This past weekend, Br. Bede and I brought our monthly Art for Understanding program to the children at Port Ministries. Along with the help from some DePaul students, we did an art project with 30 children which was not an easy feat and gave me a greater respect for all teachers.
As the project was winding down I wandered over to the baby room, which is for children 6weeks-2years. I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted by six smiling faces, which was much different from the tears that welcomed me a few months ago. I used to volunteer on Fridays, and was warned on my first day that the children tend to be wary of strangers. Each week got a little better, and while they may not have known my name, at least they recognized my face. It has been a few months since I volunteered and I was so happy to see they remembered me. I was also amazed at how much they’ve changed themselves. Clotilde would cry the minute Sr. Sarah left the room, but this time she didn’t even seem to notice. Julisa would only speak to her fellow classmates, but this time she came right up to me with a book and sat on my lap while I read it to her. Christopher was only able to crawl the last time I saw him, but on Saturday he was running all over the place.
Spending time with these children is always a humble reminder of how unimportant many of life’s’ stressors are. Somehow I am able to check my worries at the door, and be fully present to the children. It also gives me the release of feeling like a kid again. From making towers out of blocks, to drawing pictures on a chalkboard, there is never a dull moment. Though there is a slight language barrier between us, we still have an understanding of each other. They live in a neighborhood plagued with violence and are forced to grow up with conditions I can only imagine. Sometimes it’s hard for me to leave, because I think about what they are going home to, but seeing how happy they are at Port gives me hope. I can’t predict what their futures will be, but I know that while they are at Port, they are happy and safe.
Often, when someone spills at dinner, their first instinct is to grab a paper towel or two and sop up whatever liquid is steadily marching toward the edge of the table. However, many people are initially surprised when there aren’t any quilted quicker picker uppers to be found. That’s because we have committed ourselves to being good stewards of our resources—including the environment.
Many people view paper products as essential household items. In truth, while paper products offer great convenience, their use harms the environment and depletes our pocketbooks.
Paper Towels
Paper towels are handy for quick clean-ups, particularly in the kitchen and at meals. They are often promoted as an effective way of eliminating the germs that grow in traditional cloth towels. Use a paper towel once, however, and it becomes just another piece of trash.
We have traded our paper towels for a huge supply of rags. Some of our old towels become gigantic spill-stoppers that can clean up even the biggest of messes. And, when they’re dirty, we toss them in the hamper with the other kitchen towels, dish rags, and napkins, and throw them in the wash. After the initial cost they’re essentially free!
For glass and mirror cleaning, we use old newspaper. Every Wednesday I look forward to receiving our issue of the Bridgeport News. Once I’m done reading it, we use the pages to feed our worms and clean the bathroom mirrors. The best part about using newspaper to clean glass is that they don’t leave any residue, lint or streaks!
Napkins
We use cloth napkins every day instead of saving them for special occasions. Cloth napkins are economical, durable and more absorbent than paper napkins. They take up little space in the washing machine and do not require laundering in hot water.
We even take this one step further. We ask our groups to use their same napkins during their entire stay. This is hardly ever an issue—we don’t have many messy eaters—and if someone needs a different napkin, we’ve got a drawer full. A dozen napkins can be washed with the rest of our kitchen towels and rags; usually with room to space!
Paper Plates
Paper plates offer convenience at a cost to your wallet and the environment. We take the extra time and effort to wash dishes instead of throwing away our money or our future. It’s a really simple process of rinsing the plates in a couple inches of water and then letting our high-efficient dishwasher take care of the rest. By using soap without phosphates, we’re putting less harsh chemicals in the water.
Office Paper
We make a habit of hanging onto scratch paper consisting of incoming mail and printing mistakes. This paper is kept handy for quick notes and lists. We also use both the front and back sides of nearly all the paper we use. In fact, the paper that is usually in the printer is old letterhead and lightly-marked one-sided paper. By using both sides we get twice as much paper for our money.
Also, before printing, we try to proofread our documents carefully, preview for formatting errors and print only the pages we need. We also save a boatload on stamps, envelopes and mail clutter by signing up for e-statements and paying our bills online. This is fast, convenient, and good for the environment.
There’s always more than can be done. We’d love to hear what you do to use your resources wisely. Leave a message in the comments below, or post something on our Facebook page.
March is a busy time of year here at the Darst Center. This spring we’ll enjoy hosting groups from New York, Iowa, Tennessee, and Missouri along with other places from around the country. Each group is unique not only in the sites we visit, and meals we prepare, but also in the discussions we have, and the personalities we bring with us. It’s an exciting time to learn from each other about what it means to be human.
Recently, we hosted a group from the SLICE program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Their student leader, Brandon made a series of video blogs. Feel free to check out the entire series above.
Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page. In the about section you can stay up-to-date on all the happenings here on Normal Ave.
Last Fall, the Br. David Darst Center undertook a project to beautify the space to the south of our building. It houses a decades old tree that is perfect for climbing–either to see how high you can go, or to find a sun-dappled nook to spend some quiet time reflecting or reading.
In August and September of 2011 we added a raised flower bed with the help of our gardener-in-residence at the time, Charles. We also planted some crocus (seen above), lilies, tulips and ground-cover. It’s been really exciting to see things starting to bloom during our most-mild winter. I was out there this afternoon doing a little sprucing up and came across a bed of crocus sprouting near the bench. I had to snap a picture and share it with you.
This isn’t where Mindy said she had planted these flowers, however. We think some squirrels may have decided that they would do better in their current location. Who are we to argue with Nature? Either way, they’re a hopeful sign of Spring amidst the sometimes-dreary season of Lent.
In addition to the huge tree, painted pavers, the bench, the sitting stumps, and the prayer box, we installed a peace pole. The pole was painted by our staff, with Ana doing the lettering. It turned out really, really nicely. It didn’t cost very much for materials, and is a lasting reminder of our commitment to peace.
St. James serves an average of 1500 families per month. Last month, alone, they had 1800 families receive assistance from them. On the day we were there over 200 people braved the cold to stand in line and fill their shopping carts with food for their family.
In the early 20th century, Bronzeville was known as the “Black Metropolis,” one of the nation’s most significant landmarks of African-American urban history. Between 1910 and 1920, during the peak of the “Great Migration,” the population of the area increased dramatically when thousands of African-Americans fled the oppression of the south and emigrated to Chicago in search of industrial jobs. It was the center of the Chicago Jazz scene, sometimes even referred to as “the Harlem of Chicago.”
Looking back on the last few days it is hard to sum up our trip or even pin point a favorite memory from it. From the first night at the men’s homeless shelter, I quickly learned to throw out any previous notions I had. Some of the men there I would have never guessed were homeless. We were told to be truly present, talk and absorb anything the men wanted to share with us. The first gentleman two of my classmates and I spoke with was very blunt. He questioned out intentions on coming to the shelter, told us they “pass us off as volunteers” and that volunteers are supposed to serve not ask questions. This was hard for me to hear because it made me feel unwelcomed. The man was not trying to be rude, but rather honest. He wanted us to see it from his perspective, which was that it seemed like groups were always coming there and staring at the himself and the others “like zoo animals”. He wanted us to understand that they were people, just like us, even if they had hit a bad streak of luck and for whatever reason were without a home. What he said left us somewhat speechless, however I believe it taught us a lot. No matter how uncomfortable that first conversation was, we didn’t let it stop us from getting something out of the rest of the night. We ended up having some meaningful conversations with some of the other men.
Another thing I will take away from the trip is that attitude is everything. Almost everyone we encountered, regardless of their situation, seemed to have a positive attitude and good outlook on life. I especially noticed it in the ladies working at the Fellowship House and house for women coming off of addictions. They had a love for what they did, which I found to be so important because of how many lives the touch each day. Another student and I were able to benefit from seeing this. We were excited about going to the Fellowship House knowing we would be able to play and hangout with the kids. However when we arrived the two of us were assigned the task of cleaning and organizing one of their storage closets. Exciting right? Not so much. While we could have complained and been miserable doing the job, we decided to just go with it. I found that we were laughing a joking the whole time, i.e. attitude is everything.
I think this service trip was an overall awesome experience because not only were we able to do direct service, but we also gained a greater awareness of the injustices happening in a city and were educated on how we can do our part to help. At the St. Rose Center, a center for developmentally disabled adults, we learned about the importance of using our voice. They told us how they rely on government funding and how if it was to get cut they would no longer be able to offer their wonderful services to the community. They challenged us, since most of us are 18, to be knowledgeable about those who we elect to public office, as it will affect certain programs in our community. I believe we all left Chicago knowing that now it is our turn to take what we learned and apply it to our own communities. Like the motto of the Br. David Darst Center, our home for the last few days, we truly ‘See it differently’.
Today we went to the St. Rose center, it’s a center helping for adults with mental handicaps. When we first got there we took a tour and as soon as we walked in the different rooms the people immediately began to wave and smile. It was so different from the shelter last night, these people were so excited to see us and talk to us. I hung out with Mark mostly, I taught him how to play checkers and then we played bingo. All of the people in the center seemed to enjoy life so much. I took away a different perspective on life. After we were done serving the director talked to us about how government keeps cutting their funding. It upset me because I could see the joy that was on all their faces just from being there. Without this program, they probably wouldn’t do anything all day. I know that would be boring for me and I hope they don’t get cut. She also talked to us about how we should help in the adult developmental programs in our area, hearing that made me think where those centers were near me. Something I’ll definitely have to look into once I get back home. Seeing the joy on their faces just from the simplest things makes me want to find joy in the little things in life as well.
Reflection helps us grow. At the Darst Center, Bonner Scholars like myself got the chance to explore various outlets for community service and ways of integrating social justice into learning. I gave an extra hand at a food pantry, I volunteered at elementary schools, and at other times, I was enlightened on serious issues in this country such as immigration and wealth distribution. I was challenged to think about these issues critically and how they affected me. Spending three nights at the Darst Center was revitalizing and eye opening because I was taken out of the privileged atmosphere that DePauw University is and was thrown into a center that focuses on growth through reflection. I felt a lot more responsible for and cognizant of my actions because I started taking into account who I could be affecting. And although it’s impossible for me to say that I’ve made completely improved, I can at least say that I’ve tried because I’m more aware.
One thing I realized from the my reflections was that although dipping my hand in many bowls doesn’t fix the problems in those bowls, at least I become aware of what I care about.
–Demar
Going to the men’s homeless shelter last night we really weren’t sure what to expect. In the beginning it was definitely uncomfortable and forced us all to step outside of our comfort zones. I think we all learned a lot from the experience. Some of the men there we would have never thought were homeless. It taught us that our perspective on what “homeless” looks like was wrong. The best part was just listening to what the men had to say. One guy, Duke, had a special love for art. He offered to show us some of his work. He had over 30 oil pastel drawings that were beyond amazing. In fact, he had just painted one earlier that day. It made us think about all the talent he had, but that he lacked the resources to support it. The night flew by and we were all sad to leave feeling like we had just started getting to know the men.
During our mission trip, we stayed at the Brother David Darst Center. While there, we experienced the optimism and the Spirit of God in the less fortunate whom we were able to help while working at Uptown Baptist Homeless Shelter and Saint Martin de Porres House of Hope. This trip not only opened our eyes to the injustices of the world and how fortunate we are, but also gave us perspective on the endurance of Christian belief and faith even in the depths of poverty.
