Being Homeless: The American Dream?

With every face, and every conversation at the Franciscan Center a story is told. Many of the people who come to us for one need, often find a willing ear, which meets a deeper need.

On January 11^th of this year Frank came to the Center for the first time. Referred by DSS for emergency food from our pantry, out intake volunteer took the time and made an effort to listen to Frank’s story. It was her intention and hope that she could make Frank, even for those few moments, know that he is cared for.

It was during that moment that our volunteer learned that Frank was living in an abandoned building on North Avenue, just a few blocks from the Center.  No heat, no lights, no bed…just a blanket or two and rats running throughout the building. 

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Frank was born in Nigeria, and came to the United States about 20 years ago. For 19 of those years he lived what he describes as ‘the American dream’. Hard work, saving, and following his goals Frank lived in a nice 3-bedroom home, with a “big car” and a “big TV”. He says that he loved his work as an in-home caregiver for elderly people with health problems. But then he developed a serious health problem of his own. Frank explains that he underwent bypass surgery and suffered complications that ultimately forced him to stop taking care of others.

Like so many, he ran out of money, and was evicted. Without a home, he lost his car and every belonging that defined his ‘American dream’.  The volunteer listening to Frank’s story could clearly see his heart break, and felt hers crack with empathy. She encouraged him to go to Baltimore City’s Code Blue Shelter but he preferred returning to his abandoned building. So we gave him some blankets and warm clothing in addition to the groceries. Our volunteer told him to come back soon and let us try to help him.

After Frank left, our volunteer did her homework, made phone calls, and took notes. When Frank did return she was ready, and contacted Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) where she made arrangements for him to be evaluated the next day. His blood pressure was so high physician gave him an EKG, called an ambulance and had him taken to Mercy Hospital. From there Mercy quickly transported Frank to Union Memorial where he had cardiac stents implanted. Frank would later share that the HCH physician called him a ‘dead man walking’ upon looking at his EKG results.

Health Care for the Homeless placed Frank in its “Convalescence Unit” which, at that time, was located at the American Rescue Workers’ Shelter in South Baltimore.  While living in the shelter, Frank traveled to the Center once a week and our social workers went to the shelter once a week to visit him, keep his spirits up, offer a listening ear, and make sure he knew that he is supported and cared about.

When Frank’s medical condition stabilized it was time to help him find hope, and pursue a new-revised ‘American Dream’. A home, and his citizenship.  Our volunteer took him to St. Matthew’s Immigration and Outreach Service Center (IOSC) where an immigration attorney completed the application for Frank to apply for citizenship.  Frank has passed his citizenship test and his swearing-in ceremony was in July!

While Frank was in the HCH Convalescent Unit, the HCH social worker worked with him  to locate permanent housing.  She helped him apply for public housing and senior citizen housing operated by Catholic Charities.  Given the projected waiting times to get in, the Franciscan Center’s volunteer took Frank to apply for senior housing at Gallagher Mansion and to check out a private apartment.  He was planning to move into another apartment when Catholic Charities called to interview him for an opening at Trinity House in Towson. What a miracle that he was able to get in there so quickly!  

So what difference, because of taking a moment to listen and care, has the Franciscan Center been able to make in Frank’s life?

• When he was hungry, we fed him.
• When he was cold, we gave him warm clothes and blankets.
• When he was sick, we helped him get medical care.
• When he was homeless, we helped him find shelter.
• When he was in despair, we gave him hope.  (Frank often says hope is the most important thing we’ve give him.)
• When he was a stranger, we welcomed him and made him part of our family.

As far as concrete services go,

• We provided bus tokens and rides to certain appointments so he could apply for citizenship and explore housing options.
• We also provided pastoral counseling (Everett Jefferson) and support to keep Frank’s spirits up.
• We advocated for him, reaching out to other agencies to help him obtain medical treatment and housing and apply for citizenship.
• We gave him sheets, towels, dishes, pots and pans and a few other items for his new apartment.
• We also contacted the Assistance Center of Towson Churches to help him get furniture.  The Assistance Center delivered a bed, a nightstand and a table with 4 chairs to his new apartment.

At the end of the day, when we all go our homes, do we think about those who live in our communities who find themselves with broken dreams, and rats? At first glance it looks like the Franciscan Center has given Frank a lot. But in reality, we have only given him two things: a listening ear with a caring heart, and the desire to show him the dignity that he deserves as a human, and as a neighbor.

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If you would like to do more, please consider supporting the Franciscan Center or one of the partners that we mentioned. We also need donations of clothing, food, house hold items, money, and time.

Giving By Example

Ever known someone who just chooses to go the extra mile? Every time? No matter what?

Well we do. A little over a year ago Anita joined us through Ignatian Volunteers. (If you don’t know about them, check them out!) Anita began working on the second floor with Responsive Services. She became quickly familiar with the programs of the Center, our clients and the ways in which we try to meet the needs of our community.

So… just being apart of this work is enough to warrant a blog post of thanks. But, that isn’t the end of Anita. Instead of two days of service Anita is usually at the Center four days a week. Sometimes five. She comes in early, she stays late. She has mastered a complicated program where we are able to help clients with utility assistance, and has been instrumental in facilitating hundreds of families to keep their electricity running. The words from her lips are filled with encouragement and thankfulness, and are always boosting the entire Franciscan Center Team!

Anita’s quick smile and bright eyes welcome you, and her keen, inquisitive mind attentively mines for details that perhaps others might miss. She is quick with reassurance, and takes her time.

Frank, a client, came to the Center for Emergency Food. Anita wouldn’t allow this man to walk away with just groceries. She has worked tirelessly to make sure that he no longer sleeps in an abandoned building. (Frank’s heartfelt story will be published August 29th) His is just one of many ongoing stories of people that the Center touches.

Today is Anita’s birthday. She arrived hours early, to help clients she had to reschedule after the earthquake yesterday afternoon. And, this evening, she is working late. Making phone calls, connecting clients to programs, and truly making a difference in our community. When she leaves the Center tonight she will stop by a hospital to make sure a client is mending well.

Anita would never call herself inspirational. Instead she points to the people we serve, and finds inspiration through them.

“We’re grateful to every client we have the privilege to serve.  For at the Franciscan Center, we get to witness God’s grace at work every single day — in all our lives.  And we get to see first-hand the miracles as clients regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.” -Anita

Our thanks dear Friend.

Students Give Time & Receive Huge Life Lessons

Last week a group of students from the Civic Leadership Institute came to the Franciscan Center to do a summer time day of service. Each had the opportunity to work in direct contact with the community that utilizes the programs here at the Center. Our Director of Volunteers, Michael Parker was able to really share how the programs impact the lives of people who live in our community. The students, like many in our own city, come from vastly different walks of life, and this experience seems to have left an impression.

These are the observations from the students, in their words. (These insights are from 14 to 17 year old kids who belong to Civic Leadership Institute program.) …

Student Reflections on the day at the Franciscan Center (7/5/11)

“I learned a lot today about privilege.  While working in the pantry, I gave 1 bag of food and bread to people.  When they asked for more, I wasn’t able to give more.  This made me realize how privileged I am to have unlimited access to food when I eat.  I learned a lot about myself and other communities today.”

 *             *

“I loved the experience I had at the Franciscan Center!  First of all, I had never been to a soup kitchen, so this was definitely a first-timer.  Secondly, when I was serving the people at the Center, they all tried to make conversation.  Sometimes they’d thank me, and other times they’d ask about my day.  The last part was pretty good, too.  Considering I attend a Catholic school and that Michael is a pastor, I completely understood what he was saying about dignity.  I’ve already learned that dignity is inherent, and everyone has it, because we’re all born in God’s image and likeness.  Hearing that from Michael again struck a chord in me.  That’s probably the reason why I refused to assume some truths about the people at the Franciscan Center.  I understand where Kevin was coming from, but the thing was that Michael’s words were still fresh in my head and I couldn’t ignore them.  I felt that if I assumed some things about these people, I would be disrespecting their dignity.”

*                                  *

“Going today to the soup kitchen was exciting.  I really enjoy the field experiences we get to do.  In comparison to the South Baltimore Station, I think that the Franciscan soup kitchen had many similarities, but also many differences.  The biggest difference is that there is no housing available for those who are homeless, so there’s a sense that wants me to be hopeful but really it’s kind of just a stagnant process that occurs in the soup kitchen, which is what I heard from some of the encounters my peers had; for example, how they mentioned that some of the servers saw the same people every day, even years.  Apart from that, I think that the things they do are amazing.  It’s rapid financial relief which at times can be a lifesaver; I can imagine times when my mom would have wished there were such programs where we live.“

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“I thought it was AWESOME of Michael for spending the time and effort showing us around and giving us background information about the organization.  I could tell that he is passionate about his job and truly cares for those in need.  It was a different experience than when we went to South Baltimore Station because people from this soup kitchen go for short daily visits and both men and women go.  Overall, I could tell from their simple “thank you’s” when I took their trash for them that the clients were gracious and appreciative.”

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“I think that the Franciscan Center does a lot of amazing things.  Not only does this program provide food for those struggling to get by, but it provides so much more as well.  I think that all the things that the Franciscan Center does are very important and significant – from helping to find jobs, to clothing, to simply creating a safe and secure environment.  I also really appreciate and admire the mindset of the people who work at the Franciscan Center.  I think it’s very important not to feel any superiority or pity, because that would be a degrading injustice.  The idea of everyone being a child of God conveys this message very well, and this works in the Christian setting of this center.  However this message is made clear, through the idea of God or not, it is an important one.

 *                                  *

“The effort and sweat involved in working in the clothing donation area caused me to start thinking about how much work is being doing by volunteers on a daily basis.

I really do appreciate all that the Center is doing for the community.“

 *                                  *

A good experience.  I liked serving food to the Center’s clients and helping with cleaning the dining room; and the people I interacted with were very kind and nice.

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“What struck me most during today’s experience was the concept of preserving human dignity.  The fact that the Franciscan Center tries to destroy the barrier between “the donors” and “the receivers”, and promotes the idea of equality and equal dignity.  In the context of social justice lessons, this concept reminds me of the idea of privilege, the idea that I as the privileged one owe the poor the excess I’ve been given on their account.  This led me to the realization that I was not today volunteering, but in fact paying my debt.”

  *                                  *

I give Michael a lot of credit.  His upbringing and life-journey are extremely inspiring and empowering.  His devotion is an ideal example of the hope which is needed to build thriving communities which are interdependent.

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“The first thing that really amazed me was how many programs the Center has.  At first, I thought it was only going to be a place that gave out food, but as I listened to Michael, it turned out to be so much more.  I was very impressed by how many services they had and their reasoning behind them.  For example, Michael pointed out that they pay electricity bills so that people won’t use candles and cause destructive widespread fires.  Hearing this made me realize that the Center’s services had many motives and that they have really thought everything through.  It also reinforced the idea that having people in  volunteering as helping a person in need but also helping themselves, more people would help to make a change in our society.

I found all of the volunteers to be friendly, and Michael was extremely welcoming.  I felt that the patrons’ immediate needs were being met well.  I think the Center is a wonderful place, and I admire their progress toward teaching their patrons how to fish via Attire to Hire and mock interviews.  I find the Center to be a welcoming place for everyone and everyone’s dignity is respected.  I think the Center provides a place of salvation for the community.  I think their efforts are effective but people may need more help.  I hope the Franciscan Center continues to help their community.”

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“I hadn’t thought about the fact that people experiencing homelessness need suits to get a job, and I have pondered before how they are supposed to get jobs without a mailing address.  I thought these programs at the Franciscan Center were really genius.  I don’t think that the homeless shelter I’ve volunteered at back home has such programs.  I think that those are good ideas to carry back to my hometown.”

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How are you giving back to your community? What lessons are you learning today? Our hope is that each person that gives time, talent, and treasure to the Center can take much more valuable lessons home, and use them every day.

If you would like to volunteer, or would like information on group and coorporate volunteer opportunities, please contact Michael Parker at MParker@fcbmore.org or 410.467.5340 ext 113

Fresh Food Options for EVERY Person

The word is getting out. Last month alone we served over 7000 meals to hungry people here in Baltimore. You heard me, over SEVEN THOUSAND!  But, what makes lunch different at the Franciscan Center is… well… not to brag… because we couldn’t do it without help… but lunch here is…

… so very delicious.  Because it is made with fresh, veggies and fruits.

We need you! Have a few hours here and there? Looking for a way to impact your community? Come volunteer at the Center!

Hard Choices, Healing, & Re-Defining Our Gifts

I’ve said it, you’ve said it. We have all heard it at one time or another.

‘Every person has gifts, and we should share those gifts with our world.’

But what happens when what you thought was your gift, your way of giving back, is taken from you? Is that it? Do you have nothing else to give?

George Halpin’s gift was working with children. Bringing health and healing to kids and families here in Baltimore. As a pediatrician for years at Sinai’s GreenSpring Pediatrics, then for a little bit at the ParkWest Health Center, Dr. Halpin was able to use the gifts he worked for years to learn to impact thousands of little ones; in addition to outpatient care, he also worked for many years against lead poisoning in kids, both in New Jersey and in Baltimore.

Last summer Dr. Halpin’s gift, along with much of the life that he had built was taken from him by a stroke. Like many survivors of strokes Dr. Halpin has had to relearn much of what we all take for granted. But this story isn’t about that aspect of his healing. It is about looking ‘sudden change’ in the face, understanding that the gift he lived his life to give, was no longer an option. Dr. Halpin had to ask himself the question that isn’t easily answered, “Is this it? Do I have nothing else to give?”

Hard moments in life happen to everyone; and we all have the opportunity to choose how we react and heal from those changes. Every day the Center welcomes people from our community that are in the midst of hardship and tragic changes. The stories are at once heart breaking and empowering in so many ways. But, it really comes down to how we take those moments, and how we make the sometimes daily choices we must make: to get out of bed, to breath, to try. And yes, to give back.

Within those daily choices George Halpin, MD, became George Halpin, Baker.

 

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It was in the kitchen that George became acquainted with the new gift he would be sharing. Surrounded by the warm smell of hot yeast,  sifted flour, and molding pan after pan of homemade crusty bread George began to heal. But baking bread for himself wasn’t in-line with the legacy of giving to people that he has natualy built. So, in April of this past year Dr. Halpin’s bread began to come to the Franciscan Center. Where it is welcomed with open hearts and given, through our emergency pantry, to those in our city who can’t afford groceries.

George makes three or four batches of bread a week, each batch is five loaves. Much like the diverse community that we have the opportunity to work with, each loaf is unique, some are more crusty, some soft, others have a darker shade of golden color. All of them beautiful. All of them needed. All of them a gift.

While it is apparent to those who know Dr. Halpin that he considers himself fortunate, he and his wife have advance degrees, are able to maintain life without his income, and have good medical insurance. They have a strong web of support, and the gift of each other. In his mind he isn’t a hero or a victim, but a man working hard to rebuild, dealing with the struggles that come with such large life changes.

What is beautiful is that George Halpin did what many of us try, and sometimes succeed at doing: He made the hard choice, and redefined his gift. He’s not squishing tummies any more, but he is making lots of bread.

Look around you. There are people in need. Think outside of what you normally do, and let’s find new ways to help those people. Let’s take the inspiration that is Dr. Halpin, and make it our own. Let’s do something good for others today. You never know, you may just do something good for yourself at the same time.

Children’s Library for the Center a Volunteers Legacy

by, Judy Dobson

(Director of Responsive Services at the Franciscan Center, and dear friend of Mary’s.)

Periodically, a quotation becomes popular and it is then seen everywhere – on mugs, plaques, and in gift shops – and we become immune to its meaning, to the true message that it is hoping to convey. Just such a quotation truly is applicable to the influence that Mary Fetting has had here at the Franciscan Center. But, rather than being immune to it, I think all of us would agree that we are not unaware of her impact on our lives. That quote:

Some people come into our lives and quietly go; others stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts and we are NEVER the same.

In the two years that mary has volunteered at the Center, she has done so much and touched so many – staff, volunteers and clients. Coming from a private practive in which she counseled primarily middle to upper class clients, she had no trouble at all relating to the poor, marginalized and broken people who come through our doors everyday.

Her warmth, grace and genuineness drew clients to her and in very brief contacts with them, she learned their stories. (who knew that one of our long time clients has a long work history as a jockey? Or that another client had played semi-pro football in Europe before experiencing problems with his vision? Mary did!) She discovered their troubles and recognized their uniqueness and their goodness.

Her personal friend who has worked at Baltimore City DSS for decades told her, “Now you’re doing REAL social work.” when she found out about Mary’s volunteer work here. It was not unusal for Mary to go the extra mile for her clients – bringing in household items for them, slipping them a few dollars (which she knew wasn’t suppose to happen), getting her grandson to go with her to a client’s home to hook up a TV and even returning to that client’s home when he was in danger of being evicted to help him organize and clean up the place.

She began to frequent the Dollar Tree on Joppa Road, (and loved it), first bringing in candy for the clients – Tootsie Pops for the kids; ultimately she began to buy children’s books to give to her ‘little mothers,’ as she called the young women who met with her. She urged them to read to their children.

From this beginning came her move to ask her niece, Mary Daley, who works at Bryn Mawr School to seek donations of books for the children of the Franciscan Center. At Christmas she became a one-woman Santa’s workshop; buying gift bags to fill with candy, small treats, and books for children.

And now, today, we gather here at Mary’s library, a beautiful legacy which she leaves us – a quiet, safe, peaceful setting where our children can learn to explore and expand their worlds through books and learn to love reading as much as Mary does.

Mary knew everyone on the staff from maintenance to administration, from volunteers to fellow interviewers and called us by name. With true interest she asked us about our lives and our stories. She mentored us, taught us, validated us, helped us in every way possible. Mary genuinely cared about us. And we knew it!

She always wanted to learn more and had mastered filling in at the second floor receptionist desk, and just before she left us, had learned how to acess the BGE website to screen clients for eligibility for a complicated grant – a fact of which she was so proud!

Mary shared her family with us, involving her grandson and granddaughter in direct service with our clients, bringing her son to visit the Center. She told us stories about her children and grandchildren, and her love for, and pride in her family was tangible.

There are so many wonderful things to say about Mary, but I’ll conclude by saying;

She came into our lives, stayed a while, and left footprints on our hearts. And we are forever thankful that she did!

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These are the thoughts Judy Dobson shared about her dear friend Mary at the dedication of the Mary Fetting Children’s Library a few weeks ago. Our beloved Mary went home to be with her Creator yesterday evening. Our love and thoughts are with the Fetting and Lacy family, and all those who had the opportunity to be touched by this remarkable woman.

I want to tell you about my friend…

This story isn’t something you will read about in the newspaper, or see in the 5 o’clock headlines. It is about a quiet woman who made the choice to rebuild her life, and to find happiness in the smallest of ways.

Debbie Duke Davis, or Deedee as we all know her, started volunteering at the Center in 2008. She began on the lunch line, portioning out food to the hundreds of people who live in our community. When she first started, another Debbie who works here asked Deedee if she wanted to get lunch.

She answered, “Well, I think I’m here to give what I can to the Center, not to take from it.”

And give she has. Deedee has been the face of stability since she began. In 2009 she moved to the 3rd floor and began working with the administration staff by helping with computer tracking of donations, and preparing thank-you letters to our donors. It is within this little cubicle tucked away, that she quietly made the work that we do here, day in and day out possible. Her contribution isn’t something that is often thought about as important, but in reality is rather essential.

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How many people have you come into contact with who give what they have, quietly, humbly, joyfully? Never has Deedee asked for a ‘thank-you’ or any form of recognition. In contrast she often said thank you for giving her the opportunity to be a part of our lives.

Deedee’s commute to work is the shortest in history. After losing her husband, she found herself unable to hold on to her home and was for a time homeless. Deedee is a mother of two children, of whom she is fiercely proud, she is educated, and if you are around her enough to see her come out of her shy exterior, you would find a deeply introspective and funny woman. She doesn’t quite fit the mold of what most think homeless should look like.

Choosing to be a mother that her children could look up to, and a woman who could look herself in the mirror, Deedee worked hard to rebuild her life. And for the last few years she has been living at the Jenkins House on Maryland Avenue, a home run by The Woman’s Housing Collation.

I’ve bumped into Deedee often on my way into work, when she was pitching in, by cleaning up trash around her home. Living at the Jenkins House enabled Deedee to not only have a bed and a safe place to sleep, but it offered her independence, and community. One of her housemates, told me today that Deedee’s desire to be involved in the work at the Center has always inspired her. That until now she was okay with just watching, but no more. Now she wants to get involved too.

There are so many stories to share about this beautiful woman. But it is in the blank spaces that I find the most meaning. Soft spoken, sweet, giving, quietly steadfast, able to find joy and contentment in the present. Her ability to see the most simple as a blessing. Things we should all learn, and make them parts of our lives.

Deedee passed away this past weekend. Her sudden departure leaves more than a blank space, but a gaping hole where we struggle to find understanding.  It is often said that the lessons learned and love given will never be lost though time passes. For the lessons I’ve learned, and the love that she gave me, I can say that will be true.

The Baltimore Sun’s Obituary

Prepositions, Adverbs, and Social Change

Working ‘With’ Our Community, not ‘For’

A YouTube video that was shared with us on Twitter pointed out the need for outreach organizations to remember that we work with our poor, not for them. It is just a simple term, a small word, but when you change that preposition from ‘for’ to ‘with’ all of a sudden the entire company or organization can change.

As with every change, it begins within ourselves. We choose to move our thoughts, actions and words a little, and then the ripple effect emanates from us. When we do that as a group, the tides of change can be overwhelming, and beautiful.

We believe in working with, and working for the economically disenfranchised, the homeless, and the forgotten. The Center has over four decades of listening to our community. Without their voices in our daily activities, we wouldn’t be able to mold programs that actually help their lives. The shift toward programs that partner with many of our community outreaches, and networks is something that the Center has been focusing on this past year and a half.

Programs offered at the Center continue to change and grow. With the understanding that true growth and sustainability comes from direct involvement, the Center continues to look for innovative ways to include our clients. Their voice is what moves the organizational changes needed to meet the needs of our low-income community.

The commitment to involve our clients in the operations of the Franciscan Center can be seen on every level.  Our Board of Directors consists of six Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi, along with the son of a former client.  In addition, of our nineteen member staff, seven were former clients.  Our Director of Food Services, Kim, a former client, is currently in her last year of study to obtain a degree in Social Work, her goal is to work with area families to help them escape poverty, and to be an inspiration to her children and grandchild. She isn’t just working for our community, she is working with. And her passion for it radiates from her daily choices, words and actions.

In addition, the Director of Empowerment Services, now works to develop programs which teach computer skills, and resume building. She also networks with local agencies to help current clients find employment, and has set up a system where she can track clients as they enter the employment arena so that she may continue to help them increase their job skills.

Recently the Center launched a new program called Attire 4 Hire. This program is a direct result of a need voiced by our clients for proper clothing for job interviews and new employment. The Franciscan Center, through the help of client volunteers and local students, has renovated a space at the Center, and now has a boutique with donated ‘recycled’ suits and business wear, which is enabling our clients to look for employment on the same level as persons not living in poverty; all the while increasing self-awareness and personal dignity.  This is just one example of the many growths the Center has experienced, directly due to client involvement. The partnerships that have been created through this outreach program work to strengthen both the Center, the programs we offer, and Baltimore as a whole. Genesis Jobs, Suited to Succeed, Baltimore Fashion Alliance, The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), all working together to promote job growth in our city.

In addition to our board members, and paid staff, the Center’s volunteer base is also made up of many current and former clients. Without which many programs would not be possible. For example  John, a formerly homeless man, and recovering addict, has been instrumental in helping the Center open its doors on Fridays, by volunteering his time and working as a leader for other volunteers, thus enabling us to offer a warm, safe environment, and a meal five days a week, instead of four.  John recently shared with another volunteer that the Center is the one place where he is trusted to make decisions about the task at hand, and his opinions respected. When other volunteers fail to show up, John is there.

Another way the Franciscan Center has been able to increase community development and promote effective, sustainable families is through a partnership with The MOED. The Franciscan Center currently has three staff members that work through a job placement program, and this partnership.  This program enables individuals to grow their current skill set, and learn new skills through on the job training. These staff members are of the low-income to very low-income status and their income is paid through the Mayor’s Office; thus allowing the Center to offer job training, increasing our capacity and reach within our programs, work to strengthen the lives of both the clients working here, and those utilizing our services, all while not adding the cost of employment to the Center.

Words have power. Such a small preposition, and look at its effect on the city of Baltimore, and the lives of the thousands of people we work with every year!

What word can you change to make your environment more inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable?

More info on who we spoke about? Check them out!

Baltimore Fashion Alliance

Suited to Succeed

Mayors Office of Employment Development

The YouTube video that prompted this post: http://www.hughlh.com/ministry-with-the-poor/

Attire 4 Hire

Want to know more about Attire 4 Hire? Check out the video, and follow the program on Facebook and Twitter

Sacred Meals: When Food Means Liberation and Redemption

by: Ed McNally,

Executive Director, Franciscan Center

  “This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your

staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD.” Ex. 12:11

These words from the Book of Exodus are powerful for me.  They are evocative of many images from childhood.  They are part of my recollections of Holy Week spent in our parish church.  While serving as an altar boy I would listen and hear the biblical stories.  I would assist with ancient rituals composed around fire and water, smoke and oils, bread and wine, liberation and redemption.   Christians and Jews share these stories as evidence of God’s power and love for us throughout history.  The Exodus God is the pillar of fire and cloud that leads Israel out of slavery and into freedom; God is the One who hears the cry of the poor and the oppressed and acts mightily to save them.  For Christians, the association of Jesus’ suffering and death with Passover merits him the exalted title: Lamb of God.    It is wonderful to think that both faith traditions represent and recall God’s desire to save us in the most human and essential act of eating.

Sharing a meal:  That’s how so many people of faith know and experience God.  It has been that way for thousands of years.  We come together as people of faith and we tell stories and recall history; we ritualize and make sacred our food and drink.  We make a meal the fullest and most eloquent encounter with Divinity.  We feast on, and are nourished by, God’s love.  There doesn’t have to be a lot of theology around it.  The philosophical constructs and intellectual categories used to explain how a meal can be holy are almost pointless.  For most of us, it is crystal clear.  All one needs to do is watch a young couple in love sharing a romantic dinner, or see an elderly couple gaze at each other across the table at their anniversary and you will know you are on holy ground.  Observe a family enjoying a child’s birthday celebration at a local pizza parlor; hear the laughter and see the smiles and you sense something good, something spiritual about it all.  More often than we realize, our meals are encounters with God.  The act of eating and sustaining our bodies cannot be separated from our spirits.  The biblical authors knew this well and constantly remind us that our meals are spiritual.  Our food and drink have consequences.

Nowhere is this more evident to me than in the dining room at 101 West 23^rd Street in Baltimore, Maryland: The Franciscan Center.  In fact, no place has so much shown me the meaning of the words quoted above from Exodus.  The men and women who come into the Center for a meal often “eat as those in flight.”  Quickly, a hot lunch is consumed before….going back into the desert.

Many of the people that sit down for lunch are poor in ways I will never be.  Some have serious mental illness, yet they know to eat and nourish the body and keep the divine spark aflame.  Maybe one day the slavery of mental illness will be ended for them.  Many are drug addicted and alcoholic, but need to eat to survive for the next fix.  Maybe someday the chains of addiction will be broken for them.  Some will sleep on the streets.  Others will go home to a family with too many bills and not enough food.  Perhaps, one day, please God, there will be work for them so that they can feed their children and make their dwelling a home.

It is a sacred meal.  Every day we serve the poor we acknowledge God present in them and we receive from them the acknowledgment that the biblical message of liberation and redemption is still valid, still needed and still potent and effective.  Why else would so many people here and across the world face the struggle day in and day out?  We are born to live.  We are born to embrace life and live it fully.  The days spent with the poor remind me that life is always a sacred event – even the shortest, meanest, most troubled life.  Indeed perhaps even more so than a long and trouble free life.  Because it is there in the struggle of a human being that you can really see it.  It is when you see a cold hand take a hot bowl of soup and relish a piece of bread that you realize just how strong the human spirit is – just how close to God we really are.

Its places like the dining room of a soup kitchen that we can really see the biblical images brought to life.  Images of a people oppressed receiving something liberating, redeeming, and sustaining: Food and Drink.  It is holy.  At the Franciscan Center in Baltimore, a beautiful mural spans one wall and proclaims “you are blessed.”  Yes, we are, we are indeed blessed: blessed by the poor.  Because with them and from them comes the fulfillment of the great promise made in Exodus.

“I have witnessed the affliction of my people and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.” Ex. 3:7

… This is the Passover of the LORD, the Passover of the LORD, the Passover of the LORD…

Have a blessed Passover and a Happy Easter.