I know, I know....Last week was supposed to be Thea and my last blog, and, when I wrote mine, I thought it would be the last one. By last Thursday evening, I was in "advanced wind-down" mode: Thea and I would be leaving for home on Saturday and I was working my penultimate meal. Then, a true miracle occurred. Here's how it happened.
I was doing one of my favorite jobs -- lineup. It involves organizing our guests in a line and sending them into the dining room in an orderly fashion. Since it was nearly my last day of work, many of the guests greeted me, saying how much they had enjoyed getting to know Thea and I over the past 10 months. It was a really nice experience, and the evening was flowing along well. By 5:30, the line was beginning to shorten up when, all at once, I saw a striking young women enter the yard. She was very beautiful, dressed very nicely, and, obviously to my eye, was a prostitute, but she was not one of our neighborhood's "working girls". In fact, I had never seen her before.
As she approached the head of the line, I thought how sad it was for such a beautiful, apparently intelligent, young women to be "on the street". I imagined her father/mother grieving for her and the life she had chosen. As she approached the head of the line, I examined her closely -- she was drowsy, very drowsy, and in fact was almost falling asleep on her feet -- a sure sign of heroin.
She got to the second position in line. In a few seconds, I knew that I would be sending her in to eat. All at once, "little voice" inside of me that I often hear at critical times said "You must do something about this. This is your chance to help this girl -- do it, RIGHT NOW!"
Feeling a little embarrassed, I bent down to her (she was much shorter than I), looked her in the eye and said: "You are too pretty and young to be living like this. You must get off the street." She began to cry and between sobs said: "I know, I want to get off the street. I want to get into a rehab program." I asked her: "Are you ready to do it now?" She said, "Yes", and I told her that my name was Mark and that she should come see me after she finished eating. I sent her into the dining room. The whole encounter had taken, what, maybe 45 seconds.
About 20 minutes later, she emerged from the dining room and walked right up to me. In the interim, I had consulted with Karen, the St. Francis Inn's staff lawyer, who advised me to take the young women to the Worker's Clinic up the street. Since I was busy with line up job, I asked one of the FVMs -- Leo -- to escort her to the clinic. He did, but after a few minutes, the little voice was back: "Go to the clinic and be with her", it told me. "She needs your help."
And so I went to the clinic and found the young women sitting on a bench, waiting to be seen.
I went to Mary Beth, head of the clinic, and explained the situation. Then, I sat next to the young women. I asked her: "What is your name?". "Courtney". "How old are you?" "27". "What drug are you on right now?" "Heroin." "How did you end up here?" Through tears, she explained that she was a college graduate with a nursing certification and that she had been living with her mother. Things were going OK, but then, her mother unexpectedly died, and unable to cope, Courtney had turned to drugs. For the past few months, she'd been "bouncing around" in various homes of friends, semi-friends, and acquaintances. Several weeks ago, she had run into "an old man friend" who said that he would "help her". The "help" turned out to be a night job working the streets. "How did you get away?" I asked. "I told him I was going out to the store, and I just kept walking. I walked a long way." " How did you find the St. Francis Inn", I asked. She replied, "I was really hungry. I asked some of the street people where I could find food, and they directed me to the Inn. I have never been there before this evening." Then she said something chilling: "If I had stayed with that man, I was a dead woman!"
The story rang true to me. Thea and I had gone to a seminar at St. Joseph's University in February on human trafficking, and knew that there were many young women in similar situations in Philly. The Kensington neighborhood was specifically mentioned as a center for this activity, and, we had been asked to be "on the lookout" for young women in trouble. I realized that, subconsciously, I had been doing exactly that.
By now, it was about 6:15 and Courtney was taken upstairs to be interviewed. She was gone a long time and then Johanna, one of the medical staff who had interviewed Courtney, came down and motioned me to the back of the clinic. Johanna said:"In all my years at this clinic, I have never met such a delightful young women. She's beautiful, educated, and well mannered, but she is at a critical moment in her life. We have got to get her into a detox facility this evening. If we wait until tomorrow, she may change her mind, and the opportunity will be lost."
The clinic would be closing in ten minutes, and I knew that Thea and I had dinner plans with Karen. BUT, someone had to help Courtney. Left to her own devices, she would soon be back out on the street. And so, I called Thea on the cell phone, explained the situation, and asked her and Karen to meet Courtney and me at the entrance to the clinic. About 15 minutes later, we were heading the to the detox center about two miles from the Inn.
One of the centerpieces of our national medical overhaul debate has to do with universal coverage and the availability of medical care to those in need. I saw this firsthand with Courtney. When we tried to check her into the detox center, she was rejected, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD INSURANCE! Unfortunately, it was a company that this facility did not do business with. Undaunted, Karen, Thea, and I drove her into downtown Philly to the Jefferson Hospital ER. Courtney had been there six month before -- also for drug treatment -- and we knew that she should still be in the system.
When we arrived -- by now it was 8 PM on a Thursday night -- the ER was in full swing. There were, perhaps, 100 people waiting to be seen. Using my best administrator's voice, but aware that the Triage Nurse was being bombarded from all sides by needy people, I explained the situation. The nurse typed in Courtney's name, and if by magic, her insurance information came up and we were admitted to the ER. As we sat there, Courtney said, "You are all angels. I can't thank you enough for staying with me and bringing me here."
Within a few minutes, one of the Intake nurses took Courtney into an interview room. After about 10 minutes, the door opened and the Nurse motioned me inside. Based on Courtney's story, the hospital would take her in for the night and in the morning, evaluate her and (perhaps) place her in a detox center. After getting a promise from the Intake Nurse that Courtney would not be put out on the street that night, I gave Courtney a hug and left. Amidst her tears, she told me: "I can never repay what you have done for me tonight." I scribbled my phone number on a piece of scrap paper, told her to call me if I could help further, and then Karen, Thea, and I went to dinner -- about two hours later than originally planned!
Over the meal, I asked Karen what she thought Courtney's chances were. Karen replied that, given the fact that Courtney had not been on the street long and that her addiction was relatively short, she might have "as high as a 50/50 chance" of escaping from this life style. "Most of the prostitutes", Karen said, "are so dependent on drugs that there is virtually no chance of escaping."
I went to bed that evening, praying that God would be with Courtney, and that He would give her the strength to go through the detox process and to turn her life around. At 11:30 PM, my cell phone rang. It was the Psychiatrist at Jefferson Hospital, asking if I could give her any additional information on Courtney. I told the doctor what little I knew, and she told me that Courtney would probably be admitted to one of their rehab programs the next day. I thanked the doctor and tried to go back to sleep with limited success.
Thea and I worked at the Inn on Friday and then left for NC on Saturday. The weekend was filled with seeing our daughter Angela and her family and with the baptism of our newest granddaughter, Reese. By Sunday afternoon, we were back home and dealing with all the homecoming issues -- AC not working, unpacking boxes of household items, and, in general, getting our Hickory lives started again. Even as I worked on the household chores, Courtney was never far from my mind. I prayed for her every day and wondered where she was. Had the hospital admitted her to the rehab program? Had she stayed or given up and gone back out on the street? Would I ever learn what happened to her?
Then, this afternoon (Wednesday), the most remarkable thing happened: I got a voicemail from Courtney! She thanked me again for what I had done for her and left me a return telephone number. I called back and eventually reached her. She's finishing up her detox -- the heroin withdrawal was horrible -- and tomorrow will go to a rehab center for a (minimum) two week treatment. She told me that, although she'd failed the last time in her attempt to get off drugs, this time she would make it. "I want to go back to school, get married, and have a family", she told me. "This is my last chance." And then she said, "None of this would have happened without you, Mark. I owe all of this to you." We agreed to stay in touch; I encouraged her to establish a support system of friends to help her during this critical time; we exchanged contact information; and I rang off.
Will Courtney be successful this time in breaking her addiction to drugs? I don't know. Will she be able to turn her life around and reach her goals of being a nurse, wife, and mother. I don't know that either. Will we stay in touch and will I be able to support her from afar? Don't know that either.
But I do know this: truly the Lord worked through me last Thursday night to give this young woman another chance at life. I pray that she will take it. And I feel so thankful, joyful, and elated that God would choose me to be, in this small way, His hands, feet, and arms. One final comment: isn't it amazing that when we least expect it, He comes. I mean, I had been at St. Francis Inn for upwards of 300 days and it was on the next to last one -- when I was practically out the door -- that this miracle happened.
God surely does work in mysterious ways!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Final Blog-Mark
Friday will be Thea and my last working day at the St. Francis Inn, and Saturday, after going to one final Mass, we will leave Philadelphia to return to our “normal” life in Hickory. As the end of our ten-month stay here rapidly approaches, it is probably a good time for me to do an evaluation of the experience.
Our stay here has been wonderful. I have grown spiritually and emotionally, and it is sad to think that this chapter in our lives will soon be over. I have benefitted from the regular schedule, a life of service, and the presence of other committed team members and volunteers. While it is true that the work we have done here is mainly menial (washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, bagging bread, and the like), the fact that we are doing these tasks to help others has made a great difference. As I mopped floors or swept the trash up in the Inn’s yard, I can honestly say that I was offering up those menial tasks to God and to His service. For sure there was also the perfectionism element that is present in everything I do: I certainly wanted it to be the very cleanest yard on the entire street, or wanted me to be the fastest dishwasher the Inn’s staff had ever seen!!! However, perhaps for the first time in my life, I was involved in situations where the main goal was service to others, without any possibility of advancement (financial, promotion, prestige) for me. This was very freeing and gratifying to me. It was a privilege to be able to serve others without the possibility of being paid back.
But, of course, we WERE paid back in countless ways. There was the incredible peace and satisfaction of knowing in your heart that you are being God’s instrument. When I would tell one of our guests that I would pray for him or her, I meant it and always followed through. There were a number of instances when I encountered a guest in crisis and was able to offer at least a word or sympathetic presence that, I believe, helped him or her get through. I don’t want to emphasize that too much. Compared to the core team members, most of whom have been here twenty years or more, Thea and I could not address most of the needs of guests beyond basics. However, we did what we could and gave freely of the talents we had, and that felt good.
Our time here has taught me a lot about others and about myself. When Thea and I first drove into the Kensington neighborhood, I was frightened. I looked upon the “street people” as blobs who slept on my doorstep or as threatening, sinister people to be avoided. Over the past months, I have learned that “street people” are just that – PEOPLE. Each of them has a story, often sad, frequently linked to drugs or alcohol abuse, and each of them is precious in the sight of the Lord. I now see that each of these “blobs” is just a valuable to God as Thea and I are. We are no better or worse than they – we have simply had more breaks along the way and now are called to give back, in thanksgiving for what God has done for us, to others who are less fortunate.
I have learned that the homeless in Kensington are just like any other population of people: some are wonderful; others are nice; and still others are bad news. Most say “Thank you” and “God Bless You” when we serve them, but others can be exceedingly irritating and demanding --- sort of like my family members or museum boards (just kidding!!!)
I have been truly inspired by the St. Francis charism and by the core team members here. Beginning with Brother Xavier (28 years) through Fr. Michael (23 years) and Sisters Mary and Leslie (22 years) and to the lay team members Barbara (20 years), Karen (19 years) and Judy (8 years), their level of commitment and service is unbelievable. They are true saints on earth – each caring for the guests in different ways and using their gifts to ease the pain and suffering of others. Like any community, the team is a mixture of personalities from the very organized (Mary, Leslie, Fred) to the more relaxed and spontaneous (Fr. Michael, Br. Xavier). On numerous occasions I have seen these team members hold their tongues and curb their natural tendencies to follow the leadership of another team member with a different style. I can tell you from personal experience that this is difficult to do: it is difficult to “die to self” so that the overall task may be accomplished in a manner that is acceptable to all.
This has been, perhaps, the best lesson of all for me. When we first arrived at the Inn, I approached the jobs we were given to do in the same way that I ran two science centers: we are organized; we move quickly, efficiently using checklists; and we utilize the talents of those around us to the maximum benefit. AND, we always say “Thank you!” and “Good job!” even if the person did a poor job.
Looking back, I have to smile – at least I got the last part – saying “Thanks” and “Good Job!” right! Most of the time, my emphasis on the tasks was important, but my nurturing of our volunteers (many of whom were students, young and inexperienced) was more important. Having them leave the Inn with a positive feeling about their experience was paramount, and I learned, over time, to insure that this happened.
So, in the end, Mark became a “kinder, gentler” team member, more prone to compliment, less inclined to criticize, and more aware of all of God’s blessings in my life. Add in the fact that I came here with lingering prostate cancer and a serious GI infection and am leaving in the peak of health, I would have to say that it has been a GREAT year.
God bless all of you who have faithfully read our blogs over the past ten months: we love all of you!
Our stay here has been wonderful. I have grown spiritually and emotionally, and it is sad to think that this chapter in our lives will soon be over. I have benefitted from the regular schedule, a life of service, and the presence of other committed team members and volunteers. While it is true that the work we have done here is mainly menial (washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, bagging bread, and the like), the fact that we are doing these tasks to help others has made a great difference. As I mopped floors or swept the trash up in the Inn’s yard, I can honestly say that I was offering up those menial tasks to God and to His service. For sure there was also the perfectionism element that is present in everything I do: I certainly wanted it to be the very cleanest yard on the entire street, or wanted me to be the fastest dishwasher the Inn’s staff had ever seen!!! However, perhaps for the first time in my life, I was involved in situations where the main goal was service to others, without any possibility of advancement (financial, promotion, prestige) for me. This was very freeing and gratifying to me. It was a privilege to be able to serve others without the possibility of being paid back.
But, of course, we WERE paid back in countless ways. There was the incredible peace and satisfaction of knowing in your heart that you are being God’s instrument. When I would tell one of our guests that I would pray for him or her, I meant it and always followed through. There were a number of instances when I encountered a guest in crisis and was able to offer at least a word or sympathetic presence that, I believe, helped him or her get through. I don’t want to emphasize that too much. Compared to the core team members, most of whom have been here twenty years or more, Thea and I could not address most of the needs of guests beyond basics. However, we did what we could and gave freely of the talents we had, and that felt good.
Our time here has taught me a lot about others and about myself. When Thea and I first drove into the Kensington neighborhood, I was frightened. I looked upon the “street people” as blobs who slept on my doorstep or as threatening, sinister people to be avoided. Over the past months, I have learned that “street people” are just that – PEOPLE. Each of them has a story, often sad, frequently linked to drugs or alcohol abuse, and each of them is precious in the sight of the Lord. I now see that each of these “blobs” is just a valuable to God as Thea and I are. We are no better or worse than they – we have simply had more breaks along the way and now are called to give back, in thanksgiving for what God has done for us, to others who are less fortunate.
I have learned that the homeless in Kensington are just like any other population of people: some are wonderful; others are nice; and still others are bad news. Most say “Thank you” and “God Bless You” when we serve them, but others can be exceedingly irritating and demanding --- sort of like my family members or museum boards (just kidding!!!)
I have been truly inspired by the St. Francis charism and by the core team members here. Beginning with Brother Xavier (28 years) through Fr. Michael (23 years) and Sisters Mary and Leslie (22 years) and to the lay team members Barbara (20 years), Karen (19 years) and Judy (8 years), their level of commitment and service is unbelievable. They are true saints on earth – each caring for the guests in different ways and using their gifts to ease the pain and suffering of others. Like any community, the team is a mixture of personalities from the very organized (Mary, Leslie, Fred) to the more relaxed and spontaneous (Fr. Michael, Br. Xavier). On numerous occasions I have seen these team members hold their tongues and curb their natural tendencies to follow the leadership of another team member with a different style. I can tell you from personal experience that this is difficult to do: it is difficult to “die to self” so that the overall task may be accomplished in a manner that is acceptable to all.
This has been, perhaps, the best lesson of all for me. When we first arrived at the Inn, I approached the jobs we were given to do in the same way that I ran two science centers: we are organized; we move quickly, efficiently using checklists; and we utilize the talents of those around us to the maximum benefit. AND, we always say “Thank you!” and “Good job!” even if the person did a poor job.
Looking back, I have to smile – at least I got the last part – saying “Thanks” and “Good Job!” right! Most of the time, my emphasis on the tasks was important, but my nurturing of our volunteers (many of whom were students, young and inexperienced) was more important. Having them leave the Inn with a positive feeling about their experience was paramount, and I learned, over time, to insure that this happened.
So, in the end, Mark became a “kinder, gentler” team member, more prone to compliment, less inclined to criticize, and more aware of all of God’s blessings in my life. Add in the fact that I came here with lingering prostate cancer and a serious GI infection and am leaving in the peak of health, I would have to say that it has been a GREAT year.
God bless all of you who have faithfully read our blogs over the past ten months: we love all of you!
Final Blog-Thea
In the “Wizard of Oz,” before Dorothy taps her heels and returns home, Glinda the Good Witch asks her what she has learned. In this final blog, I (Thea) want to share with you what I learned in my 10 months at the St. Francis Inn.
First of all, I learned that voluntary poverty is not so bad. Yes, it was really hot the last month without air conditioning. But I taught for years in Florida without AC and we lived without it for a number of years in our house. When we own things, the things end up owning us. We had only one car, and we only used it on our day off when we went to New Jersey for birding. Otherwise, we walked or took public transportation everywhere. We had no yard to concern us, got our books from the library and bread, desserts and some meat and vegetables from the Inn. We had to decide each week what we would do with our money, and we couldn’t do everything. For example, if we went out to eat, half of our week’s money would be blown, and that meant little money for gas or food. So we had to prioritize our wants and look for free activities in the city. Planning what to do with our free time was an event in itself. However, our poverty was VOLUNTARY. Our guests sometimes are not just without air conditioning, but have no electricity. We had the luxury of one car; they walked from the bus stop with canes and walkers. My challenge upon returning to Hickory is going to be living more simply so that resources can be available to others in our country and elsewhere.
By living next door to the Inn, we were surrounded by poor and homeless people both day and night. The effect of being poor and serving our brothers and sisters is far different from driving in from a middle class neighborhood and doing service. Barricades are removed and I found that I was much more empathetic with those in need, as well as they were more trusting of me. I learned there really is such a thing as “ministry of presence.” I hope I can avoid an “us and them” mentality in the future.
Secondly, I found that making systemic change among the urban poor is really hard. The reasons that people are coming to the Inn are as varied as the individuals themselves. Some are addicts, some mentally ill, some have serious illnesses or physical disabilities. If the people were plugged into the social service infrastructure of Philadelphia, it was still difficult for them to get to their appointments on time using public transportation or even call for appointments. The people who were supposed to help them were overworked at best, and apathetic at worst. One of my frustrations during my time at the Inn was that I was not instructed as to the resources available in the community, so if I did encounter someone with needs, I rarely knew where they were to be referred. Several of the Team at the Inn did have this knowledge, and they were generally the ones who took care of the office during the day and could assist the guests as far as the system allowed. When people are powerless and undereducated, they need an advocate who can help them navigate through the labyrinth of agencies.
Thirdly, I realized that the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. When people don’t know anyone who is poor or homeless, they are afraid of them and avoid them out of fear. The same rule applies to people of different races, ethnicities and faiths. Because of my experience here, I will never look at a homeless person in the same way. If people had the opportunity to spend time with those they fear, like immigrants, Muslims, liberals or conservatives, we would not be hearing the harsh diatribes that currently beset the political scene.
Fourth, I found out that many people have a generous spirit and want to help those less fortunate. The Team here is motivated to serve because of their belief in Jesus. But they want to invite others to share in their ministry and give others an opportunity to come into contact with the poor. I was heartened by the hundreds of volunteers who personally came by the Inn to serve the meals during our time here. There were countless other benefactors who donated everything the Inn uses from bread to cakes to fresh produce to dishwashing liquid. Others prayed for the needs of the Inn. It was always amazing to me (and this shows my own lack of faith) that when we were totally out of diapers or needed hot dog rolls for a meal with hot dogs, that the doorbell would ring and the needed item would be there. The many people who read our blogs and sent encouraging messages, packages to the Inn, cash donations or came in person to work have all contributed to helping the poor of Kensington.
Finally, I leave here with a sense of gratitude I never had before. I took for granted the gifts God had given me. Oh, I gave thanks for my health and the fact I always had a job, but I now see that nothing I have is my own. Everything, from my house, to my organizational skills, to my ability to teach things to people, all have been given to me by the generosity of God. It was extremely humbling to me to know that I was not in charge of my life. My response to God’s love for me has to be greater love for other people. How I am going to engage in this response is still not clear to me, but I will be open to what presents itself to me when I return home.
First of all, I learned that voluntary poverty is not so bad. Yes, it was really hot the last month without air conditioning. But I taught for years in Florida without AC and we lived without it for a number of years in our house. When we own things, the things end up owning us. We had only one car, and we only used it on our day off when we went to New Jersey for birding. Otherwise, we walked or took public transportation everywhere. We had no yard to concern us, got our books from the library and bread, desserts and some meat and vegetables from the Inn. We had to decide each week what we would do with our money, and we couldn’t do everything. For example, if we went out to eat, half of our week’s money would be blown, and that meant little money for gas or food. So we had to prioritize our wants and look for free activities in the city. Planning what to do with our free time was an event in itself. However, our poverty was VOLUNTARY. Our guests sometimes are not just without air conditioning, but have no electricity. We had the luxury of one car; they walked from the bus stop with canes and walkers. My challenge upon returning to Hickory is going to be living more simply so that resources can be available to others in our country and elsewhere.
By living next door to the Inn, we were surrounded by poor and homeless people both day and night. The effect of being poor and serving our brothers and sisters is far different from driving in from a middle class neighborhood and doing service. Barricades are removed and I found that I was much more empathetic with those in need, as well as they were more trusting of me. I learned there really is such a thing as “ministry of presence.” I hope I can avoid an “us and them” mentality in the future.
Secondly, I found that making systemic change among the urban poor is really hard. The reasons that people are coming to the Inn are as varied as the individuals themselves. Some are addicts, some mentally ill, some have serious illnesses or physical disabilities. If the people were plugged into the social service infrastructure of Philadelphia, it was still difficult for them to get to their appointments on time using public transportation or even call for appointments. The people who were supposed to help them were overworked at best, and apathetic at worst. One of my frustrations during my time at the Inn was that I was not instructed as to the resources available in the community, so if I did encounter someone with needs, I rarely knew where they were to be referred. Several of the Team at the Inn did have this knowledge, and they were generally the ones who took care of the office during the day and could assist the guests as far as the system allowed. When people are powerless and undereducated, they need an advocate who can help them navigate through the labyrinth of agencies.
Thirdly, I realized that the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. When people don’t know anyone who is poor or homeless, they are afraid of them and avoid them out of fear. The same rule applies to people of different races, ethnicities and faiths. Because of my experience here, I will never look at a homeless person in the same way. If people had the opportunity to spend time with those they fear, like immigrants, Muslims, liberals or conservatives, we would not be hearing the harsh diatribes that currently beset the political scene.
Fourth, I found out that many people have a generous spirit and want to help those less fortunate. The Team here is motivated to serve because of their belief in Jesus. But they want to invite others to share in their ministry and give others an opportunity to come into contact with the poor. I was heartened by the hundreds of volunteers who personally came by the Inn to serve the meals during our time here. There were countless other benefactors who donated everything the Inn uses from bread to cakes to fresh produce to dishwashing liquid. Others prayed for the needs of the Inn. It was always amazing to me (and this shows my own lack of faith) that when we were totally out of diapers or needed hot dog rolls for a meal with hot dogs, that the doorbell would ring and the needed item would be there. The many people who read our blogs and sent encouraging messages, packages to the Inn, cash donations or came in person to work have all contributed to helping the poor of Kensington.
Finally, I leave here with a sense of gratitude I never had before. I took for granted the gifts God had given me. Oh, I gave thanks for my health and the fact I always had a job, but I now see that nothing I have is my own. Everything, from my house, to my organizational skills, to my ability to teach things to people, all have been given to me by the generosity of God. It was extremely humbling to me to know that I was not in charge of my life. My response to God’s love for me has to be greater love for other people. How I am going to engage in this response is still not clear to me, but I will be open to what presents itself to me when I return home.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Going Away Dinner
In lieu of our regular community meal, our friends at the Inn treated us to a dinner Monday night at the Spaghetti Warehouse. Fr. Michael read a hilarious poem he wrote about the "failed man," relating how Mark had tried to get everyone to be financially organized and have a budget. They presented us with gifts including a San Damiano cross (a replica of the one in the church in Assisi) and a framed photograph of the mural that is on the back wall of the St. Francis Inn, as shown in the picture above. It will be a wonderful reminder of our service here. As our time grows shorter, we are trying to withstand the heat, clean all the appliances, and pack. In addition, they are extracting their last pound of flesh from us--Mark was a coordinator yesterday morning, I coordinated the evening shift, Mark coordinated again this evening, and I will be assistant cook tomorrow while he does pickups. Friday we both will be at the Inn, just helping get everything ready for the meal. After a stop in Raleigh Saturday night, we will be home on Sunday.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cooking for 321
I (Thea) decided last week that before I left, I wanted to be the cook for a meal. I have been assistant cook about 30 times this year, and in some cases even given the task to finish cooking when the cook had to leave early. I asked for my assignment to be on a "long" day, so that I would have plenty of time to prepare, and also when there were enough volunteers available so that I would have help with chopping and clean up.
When the schedule came out on Monday, and I was assigned as the cook for the Thursday meal. My first task was to go into the freezer and see what sort of meat and frozen food was available. There was a large amount of Italian sausage and lots of frozen french fries, so I decide to make sausage, pepper and onions, fries, fruit cocktail, and have optional tossed salad for those who like a healthier side dish. Of course, there would also be dessert and drink.
Wednesday I got the meat out to thaw and started looking at the bread as it arrived for suitable rolls. Early Thursday I laid out the cutting boards and peppers, so that as soon as Mass was over I could get started. I had two high school juniors, Maggie and Grace, as my sous chefs. We spent about two hours chopping the peppers and onions, unpacking the meat, and mixing the canned fruit for the fruit cocktail. I have been working at the Catholic Workers garden in our neighborhood, and the head gardener brought me several beautiful heads of leaf lettuce, just picked Thursday morning. It was enough for 100 side salads.
I had no idea how long the fries needed to be cooked, or at what temperature, so around 2:00 I put a pan of fries in the oven. Maggie's job was to do a taste test every 3 minutes starting with 12 minutes to determine when the fries were cooked through. It seemed 25 minutes were necessary. Also at 2 I began frying the peppers and onions in the tilt skillet. Once they were finished, I started frying the sausage. I wanted to have 200 sausages fried by the time the meal began at 4:30. In between frying, I had Maggie and Grace get the "side doors" ready--take out orders of the meal for guests that weren't allowed to eat inside or that had family members that couldn't come to the Inn for the meal.
I had 3 goals for the meal. First, I wanted the guests to have tasty food that they would like. A good indication of the quality of the meal is what is returned on the plate to the dishwasher. I could tell virtually no meat or fries were being rejected. Secondly, I wanted to have enough food for the guests. I had predicted 325 guests; we had 321. I had actually cooked 370 sausages, so I knew I was safe. Thirdly, I wanted to be able to keep up for the demand for food throughout the meal. Doing this can be tricky, because I wanted to keep serving hot food rather than cook everything ahead and then serve it. I wanted the food at 5:45 to be as fresh and hot as the food at 4:30. I was able to accomplish that goal as well.
Because I had made so much extra food, I decided to put some of the leftovers into takeout bowls and distribute it to guests at the end of the meal. Apparently the meal was too popular and a very large crowd assembled when it was announced there would be "seconds." At this point I only had Maggie as my assistant, and we were working as fast as we could to get the food to the door for distribution. However, by 6:08 the 25 take out bowls were on a cart to be given out. The only thing left to do was to clean the multitude of pans I had used and get the tilt skillet back to its original pristine condition.
I thanked my assistants, then went home and ate my supper. It was NOT sausage, pepper and onions!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"Final" Fundraising Report
This is my "penultimate" blog. A week from Saturday, Thea and I will be leaving St. Francis Inn and returning to our "real lives" back in Hickory. Each of us is planning to do one last blog next week evaluating our time here, and so you have that to look forward to (Be still my beating heart......!). However, before my "swan song", I did want to give you an accounting of our fundraising efforts, to date.
You will remember that I was appointed to the Franciscan Volunteer Ministries (FVM) Associate Board last fall. The program has been supported for 20 years by the Holy Name Province of Franciscan Friars, but because of the economic downturn, the Province had to cut its funding by $75,000 per year. Fortunately, there was a budget surplus in the FVM's account which will get it (barely) through the 2009/2010 fiscal year ending on June 30th.
Upon its formation last summer, the Associate Board was charged with two tasks. First, we had to initiate a fundraising effort where none existed before. This is not a trivial matter. The Friars definitely have adopted St. Francis' attitude that "God will provide" and for 20 years have depended entirely on charity, and more than that, have NEVER asked directly for money. Obviously, that would now have to change. Second, the Associate Board would obviously have to try to raise $75,000 (minimum) to keep the FVM program going during the 2010/11 fiscal year (beginning on July 1st).
My first Board meeting was in January, and I was surprised to learn that not much had been done to address either of these issues. Yes, the board had met in September and had discussed various ideas, but no one had moved forward with any of them. After I got over my surprise, I realized that this was a perfect calling for me. (Father Michael put it another way: "God has sent you to us in our hour of need!") As various ideas were presented or reviewed from previous meetings, I would immediately challenge people (tactfully) with a question like: "OK, sounds like a good idea. Who would like to take this on, and what is our first step in the process?" This helped to focus the discussion. At the end of the meeting, I asked: "So, what is our list of "to-do's" for the next meeting and who's responsible for each?"
It took a couple of meetings, but fairly quickly, the board organized a letter writing campaign to alumni of the FVM program. Father Michael (kicking and screaming!) signed the letters and wrote personal notes to each recipient. (Father absolutely HATES asking for money! He views it as "un-Franciscan", whatever that means.) At the March Board meeting, one of our members made a challenge grant of $12,000 --- if we could raise $12,000, he would give $12,000. Everyone was really excited now: we just needed to get going.
Next, I teamed up with another member of the Associate Board member to give a half-day fundraising seminar to train key staff and FVM alums on the art of asking for money. We gave our "FVM: Survive and Thrive Day" on Saturday, April 10th. At the end of the session, each of 16 participants committed to writing letters and calling their contacts. Phase I of our fundraising was done. I waited a couple of weeks before asking Katie Sullivan, our FVM Program Director, if we'd gotten any responses. "Why yes", she responded, "so far we've gotten in $2600!"
I was amazed, because you have to remember that most of the FVM alums are, by definition, poor. They work in the non-profit sector or for churches/Catholic schools. To raise $2600 in only two weeks from this group was phenomenal.
Our next task was to solicit the FVM Associate Board itself. Encouraged by our success with the alums, I ghost wrote a letter for Sister Kathleen, the Chair, and sent it out. Finally, I wrote ten letters to my family, Thea's family, and our immediate friends. As I mailed the letters, I said a silent prayer because this was new territory for me. In all my years of fundraising, I had never directly asked my family or Thea's family for money.
In mid-May, I got a wonderful surprise. The Maryvale Sisters had organized a "walk-a-thon" at the daycare to benefit the St. Francis Inn's FVM Program. Sister Mary Norman had told me in February that this would be happening, but I had really forgotten about it. On May 21st, we received a large envelope (registered mail, no less!) from Maryvale. I wondered why the Sisters were writing us. Upon opening it, we found delightful pictures of the "walk-a-thon" plus a check for $4,232! "Holy smokes, I thought. Every child must have walked 10 miles to raise that kind of money." Thea and I were astonished.
I took the check over to the FVM office. After the "hooting and hollering" was over, I asked Katie if we'd gotten any responses to our various mailings and she coyly said "Father Michael wants to wait until the Board meeting (scheduled for June 10th) before we give out the numbers!"
So, I waited in suspense. I wondered if the alums were continuing to send money. I wondered if the Associate Board (other than Thea and I who, of course, had sent our check the day we received our letter!!) would give. I wondered if my friends and family would respond (or if, for that matter, they were still speaking to me.)
Finally, the day arrived for the Associate Board meeting. We reviewed all of the fundraising plans to date, dealt with some governance issues, some accounting issues, and then some scheduling issues for future meetings. Finally, the moment arrived when the fundraising report was handed out. Breathlessly, we looked at the numbers:
From FVM Alums: 21 gifts totaling $4470
From Associate Bd.: 10 gifts totaling $1877
From "Friends" of Alums and Board members: 26 gifts totaling $8,933
From Matching Gift: $12,000
From Father Michael's "contacts" and family: $45,600
TOTAL: $72,880
And the campaign continues!!! We have lots more planned including pulpit talks at Franciscan parishes, home parties, and even a special event. These will, we hope, insure the sustainability of the FVM program for not only next year but many years into the future.
To all of you who responded to me (I received 8 "yeses" from my 10 letters!), I say a heartfelt "Thank you!" To all of the Associate Board members and to the FVM alums who gave generously, I tip my hat.
But to Father Michael who HATES fundraising, I say: "I am never going to believe you again!!!!"
....just kidding!
You will remember that I was appointed to the Franciscan Volunteer Ministries (FVM) Associate Board last fall. The program has been supported for 20 years by the Holy Name Province of Franciscan Friars, but because of the economic downturn, the Province had to cut its funding by $75,000 per year. Fortunately, there was a budget surplus in the FVM's account which will get it (barely) through the 2009/2010 fiscal year ending on June 30th.
Upon its formation last summer, the Associate Board was charged with two tasks. First, we had to initiate a fundraising effort where none existed before. This is not a trivial matter. The Friars definitely have adopted St. Francis' attitude that "God will provide" and for 20 years have depended entirely on charity, and more than that, have NEVER asked directly for money. Obviously, that would now have to change. Second, the Associate Board would obviously have to try to raise $75,000 (minimum) to keep the FVM program going during the 2010/11 fiscal year (beginning on July 1st).
My first Board meeting was in January, and I was surprised to learn that not much had been done to address either of these issues. Yes, the board had met in September and had discussed various ideas, but no one had moved forward with any of them. After I got over my surprise, I realized that this was a perfect calling for me. (Father Michael put it another way: "God has sent you to us in our hour of need!") As various ideas were presented or reviewed from previous meetings, I would immediately challenge people (tactfully) with a question like: "OK, sounds like a good idea. Who would like to take this on, and what is our first step in the process?" This helped to focus the discussion. At the end of the meeting, I asked: "So, what is our list of "to-do's" for the next meeting and who's responsible for each?"
It took a couple of meetings, but fairly quickly, the board organized a letter writing campaign to alumni of the FVM program. Father Michael (kicking and screaming!) signed the letters and wrote personal notes to each recipient. (Father absolutely HATES asking for money! He views it as "un-Franciscan", whatever that means.) At the March Board meeting, one of our members made a challenge grant of $12,000 --- if we could raise $12,000, he would give $12,000. Everyone was really excited now: we just needed to get going.
Next, I teamed up with another member of the Associate Board member to give a half-day fundraising seminar to train key staff and FVM alums on the art of asking for money. We gave our "FVM: Survive and Thrive Day" on Saturday, April 10th. At the end of the session, each of 16 participants committed to writing letters and calling their contacts. Phase I of our fundraising was done. I waited a couple of weeks before asking Katie Sullivan, our FVM Program Director, if we'd gotten any responses. "Why yes", she responded, "so far we've gotten in $2600!"
I was amazed, because you have to remember that most of the FVM alums are, by definition, poor. They work in the non-profit sector or for churches/Catholic schools. To raise $2600 in only two weeks from this group was phenomenal.
Our next task was to solicit the FVM Associate Board itself. Encouraged by our success with the alums, I ghost wrote a letter for Sister Kathleen, the Chair, and sent it out. Finally, I wrote ten letters to my family, Thea's family, and our immediate friends. As I mailed the letters, I said a silent prayer because this was new territory for me. In all my years of fundraising, I had never directly asked my family or Thea's family for money.
In mid-May, I got a wonderful surprise. The Maryvale Sisters had organized a "walk-a-thon" at the daycare to benefit the St. Francis Inn's FVM Program. Sister Mary Norman had told me in February that this would be happening, but I had really forgotten about it. On May 21st, we received a large envelope (registered mail, no less!) from Maryvale. I wondered why the Sisters were writing us. Upon opening it, we found delightful pictures of the "walk-a-thon" plus a check for $4,232! "Holy smokes, I thought. Every child must have walked 10 miles to raise that kind of money." Thea and I were astonished.
I took the check over to the FVM office. After the "hooting and hollering" was over, I asked Katie if we'd gotten any responses to our various mailings and she coyly said "Father Michael wants to wait until the Board meeting (scheduled for June 10th) before we give out the numbers!"
So, I waited in suspense. I wondered if the alums were continuing to send money. I wondered if the Associate Board (other than Thea and I who, of course, had sent our check the day we received our letter!!) would give. I wondered if my friends and family would respond (or if, for that matter, they were still speaking to me.)
Finally, the day arrived for the Associate Board meeting. We reviewed all of the fundraising plans to date, dealt with some governance issues, some accounting issues, and then some scheduling issues for future meetings. Finally, the moment arrived when the fundraising report was handed out. Breathlessly, we looked at the numbers:
From FVM Alums: 21 gifts totaling $4470
From Associate Bd.: 10 gifts totaling $1877
From "Friends" of Alums and Board members: 26 gifts totaling $8,933
From Matching Gift: $12,000
From Father Michael's "contacts" and family: $45,600
TOTAL: $72,880
And the campaign continues!!! We have lots more planned including pulpit talks at Franciscan parishes, home parties, and even a special event. These will, we hope, insure the sustainability of the FVM program for not only next year but many years into the future.
To all of you who responded to me (I received 8 "yeses" from my 10 letters!), I say a heartfelt "Thank you!" To all of the Associate Board members and to the FVM alums who gave generously, I tip my hat.
But to Father Michael who HATES fundraising, I say: "I am never going to believe you again!!!!"
....just kidding!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Block Party
For the past few weeks, the guests have been asking "When is the block party?" Under pain of excommunication, all of us have been sworn to secrecy and have answered, "Sometime this summer." Today was the long-awaited event. Right after Mass, all of the staff plus a group from western Pennsylvania and some local volunteers went out into the street. We blocked the end of the street with sawhorses and put all of the tables from the dining room into the street. Father Pat, a friar from Greenville, SC arrived with some parish teenagers and set up his sound system. He was our deejay for the day. Mark drove to Boston Market to pick up 600 pieces of barbecue chicken and cornbread. We also had potato salad, watermelon, ice cream sandwiches and soda. At 11:30 we opened up for food and the music began. Some of the guests would rather dance than eat. And dance they did--to old time rock and roll, the Macarena, electric slide, the twist, Michael Jackson imitations to "Thriller" and even to the chicken dance.
In addition to the food and music, we had face painting, pony rides for the children, clowns, floating duck game and a water balloon toss. About 2:30 the rain came down, but it didn't end the party. People kept on dancing in the rain or standing under the tents set up along the street. It actually helped to cool us down since the temperature was over 90 with the humidity factor.
What was so cool about the day was to see all the guests and the staff having so much fun. The friars and sisters were dancing with the guests, the young college students were playing hula hoops with the children, the friar deejay was involving lots of people in the music, and 92 year old Patrick was passing out forks and napkins. St. Francis Inn is always a beacon of hope here in Kensington, but for a few hours this Sunday, the entire street was transformed into a festival where all of God's children could have fun together.
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