to be at the forefront of our leaders' agendas this weekend.
So however the chips may fall, may it be because our political leaders had our best interest at heart.

Spring Break season!

2010-03-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

We are in full-swing with service groups from colleges all over the country coming to serve with us for their spring breaks! Last week, we were blessed to have an energetic, enthusiastic group from Siena College in Loudonville, NY, one of two colleges run by the friars of the Holy Name Province. This week we welcome a group from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire that dove into work with open hearts and minds. With a St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY and Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL to come, followed by high school groups that come throughout the summer, we are grateful for and humbled by the outpouring of help we receive each year.
This year, we are introducing a justice and education aspect to their week of service, providing a larger context within their work exists, examining and addressing the infrastructure that impacts the people we serve. Our hope in doing this is to dispel the many myths that exist regarding homelessness and poverty, one such myth is that only about 10% of the homeless population is made up of the stereotypical homeless person you may imagine, the rest are couch-hopping, living in abandominiums, or in shelters. We also hope to make people aware of the issues so they can implement change upon their return to their college.
These groups bring to us a refreshing perspective of the same people we see day-to-day. Their excitement to serve the poor inspires and renews us in our ministry and revitalizes the face of St. Francis Inn.

"Why would you even want to do that?"

2010-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just about a month ago, I decided to take the plunge into a diet of only things grown from the Earth, excluding all animals and any by-product thereof. It all came about because I was thinking about vegans and what they eat and how they could possibly survive without eggs, milk, or, most importantly, ice cream. I did some research and discovered that their meals and diets reflected what I wanted to eat but always chose the easier, tastier animal-laden options.
I put myself up to a challenge, and a pretty daunting one for a cheeseburger-eating, ice cream addicted, carnivore. My initial thought was to make a permanent switch to veganism but that was quickly squelched by the thought of an approaching cruise vacation where I would be doing humanity a disservice by not eating the delicious food prepared. So I cut back to an experiment, giving the whole “vegan” thing a shot for a month. I have three days left and must say that my attempt at an animal-free diet has been surprisingly and overwhelmingly enjoyable. I may, in fact, find ways to incorporate such a diet into my post-vacation life.
My point in telling you all this is that my diet shift actually incited in me many changes and revelations that I wasn’t expecting. Because animal products exist in most mass-produced food, I found myself reading ingredients of every thing I put into my mouth that I didn’t prepare. Just by turning the packaging over, I was mercilessly forced to see the nutrition facts which subsequently caused me to put the food down. That being said, I have become way more aware of what I am putting into my body and have begun to treat it like the gift it is.
Additionally, being a vegan isn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, convenient. A snack isn’t as easy to get your hands on so I found myself eating less and choosing foods like fruit and vegetables to satisfy my need for a snack rather than the cookies or chips I previously reached for. This sparked some in-depth thought processes in my head that led me to thinking about how easily we take the convenience of food for granted. We live in an age where there are stores open 24 hours that have bananas in the middle of winter, foot-long sandwiches with all the fix-ins, and soda or juice that was bottled in a land far and away. And even further, for the food-insecure in our very own country, my inability to find anything to eat in a house full of food (by my determination, let me clarify), it makes me appreciate the convenience and abundance of the food I can easily purchase whenever I have a craving.
I also found myself being more careful with the words I used to describe my diet... being mindful of the fact that I could, in fact eat meat or ice cream or Oreos if I wanted, but that I was choosing not to. And that a vegan encompasses far more than a diet, but a lifestyle absent of any animal products, therefore I would say "I'm not eating animal right now," which inevitable sparked smiles and odd looks of questioning.
Eating closer to the Earth, I found that there was a generally simplicity (though it was difficult) to my diet, to my lifestyle for the past month.
I know this seems like an odd post for a soup kitchen blog and it is. Who really wants to learn about some random girl’s weird, masochistic dieting habits? But I think apart from learning how to cook tofu and tempeh (which I didn’t even know existed until a month ago), the simplicity I learned, the convenience of, or appreciation for abundantly, accessible food, and the care with which we must treat all of God's creation struck a thicker chord for me. I won’t lie, I’m really looking forward to a big, juicy cheeseburger on Sunday (February 28th marking the end of my experiment), but my body will certainly miss the healthy, vegan diet of February.

Oh Lent...

2010-02-18T07:51:00.001-08:00

Our quest for salvation, redemption, and unconditional love comes to a head as we begin our individual and communal Lenten journeys. Everyone knows how Lent ends: Jesus is crucified, our deep-rooted and innate original sin is forgiven, and we feel a sense of relief from the sacrifices that have been self-imposed for the previous forty days in solidarity with the sacrifice of Jesus in the desert.
Our awareness of this assured redemption, though, hinders the manner in which we carry ourselves day-to-day. Jesus died for our salvation, leaving us the ability to act however we choose, or at least that would be the easy way out.
I have recently been trudging through “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran theologian, and he distinguishes between cheap grace and costly grace. He says that so many people use the isolated incident of the crucifixion as their solitary point of salvation, rather than constantly living their lives as if they must earn their seat in Heaven. Their reckoning has already been achieved and therefore there is no inherent need to live their lives in a way that is worthy of the title “Christian.”
He challenges his audience to look beyond the cheap way out. When we are faced with the opportunity for sin, knowing that we are redeemed (because we know how the Jesus’ story ends), it makes the choice easier because we know we will be forgiven, better, that we already have been.
Despite that one death on a cross, our Christian identification should be a constant effort, a constant call, and an honor for which we must continuously strive. So as we begin Lent this year, our challenge comes in pretending that we do not know how the story ends, that we live each day enveloped by costly grace, bearing the cross of original sin. It’s painful, it is certainly costly, and it requires a prodigious amount of sacrifice, but it seems that if somebody could do it for us, the least we could do is try.

There's no business like SNOW business! (pardon the pun)

2010-02-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia has experienced a record-breaking winter with 70.3 inches of snow fall so far (with another storm brewing for next week already)! In all fairness, all that snow has come from just three pretty hefty snowstorms, one back in December and two within the past week! With 25" of snowfall last Saturday, the city was just making its way back to normalcy when a storm from the southwest collided with one from the midwest, dropping another 18 or so inches on the city. We are effectively up to our waists in snow and I love it!

For those of you who may not know, I am from New Hampshire. Winter means snow. Snow means plows and

shoveling. And life goes on. But for the city of Philadelphia, snow means utter paralysis and, quite honestly, it's funny if not completely ludicrous. Without snow removal tactics, there are still enormous piles of snow sitting in the middle of the main roads, as we all wait patiently for the sun to melt them away. Schools are closed for the 4th day this week and city offices are just opening up again since Tuesday! I won't say that I'm not grateful for a city that not only doesn't have plows but also nowhere to put the snow, as it means I was off of work for two days, but for a northerner, it all seems rather crazy.

We were blessed this week to have a group from Raleigh, NC to serve with us! With our groups canceling left and right, we were grateful for their presence, as they not only helped us serve meals (albeit to crowds of less than 200), they also helped us dig our way out of the snow storm! So they'll characterize their time in Philadelphia with snow, snow, and more snow, and some soup served in there too!

The beautiful blanket of fresh white snow is almost cathartic. It oddly offers a sense of peace and rebirth. There was a quiet that I've never heard in Kensington. We're just waiting for the snow to melt to be back to our familiar streets.

The 1st Congressional District of PA is the 2nd hungriest in the nation!

2010-02-03T07:32:00.001-08:00

In a recent front-page article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia is cited for being the 2nd hungriest district in the nation, second to the Bronx. I'll post the link at the end of my schpiel, but I wanted to spend some time reflecting on what this means.
In a survey done by the Food Research Action Center (FRAC), 500,000 Americans were polled and one of the questions was "Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?" In this district (which includes North and South Philly as well as Chester), 36% of households said yes. The national average was 18%. Of the 500,000 polled, 1 in 4 households with children experienced food insecurity between January 2008 and December 2009.
At St. Francis Inn, we see the face of hunger in the 1st Congressional District, and we do our best to meet those needs. But this study shows us that it's more than children not getting enough food and waiting in line to eat, that it's a significant problem this region is facing and the effects of which will be felt for years to come. The article interviews the executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (link also posted below), who discusses longevity of this issue, saying that hungry children now, create a weak labor force twenty years from now, with kids that are cognitively, physically and emotionally delayed because of the lack of adequate nutrition they experienced in childhood.
What are the solutions? It's hard to say. But that doesn't mean the issues shouldn't be addressed, that people shouldn't be held accountable, that steps shouldn't be taken. In a project I am doing for graduate school, I will be joining the efforts of GPCAH to address the childhood hunger issue in Philadelphia. But you can check out the GPCAH website to see what they're doing to combat hunger, specifically childhood hunger, in the Philly area.

Inquirer Article

Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger

"Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform."

2010-01-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

I am going to admit, before we go any further, that I am biased. About most things, but also about the State of the Union. So take what I’m going to say with a grain of salt. But I would like to discuss it, ever so delicately, because what Obama said is important, the issues addressed affect me and you, and because at the end of the day, and for better or worse, he is our president... at least until 2012.
For my very first State of the Union address (and Obama’s too, imagine that), I allowed myself to get caught up in the rhetoric for which Obama is known. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the party lines not-so-subtly approve or disapprove of the words coming from the podium. But in an effort to at least partially remove my rose-colored glasses, I read the transcript this morning and realize that, all politics aside, there seems to be a bend towards the people that is rolling in. As with many bureaucratic structures, sight of the individual, the worker, the everyday American is lost in the dollar signs, in the power, in the flexing of whatever muscles any institution has. For the sake of being the government, we have seen merciless effort to save face, both for individual politicians, but also as a nation in the competing global economy, at whatever cost.
But Obama’s incorporation of individual anecdotes in his talk, as well as the policies he wishes to enact reflect a desire to bring our government back to the ideals for which it was originally created, to protect and serve its citizens.
All politics aside, perhaps this shift in focus and ideal is what actually should permeate our government. No more haughtiness. No more self-righteousness. No more pride. Obama said we are no longer accepting the status quo and it is this idea that should nationally nay, internationally, guide our thoughts and actions.
He maybe neglected to address the current state of the union and delivered what seemed like yet another inauguration speech, but the fact remains that the message is important, vital, to the dissolution of the status quo.
I will carefully step down from my very high soap box now and leave you to ponder.
God bless!

Eco-friendly AND cost-efficient at St. Francis Inn? Sign me up!

2010-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

St. Francis Inn Ministries has yet again amazed ourselves (and others) with our latest leap into the world of connectivity with the availability of The Pilgrim, our monthly newsletter, via email!!!
As was posted awhile back (November 18th), the Team signed the Catholic Climate Covenant, committing themselves and our Ministries to become more aware of our consumption and waste and to be better stewards of our God-given resources. Help us to be more eco-friendly and, inadvertently, more cost-efficient, by Clicking Here. All you have to do is give your email address and you, too, can be a part of our effort to be more eco-friendly!

Thank you and we look forward to connecting with you soon!

How did THAT happen???

2010-01-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

The following can also be found under the News and Events page on www.stfrancisinn.org but I thought it was worth addressing here on this fine blog. Our numbers in the past year were lower than the year prior so I do some reflecting on what that means for us and for our guests. Enjoy!

Each year we compile the numbers of people served and the numbers for 2009 are confounding, if not shocking. In the midst of the greatest recession the country has faced since the Great Depression, we served 9,000 less meals in 2009 (146,000) than we did in 2008 (155,570). The “Great Recession” began in the fall of 2007, but it became more widely acknowledged mid-2008, with increasing coverage of the face of desperation that spread throughout the United States. Over the past year, local and national news have shed light on the countless individuals that have been affected by the economic downturn. You can’t turn on the TV or CNN.com without getting the latest unemployment rate nationwide and which state has the highest rate. You also heard endlessly about the charities that are suffering because their federal funds and private donors are waning as their requests for assistance are increasing.

This, among many other things, makes St. Francis Inn Ministries an anomaly. We’ve always known that our community and our humble ministry in north Philadelphia was unique, set apart, even a bit quirky. But after looking at our numbers, we consider ourselves blessed yet again to be able to serve our guests with the same quantity, quality, dignity and grace as we ever have.

The explanations for our numbers decreasing are vast and there seems to be a bit of truth to each of them. Because we don’t do background checks or means-tests on our guests before we break bread with them, we simply don’t know who has recently been laid off, who is unemployable, and who is just there for human interaction. And as difficult as it may be to swallow, so many of our guests live so far out of mainstream society that a work force facing joblessness and destitution doesn’t even affect them.

So what does this mean for us, for our guests? It means our doors and hearts remain open to those who need it. And it means that we continue to be grateful for all God has done to protect our ministry, those who support it, and those who depend on it.

2010-01-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

With countless donations received, cookies consumed, halls decked, and presents opened, St. Francis Inn Ministries welcomed the birth of Jesus with open arms and with the hope of renewed faith and strength in our ministries.

On behalf of our guests, we thank you for giving of your hearts and prayers this holiday season; this ministry is simply not sustainable without the support of our wide network of volunteers and benefactors.

Just to give a couple of updates on what’s shakin’ in Philadelphia:

Since just before Thanksgiving, our sidewalks have been torn apart by the city with the goal of beautifying Kensington. New concrete was recently poured and we are looking forward to full use of our yard and our gate when it dries (probably by the end of the week). Seemingly simple changes had to be made to our normal operating procedures such as parking Cappy, our 15-passenger van, on the side street and loading and unloading through the side door and unifying our senior and single lines (typically they form lines starting in the same place but going in opposite directions) because of limited use of the sidewalk. These blips in the system weren’t earth-shattering, but disruptive enough to welcome back the old routine.

Like the rest of the east coast, we are experiencing our seventh or so straight day of sub-30 degree weather. For many, this means bundling up with an extra layer of long johns and gloves, turning the heat up just a bit, and avoiding the outdoors as much as possible. But for our guests who are dependent on the food of the Inn, avoiding the blistering cold is impossible; turning their shut-off heat up isn’t an option; and to get that extra layer of long johns or gloves, they have to endure the frigid trek to the Inn to get them. I’m not calling for guilt-ridden, radical simplicity, just an awareness of what you have, giving thanks, and praying a little longer for those who don’t have it.

We are expecting a warm-up within the next couple of days. We are learning to appreciate the seasons, the warmth (funny that 35 degrees is warm), and the sunshine. I pray that wherever you are begins to see the sun and feel its warmth soon too!

Pax et bonum!

2010-01-05T09:07:00.001-08:00

St. Francis used to say this to those he passed on the street- a simple greeting of peace and well-being to those he encountered. A simple message, a profound impact.

So, for this New Year, we wish you Pax et Bonum! God bless you!

"What good is it that Christ was born 2,000 years ago if he is not born now in your heart?" -Meister Ekhart

2009-12-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Every year about this time the adage that we should “treat every day like Christmas” crosses our lips. And every year that sentiment gets packed away with the ornaments and decorations, not to be seen again until next winter. Every single day a woman gives birth, refugees are forced to leave their town or country, holy men are challenged by the very faith that sustains them. Daily we are faced with unimaginable circumstances that, whether we choose to believe it or not, are instances of grace.

The birth of our Savior happened in a creche over 2000 years ago. But beacons of grace, individuals who are created in God’s image, are sent to us still today with the hope that we can recognize in them the Christ who sustains us. Jesus is incarnated every day in those to whom we minister. We are given the opportunity to renew our own salvation and to stand in awe of the power, mercy and love of God every day by ministering to the needs of others.

Let us be filled with the spirit of Christmas, the presence of faith,

mercy and love in our lives at this time and throughout the year.

And may God bless you and yours this holiday season! Merry Christmas!

30 years of love lived in service!

2009-12-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

30 years ago today, St. Francis Inn opened its doors to minister to the poor and marginalized in Philadelphia. Since that day, at least one meal has been served every single day since then. Amidst snow storms and construction, we have been abundantly blessed by the generosity of our volunteers and benefactors who believe in who we are and what we do.

I will (hopefully) be posting some sort of video to the website in the near future (though in all reality, probably not until after the New Year) of some pictures from over the years. Keep checking the Media Gallery for updates!

Thank you again for your continued support! You are all blessings to us!

Check out one of our own in the news!

2009-12-15T12:51:00.001-08:00

Karen Pushaw, one of the Team members at St. Francis Inn, is quoted in this article on MSN.com!!! Check her out! (And the article is pretty good, too!)

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/charities-face-grim-holidays.aspx?page=1

Ave Maria, gratia plena. Dominus tecum.

2009-12-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Just some thoughts on this Holy day...

Today marks the beginning of our salvation history. Today, a young woman was born, without the stain of original sin, that would one day give birth to our Lord and Savior. This morning, Father Michael Duffy preached about how God changed the world with this one birth. God didn’t use floods or famine, He didn’t use some celebrity to preach His cause. He went to a small town with a tarnished reputation, granted amnesty from original sin to a newly conceived baby, and watched as His plan to change the world unfolded.

So maybe, yet again, we are being taught a lesson of humility. Maybe we aren’t supposed to be starting foundations, or orchestrating benefit concerts with big names. Maybe, just maybe we can change the world, starting in Kensington- a lost neighborhood with a tainted reputation- starting with one person.

My non-Catholic friends admire, envy, question and doubt the Catholic devotion to Mary. Honestly, what’s not to revere with a thirteen year old girl in a poor town, imbued by the Holy Spirit with the immaculate conception of the Messiah? She is an example of grace (as the Hail Mary chimes in), of faith, of total surrender to the will of God.

So often people act according to how others will respond. We can count ourselves blessed that Mary did not act as most teenagers do. And we can give thanks to God for creating, on this Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a young woman that would become a model of faith for the rest of us who struggle day-to-day with listening to the Word of God.

"With faith and hope and love, we give You thanks."

2009-12-01T11:23:00.001-08:00

First of all, today, December 1st, we recognize and pray for all those living with and affected by AIDS. For all that is being done to educate those with the disease, those who are at risk for it, and those who may never come into contact with somebody living with the disease, we are grateful. Their efforts are valuable and vital to the health of our world and by simply saying a prayer, you can show your support for their work.

Secondly, Thanksgiving at St. Francis Inn was a success (I heard, I was able to head home for the first time in 3 years)! Turkey and fix-ins from Boston Market, along with homemade stuffing fed 287 people in the dining room, not to mention the over 100 turkeys given away in the days leading up to Thanksgiving!

And lastly, I would be remiss to not say thank you to all who made Thanksgiving possible at St. Francis Inn Ministries! The family in the dining room was felt by all those who served and who were served.

I plan to update with some other interesting stuff later in the week so please check back!!!

Oh, and Happy Advent!

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." -Cynthia Ozick

2009-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

With 131,000 homeless veterans in the United States, it is no wonder that the Veteran’s Administration has developed a new plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years.

Studies show that though physical disabilities are barriers to employment and housing, it is the disabilities that we cannot see that more gravely affect veterans. Among these problems are PTSD, depression and addiction and though there may not be visible signs of these issues, they are no less pervasive to the very integrity of these men and women that served our country.

Eric Shinseki, the Secretary for Veterans Affairs, outlined a plan on November 3rd that provides preventative services in addition to reactive services to veterans. It also provides leniency for small business owners that are veterans along with educational benefits for advanced degrees and training upon their return.

Shinseki claims that while it is important for the federal government to take control of the situation, it moreover needs to be in the hands of the local government and grassroots organizations. It is these people that are on the front lines and see the despair and struggles that our veterans go through day-to-day upon their return from serving our country. They are able to identify the needs and treat them, but that the government should be funding these efforts.

I’m not going to preach about how we as a country are seriously failing those who’ve fought for us, or how there are people suffering from mental illness when there are plenty of resources to help them, or that this issue should’ve been on the forefront of the VA years ago. All I’m going to say is that I’m glad that it’s becoming an issue and that needs are finally being met for our heroes.

Below are two links, the first one which outlines the specific plan and its 5 points; the second is a more in-depth look at the issue.

http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200991104027

"It is our corporate misfortune to be sharing a dying world while holding the cure in our hands."

2009-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

As was announced on the St. Francis Inn Ministries website under the News and Events section, the Team recently took the St. Francis Pledge, committing to pray, learn, assess, act and advocate on behalf of the preservation and protection of God’s creation. This is not simply a call to environmental awareness but is a greater movement to acknowledging that all living things are creatures of God, humans, plants and animals alike. The Pledge gathers Catholics in the campaign to morph current ideologies of greed, consumption and wealth into a world where all creatures share in the beauty of God’s creation.

The website for the Covenant is http://catholicclimatecovenant.org Please peruse the site, not only for your own awareness, but to understand more fully what is being done at St. Francis Inn Ministries so that we can be better stewards of Creation.

Below is a prayer from the website that I thought was worth sharing. Enjoy!

Loving and Creator God

Cathy Melesky Dante

We are a Eucharistic people,
Permeated with relationship
That gives us life and light.

To those to whom much is given, much is asked.
We pray that we may be made worthy
Of bringing forward light and life
For our brothers and sisters who do not have enough.
Creator God, Spirit that has breathed life in all of us,
We offer ourselves to you as holy and living sacrifices
In service to you and all your creation.

You taught us to be poor in spirit,
Emptying ourselves of what we do not need,
That we may be true vessels for your Spirit,
That we may do your work in this world.

Help us to be free of what holds us back,
Free from attitudes, habits, beliefs
That trap us in relationships that exploit and manipulate
Your people and the environment,
That holds us all together.

You gave us the model of St. Francis,
Who lived his life in solidarity with the poor,
Serving them by promoting justice.

Help us to live your saving justice, Lord.
Help us to care for your creation,
Working along side of you,
In your garden in this world.

In doing so, we pray
That we may be in solidarity with the poor,
Living as Eucharistic people
And caring for our environment.

“The more we take, the less we become. The fortune of one man means less for some.” -Sarah McLachlin, World on Fire

2009-11-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

I awoke to an eerie quiet last Tuesday morning. The usual soundtrack of the “el” and city buses was not heard, but it wasn’t until I got into the office that I found out that SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) and the Transportation Workers Union (TWU) were on strike. For the 900,000 people that rely on the city’s public transportation daily, this unexpected walkout created a gridlock on the streets of Philadelphia. The strike lasted for six days, ending at 12:45am Monday morning, in enough time for the morning commute to be back on track (pun intended).

Catholic Social Teaching tells us "All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life."

Initially I sided with the workers, believing that they were acting in accord with CST, seeking just wages. But after learning more about the discourse between the TWU and SEPTA and the City, it seemed, more and more, that there was a push for more cash from a city whose unemployment rate is 11%.

The Union had SEPTA in the palms of their hands while nearly one hundred thousand people were unable to get to their jobs, their doctor’s appointments, and even their soup kitchens for meals. I received a call from a woman on Friday who normally takes public transportation to get to St. Francis Inn and didn’t have any food in the house for three days because of the strike. The last sentence above “No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life” is what really settles this whole thing for me. Not only are people losing money because they are unable to get to work, but they are doing so at the expense of people who are seeking more money in an already unstable economy.

"Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright." -B. Franklin

2009-11-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Putting a Number on Poverty

Last month the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on poverty. The number of people living in poverty has risen a full percentage point over last year. Today, 13.2 percent of people in the country are living below the poverty line - about 40 million in all. This is a big problem, but it is not the whole story.

The way the U.S. government measures poverty is extremely flawed. Official poverty estimates do not take into account factors like rising medical care, transportation, child care, as well as cost of living as it varies by geographic location and therefore are not accurately factored in to calculations.

This raises the question: how then is poverty defined? Since the 1960s the government has marked poverty in absolute terms, independent of outside factors and events. The U.S. Census Bureau says that individual or families below the “absolute poverty line” are considered to have insufficient resources to meet basic needs for healthy living. Absolute poverty line threshold vary depending on collective income and number of family members, but generally if a family’s total income is less than its calculated “threshold,” they are considered poor. In 2008, the poverty line for a family of four was $21,834, according to the census; for a family of two adults and one child, it was $17,330.

Our outdated poverty measure not only fails to take into consideration significant factors like cost of living, but it also fails to capture millions of Americans who are in need of aid but not officially classified as being impoverished. It is pretty clear that the federal government is not doing a good job of addressing the root causes of poverty in America. Perhaps it is because they are wasting precious resources on analyzing data that is not accurate.

However, there is some good news in all of this talk about the way the federal government measures poverty. Congress has a bill pending that would provide more realistic standards. The Measuring American Poverty Act was introduced in the Senate in September by Sen. Chris Dodd,: a house version was introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott.

(This article was submitted by Br. John Gill, ofm)

update

2009-10-22T08:50:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to quickly report that LIHEAP in Pennsylvania is opening for the winter season beginning November 2nd, 2009. This is about a month earlier than was previously anticipated by the newspaper article I posted about over a month ago (September 9th).

This is a good sign for the low-income families of Pennsylvania as we experienced an early cold snap already. The balmy days are currently affording us the opportunity to turn off our heat once again and provide some respite from the financial burden heating a home entails.

Have a blessed day!

“Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and be of service to him.” -St. Francis

2009-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I participated in a training for an online program called The Benefit Bank. The program is designed to “close the gap between public funds and people in need.” There are $39 billion in unclaimed benefits for citizens in the United States and only about half of the people that are eligible for Food Stamps are receiving the supplemental income. The Benefit Bank helps people to easily apply for these benefits. Programs like LIHEAP (which I’ve written about in a past blog), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aka Food Stamps), TANF (welfare), Medicare/Medicaid, child care subsidies, and rent rebates applications are all accessible.

We recently opened up four internet-capable computers at the Urban Center and we are hoping that by becoming a Benefit Bank center, we can help people to get the assistance they are entitled to. Brother John and I will be sending out flyers to local agencies and churches to inform area providers of the services we offer.

“Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

2009-10-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was blessed to travel to Tampa, Florida to visit friends of mine. I attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church for mass on Sunday, a parish run by the Holy Name Province in downtown Tampa.

The above quote is from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, which was read this past Sunday. If you've ever been to mass, you've probably heard this reading. We hear it all the time, especially among Franciscan circles (who inordinately (just kidding) value poverty). The man to whom Jesus is speaking, we find out, leaves saddened by the newest commandment of discipleship from the Messiah.

While agreeing that “possessions” means tangible, the visiting priest equally argued that perhaps more of what gets in the way of our discipleship of Jesus are the intangible things that we cling to: anger, greed, sadness, prejudices, stereotypes, jealousy, ideologies. It is these things that individually and collectively obscure our ability to be Christ-like and to follow Christ. Fr. Jack posited that when Jesus commanded the man to do this, it was a greater call to abandon everything that makes it hard for us to see Jesus, not just our physical possessions.

Imagine what it would be like, for example, if the national view of welfare shifted from one of a handout to a hand up... if our own greed didn’t impede our ability to give to others who may need it. What if there was no “race card” to be pulled? What if, instead of harboring anger towards a long-lost family member or friend, we sought reconciliation and love?

I think it would be easier to give up all my tangible possessions than to change those things that I have let distance me from others, even if it wasn’t intentional.

So what did I learn on my trip to Tampa? That I want to move there and enjoy the 90 degree weather in October (especially when it’s about 45 degrees here)? Well, yes. But more importantly that perhaps our call to simplicity in discipleship is wrapped more tightly around the soul of each of us and not in our physical possessions. It’s not easy, I’ll give you that. But we were never told it was going to be.

Here are some pictures from my trip, just in case wherever you are, it's raining and you could use some sunshine:

Clearwater Beach, Florida

St. Petersburg at sunset

"Believe in me like I believe in you..."

2009-10-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

The following is a music video I recently came across that I thought was really positive and hopeful. Michael Franti has

a song on popular radio right now called "Say Hey" which I also really like. But this song, called "Hey World" paints

a picture of hope. He discusses the various problems that the world is currently facing (child soldiers, disease, etc) but

that there is a level of hope that exists within him. He holds each of us, individuals and the world at large accountable to

each other for change.

Some of his other music is actually quite interesting- he seems to be a rastafarian, but the messages he sends of peace

and love transcend his lifestyle and are applicable even to Christians.

So I ask you to listen to/watch the following video with an open mind. If you don't like it, even if you do, please let me

know!

Here are the lyrics:

"Tell me why the grass was greener
a year ago.
I swear it used to grow here
but no more here.

Tell me why,
on this hill,
all the birds they used to come to fly here,
come to die here.

And tell my why I need to know.
sometimes I wish I didn't have to know
all you show me.

Hey world,
what you say?
Should I stick around for another day or two?
Don't give up on me;
I won't give up on you.
Just believe in me like I believe in...

Tell me why on the corner
all the kids that used to come to run here,
load the guns here.
And tell me why
it's okay
to kill in the name of the gods we pray.

Tell me who said it's okay
to die in the name of the lies we say.
Tell me why there's child soldiers.
Tell me why they closed the borders.
Tell me how to fight disease.
And tell me now won't you please?

The only thing I want to do
is to be in the arms of someone who believes in me
like I believe in you.
I try, try, try, try.
I try, try, try, try for you.
Don't give up on me.
and I cry, cry, cry, cry.
I cry, cry, cry, cry for you.
Just believe in me
like I believe in you."

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

2009-09-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Since I started working at the Urban Center, every day, in an effort to gather thoughts or procrastinate, I gaze out my floor-to-ceiling window and notice a young man with his arm gently wrapped in the crook of an elderly woman’s elbow. The first time I saw it, my mind wandered to thinking that perhaps this man is some good samaritan, just happening to come across this elderly lady with a scarf on her head, protecting her silver hair, taking the time to help her across the street. But each day, as I notice the unseemly pair walking down Girard Avenue, it incites a thought process that is perhaps far broader than the Biblically-based theory I had before. My guess is that I will never know their story, but my postulating leads me to the refreshing belief that these Good Samaritans do exist, but that perhaps their presence and relations with others aren’t quite as random as I would’ve thought.

I recently applied to three graduate schools (which is a headache in and of itself), all of which demanded we address a social problem and discuss how we, as social workers, intend to perpetuate change and alleviate the issue. You would think this would be simple... I did take a Social Problems course in college and was surrounded by one problem after another during my time at Saint Francis Inn. But for some reason, I had a hard time settling with one specific issue. You see, after my time at the Inn, I saw so many different problems about which I became impassioned, such as crime, child and domestic abuse, addiction, homelessness, chronic poverty, that I couldn’t pick just one to focus on. I had stories for each that I felt needed to be told.

I was determined to find a common thread among these issues- to see a greater issue that affected those to whom we ministered. Spending some real time thinking about these issues, I continued my work at the Inn, serving meals, going on pickups, working at Saint Benedict’s Thrift Store. Somehow, God’s intervention yet again set things in motion when I greeted a regular on the street. As usual, I asked, “Arnetta, how are you today?” Her placid response of “My son died yesterday,” without any sign of emotion, alarmed me. A tear was not shed, not a trace of anger in her voice, absolutely no semblance of grief crossed her demeanor. My usual reaction upon receiving news as such is a hug, gently and compassionately consoling the grieving, but that seemed out of place here.

When I got home that night and was reflecting on the day’s events, Arnetta’s story kept popping into my mind. I found it hard to believe that a parent wasn’t deeply mourning the loss of her son, that it seemed as simple as if she had said, “I took the bus to get here this morning.” As I let that marinate for a couple days, I began to notice how there were very few people who were excited by such events.

It escalated in me this desire to get to the heart of it, to really figure out what it was that caused such ambivalence and complacency when it came to their relationships. And then BAM! There it was! It appeared to me that there was no intrinsic value placed on human life, either their own or on others’. For so many of our guests, their lives have been full of loss from a very young age, either due to drugs or crime or poor health. They grew up with death as an ordinary occurrence. Those “regular” or “ordinary” social problems suddenly made more sense; people don’t recognize their own value so they use drugs, they prostitute themselves, and they don’t recognize the value that resides in others so they commit crimes against other people, they abuse others.

This naive revelation has given me fuel for the social work fire that was lit within me years ago. I suddenly saw it as my mission to help others see their own value and then to see the value in others. So now you’re asking what this has to do with the young man with the old woman walking down the street... good question.

Here’s the kicker- perhaps the best way to revolutionize the world is to start small. Taking the time to, one-by-one, help others see their own worth, is contagious. I see this in the young man and elderly woman outside my window. It takes the small-scale personal relationships, the individual attention given to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay for it, and our own paradigm shift into thinking that since we’re all walking this same Earth, perhaps we should all be walking side-by-side. The next thing you know (or at least the ideologue in me hopes), we’ll see more people walking arm-in-elbow, less and less use for the soup kitchens and social service agencies that exist, and a positive movement towards social equality.

interesting article

2009-09-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

I found this interesting article while perusing CNN.com. Take it for what you will, but I thought it was worth sharing!

http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/23/news/economy/minorities/index.htm?postversion=2009092311&iref=werecommend

"Change your thoughts and you can change your world." -Norman Vincent Peale

2009-09-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20090917_Woman_s_alleged_bribe_leads_to_Sec__8_fraud_charges.html

This article appeared on the Philadelphia Inquirer website on September 17th, 2009. It discusses an anecdotal story about a woman who manipulated the Section 8 program in Pennsylvania by acquiring $50,000 in housing assistance because she underreported income and assets.

For so many, the news is the only access they have to information about public programs such as Section 8 and welfare. If the only stories they are getting revolve around people taking advantage (which are really the only stories you hear about), the natural sequence is that they would criticize these programs. The articles rarely discuss the remaining 1.5 million people that are receiving vouchers and have and will continue to follow the rules.

I challenge you all (and believe me, myself included) to educate yourself and come to your own conclusion rather than just agreeing with one isolated story.

If this is something you're interested in learning more about, please read the following article about Section 8. Worthy of a read if for no other reason than it came from NPR out of New Hampshire (my home state)!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112080752

"The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves responsible for those realities." -Gifford Pinchot

2009-09-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Health Care Reform:

Just the words make most people who are generally politically inactive or disinterested cringe. We are still recovering from the 2008 elections and are still being bombarded with left- and right-winged strategy and commentary that leaves many of us clinging to our last thread of attention that can be paid to politics.

Believe me, I understand where you’re coming from. But I challenge you to muster up all the political endurance you have left and take note of what’s being talked about here. Read the Cliff’s Notes if you have to. But it’s important and it will affect all of us.

I’ve hyperlinked the video of President Barack Obama’s speech below, it’s a long one so if you have some time, grab a cup of coffee and watch. But there are some interesting and profound points that should traverse partisanship and reach to the core of national well-being and progress. Sure, the details of the plan are important- stagnating the rising cost of coverage for those who have insurance and creating a “marketplace” for public and private insurance companies to compete for those who don’t- but what I find most compelling is Obama’s quest to shift towards an industry and a nation of accountability.

Within the context of the insurance companies, Obama is demanding that the premiums paid by individuals for their health care coverage are actually going to their own personal care. Currently so much of what is paid in premiums is going to overhead costs and is eaten up elsewhere within the bureaucracy of the company, and not just with the for-profit companies, but for Medicare as well. We will hopefully now see either a reduction in costs or an improvement in coverage for those who are already covered.

The accountability extends further- Obama is holding business owners accountable for their employee coverage by requiring them to offer health care or to assist them with their premiums. His hope is that this will reduce the number of those working who are uninsured. And on the micro level, Obama is holding each individual American responsible for seeking out and obtaining their own health insurance. Between the public option and the private companies’ plans, he claims there is no tolerance for negligence. Because those who are uninsured yet still take advantage of the health care institutions are increasing the costs for those who are paying to utilize these services, the reform of the health care system makes it so “everybody does their part.”

“That large-heartedness- that concern and regard for the plight of others- is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand.”

This type of talk and this movement towards renewed accountability and responsibility creates a socially conscious people, a people genuinely concerned with the well-being of their neighbors. Vestiges of Christ are seen in American politics after all.

Click here to read a transcript and see a video of Obama's speech on 9/9/09

"We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips." -St. Peter Claver

2009-09-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

With the fresh autumn air beginning to bite at our heels, many of us are opening our arms to the change in the season. While many were sunning themselves on the beaches, Congress was already looking to the winter months and the ways in which the federal government was going to help alleviate some of the hardship brought on by the cold weather. Every year, a substantial amount of money is given by the government to each state to support those who may be experiencing energy turn-offs and limited resources with which to heat their homes. LIHEAP, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, has been given $5.1 billion this year from Congress to be divided among each state according to need. Pennsylvania has received a $275 million grant, a number comparable to the allocation from last year.

The grant is intended to provide cash assistance to families who are experiencing financial hardship to use towards energy costs for the winter months. It is broken down into three categories, cash grants, crisis grants, and weatherization efforts. The cash grants historically have been disbursed from November 1st until the middle of January, the crisis grants given as needed from the middle of January until April, and the weatherization grants are given throughout the winter months to provide families with the tools to reduce their heating costs. In order to qualify for LIHEAP assistance, households must fall below 60% of the state median income. For Pennsylvania, that number is $44,443 per year for a family of four.

Because LIHEAP funds, and all federal funds, cannot be guaranteed year-to-year, Pennsylvania has put a substantial amount of the LIHEAP grant this year towards weatherization efforts, attempting to better insulate houses so eventually less cash and crisis grants would need to be given. It sounds great in theory, but in the meantime, families are being left in the cold.

Additionally, PA LIHEAP is looking to reduce the amount of time in which the grants would be disbursed, from 8 weeks to just 4, from December 1st until January 3rd. Because the utility shut-off moratorium (a pre-set amount of time in which peoples’ utilities may not be shut off during the winter months) does not begin until December, many people will be struggling through the month of November and the risk of utility shut-off is heightened.

The Public Utility Commission criticizes Pennsylvania’s new plan for the LIHEAP grant, claiming that things should be left the way they are. In fact, many critics of Pennsylvania’s plan are anxious for the annual Energy Assistance meeting that takes place in Philadelphia in the fall to voice concern and opposition to the new plan. Many are concerned, and they should be.

I am unsure of the malleability of the new plan and if there is any hope for change at the big meeting that is to come, but I hope and pray that the state knows what it is doing and is looking out for the good of its constituents, especially those most in need.

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”

2009-09-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

The following was written by Brother John Gill ofm, director of the Saint Francis Urban Center:

I participated in the National Conference on Ending Homelessness this summer in Washington, D.C. This is an annual event that policy makers, direct service providers, researchers and advocates for the homeless gather for three days to learn new ideas and strategies in preventing and ending homelessness. This year, 1,200 people from 46 different states were present at the conference.

There was much attention given to the federal resources made available in the Recovery Act for housing and supportive services. Also, the other major topics included workshops on family homelessness, chronic homelessness, youth and veterans. In addition, they gave several presentations on different models of permanent supportive housing as the primary solution to ending chronic homelessness.

For me, the highlight of the experience was the keynote address given by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary, Shaun Donovan. Donovan said the federal government will not turn a deaf ear to those most in need. He brought light on veteran homelessness, chronic homelessness, the cost-efficient ways of reducing and preventing homelessness, and the relationship between health care and homelessness. In his address, he pointed to permanent supportive housing as one way to achieve major savings in our health care system.

In his concluding remarks, Secretary Donovan noted that “just as some say we can’t afford to reform our health care system, so too they claim we can’t afford to end homelessness... whether it’s reforming our health care system or preventing and ending homelessness, the fundamental question is the same: It’s not one of ability-- rather it’s a question of will.”

"From small beginnings come great things"

2009-08-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

My name is Katelyn and I am the newest addition to the fleet of workers that make Saint Francis Inn Ministries possible. A former Franciscan Volunteer, I have taken on a new role, working with Brother John at the Saint Francis Urban Center to develop and implement ideas to more comprehensively serve our guests’ needs.

In addition to my work with our guests, I will also be working on the maintenance of the website and the development and production of this blog! Myself and Brother John believe that in addition to the individual faces and stories that paint the picture of Saint Francis Inn Ministries, it is also necessary to educate ourselves and others on the infrastructure that impacts them. Our approach is, as of yet, loosely defined, but as we develop the blog, just like our ministries, it will evolve and grow. Using the Gospel and the spirit and life of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi as our compass, we see this blog as a way to disseminate information and reflections on the stories but also on the broader issues of poverty, hunger and homelessness.

Gandhi, among many others, is credited for saying “The measure of a society is in how it treats its weakest members, the last, the least, the littlest,” a quote that should invigorate in us a desire, a passion, a need to seek out the least and work in whatever capacity it takes to ensure that we all walk together, with no one lagging behind.

Under Construction

2009-08-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

We're excited to take Saint Francis Inn Ministries into the 21st century with our new blog! As we prepare for the technological leap, please bear with us. Keep checking in; soon enough our ministries will be opened up to you through the world wide web! Pace e bene!