Where have you encountered God? End of the year AV reflection

Thinking back on my service year in Chicago, there are a lot of different places I have encountered God but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is in my clients and coworkers at Catholic Charities.  Working in an office where I am the only White person in the office, let alone the neighborhood, was quite the eye opening experience at first but once I got to know the staff and residents, I was pleasantly surprised by their openness and welcoming personalities.  Their lives are filled with struggles, difficulties, and hardships but one thing is extremely strong: their faith.  The staff of Jadonal E. Ford Center of Catholic Charities is the most faithful group of people I have ever met and I feel so blessed to be a part of this group during my time in Chicago.  From prayer every Monday at noon to listening to Ms. Parker’s radio playing Inspiration 1390 all day, I have grown in my faith and seen God surrounding our office and each worker.  Ms. Tyson and Ms. Parker are two of the full time case managers who have God shine from them every day.  They inspired me to work harder, pray longer, and love each of my client’s I met.  Ms. Tyson taught me how to process tough situations and love each client for who they are and not what they are going through at the time.  Ms. Parker taught me how to keep my head up and overcome stressful times.  I am incredibly thankful for these two strong women in addition to the many others that work in my office.

When I think about all of the client’s I have met and intake this year, a number of them stick out in my mind for different reasons.  There was Betina who is a single mom with three other children and was pregnant with a high risk fetus that had intestines growing on the outside of the body and water behind the brain.  Then there was Debbie, a 42 year old white mom, who just gave birth to her 9^th kid and has the strongest faith I have ever seen.  I have been in some of the best houses and some of the worst houses in the area and my experience with each client is unique.  I have been challenged, loved, appreciated, and shut out.  I have experienced so much this year and I have God to thank for it all.  These client’s have taught me more than they will ever know but the most important thing is that God is in their lives and will continue to guide them through their good times and bad.  I will never forget the home visit I did around Christmas when I delivered presents to a family and as I was leaving, the mom said, “Have a blessed holiday Ms. Moretti.” The phrase caught me off guard at first but I have found myself using it more and more often since this experience.  God has blessed me with these people and I love Him for bringing them into my life.

Chicago Fact: A couple of times this year we have travelled to Hyde Park, a neighborhood near downtown, where an Augustinian community lives to have dinner and share some great times.  Most of these Augustinians are in the seminary and some of them are leaving next year to travel.  Brother Craig, who lived at the community this year, is currently doing a pastoral year in Durban, South Africa.  So excitingly, I will be joining him there in January which will be very nice to have a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.

A little reflection on my experience with Catholic Charities

From my journal dated 5/24/11

As I drove around the Southside of Chicago today doing my home visits, I reflected upon who I am, who I have become and the people who have shaped my experience here in Chicago.  My clients and coworkers and Catholic Charities have definitly been influential to me in more ways than one.  They have opened my eyes to the community of Roseland and the surrounding areas while taching me how to be faithful and thankful for the things I have in my life.


There are so many different experiences I can write about with different clients but since this one happened today, I'm going to talk about it. Every time I go to a home visits, I go from house to house and each one can be completely differenty.  One can have little to no furniture while the other can be a fully furnished house.  Today was no different.  Each house I went to in Altgeld Gardens, Calumet City, Riverdale, and Chicago, they were all different.  This year I have learned more about the Southside and the neighborhoods than I would have ever imagined.  I have been in some of the best houses and worst houses; I have been in some great neighborhoods and not so great neighborhoods. Don't worry Mom I am always careful.  God has protected me through all of my travels and I have never felt threatened while I am doing my job. 


After I left work, I dropped off bus cards to a pregnant client who needed them to go to the hospital for stomach pains.  As I left, I said, "have a nice night" to the people standing outside my client's house.  When I was walking to my car I thought to myself if this would be true.  They said "you too" in response but did they really think they were going to have a good night or was it just something to say? Then I thought to myself, I;m getting in my car, driving home to my house in Beverly to then go to a dinner at the Knibbs house down the street.  We have plenty of other nice dinners to go to in the next couple of weeks but these residents of Altgeld Gardnes probably won't be doing the same thing.  It's sad to be able to drive away from somewhere and know that where you are going is completely different from where you are leaving from.  As I drove away I turned off the radio and prayer...

Dear God, Please keep the community of Altgeld Gardens safe tonight.  Blem them with your presense always but especially tonight.  Please keep them free from abuse, crime, drugs, and violence.  Allow them to have a night free of all this.  Bless them with your love, safety and guidance.  In Your name I pray, Amen.

Thankfully I did not hear anything about something happening in Altgeld Gardens that night but sadly that complex has a lot of crime and situations other nights.  It's hard for me to drive the 15 minutes from east to west at the end of the day to home and realize where all my client's are spending the night.  Are they in a safe place? Are the babies sleeping in their cribs? Is someone sleeping in a shelter? Sadly this uncertaintly is the "lifestyle" of the Southside neighborhoods and most of my clients.  Each day I come home thinking about a client or clients who I have saw that day or caught my attention in some way.  Catholic Charities has opened my eyes to so much and I thank the staff and program for allowing me to grow.  I thank my clients for allowing me into their lives to help them and listen to them.  I thank my roommates for being there to listen to a crazy story of the day. I thank God for guiding me through this year and lifting me up when I was down.  Thank you to everyone who has inspired me this year and who will continue to inspire me for the rest of my time in Chicago.

Chicago Fact:  Altgeld Gardens is a housing project located in the Riverdale Community Area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The residents are 97% African American according to the 2000 US Census.^[1] Built in 1945 with 1,498 units, the development consists primarily of two-story row houses spread over 190 acres (0.77 km²). It was built to satisfy the need for African American veterans returning from World War II and was originally owned by the federal government, but was granted to the Chicago Housing Authority in 1956.  (cited from Wikipedia)

AV website blog post from February

                                                Cause you gotta have faith…

Faith. This small word is a three dimensional figure that was given to me by a family friend before I came to orientation for this AV year. It now sits on my nightstand beside my bed on top of my journal so every morning and every night I see it. Coming into this year of service, I knew that my faith life and spirituality were present but I never knew how much it could grow during my year of service. Over the past five months, my spirituality is something that I am very proud of and live each day by with a deeper level than ever before. One of the ways that my faith life is grown is through prayer. Every morning as I sit down at my desk to start my job, I pray a prayer that was left for me by past volunteers. Each day I do this I am reminded of why I am here and who I am serving: God, my community, my clients, and myself. Faith has become a defining factor of who I am and how I live my life as an Augustinian Volunteer.

Working at a Catholic organization and being part of a Catholic based volunteer program has been both a challenge and a blessing for me. Merrimack College taught me the ways of Augustine and reminded us to live our lives for other people and for God. Community was a word that you couldn’t go a day without hearing and my life now is no different. The community of Catholic Charities is extremely diverse, welcoming, and spiritual. My coworkers have taught me what it means to be faithful and how to live a life that is devoted to praising God and everyone around us. Ms. Tyson, the Case Manager that sits in the cubicle behind me,
always says that she is blessed to her client’s on the phone which always made me smile but until a couple weeks ago, I was never able to fully understand it and live by it. Ms. Parker is another Case Manager that sits near me and is always listening to Inspirational 1390 radio as she works and helps clients. Both of these coworkers have showed me how powerful faith can be and how it can be a part of our everyday life through the smallest of words and actions. One of my favorite memories of this year was when I went to a home visit before Christmas to visit a client and her daughter and give them Christmas presents for the family. As I walked into the door with a big black bag filled with Christmas goodies, I was greeted by two little boys who ran up to me, stopped because they didn’t recognize me, but then walk right at my feet into the living
room. Throughout the whole conversation the boys were watching me and “showing off” by jumping around the room. After my client told them to stop, they sat on the couch patiently waiting for our conversation to be over. Right before I was about to leave the house, the little boy asked, “What’s in the bag?” I said, “Presents for you, from Santa.” With huge eyes, he asked, “You know Santa??” My client then said, “Yes she does. He was at her work and gave her the gifts to bring to us.” Then the little boy ran over and gave me a big hug saying, “Thank you! Thank you!” The other little boy came over and did the same thing while Mom just sat there and smiled. As I was walking towards the door to leave, the boys waved and hugged me goodbye as if I was the lost family member they never knew. I then told my client Merry Christmas, she gave me a hug and said thank you for the gifts and then said, “Ms. Moretti, I hope you have a blessed holiday and a blessed day.” At first I was overwhelmed with emotion that I didn’t know what to say but after a few seconds I found myself saying, “You too. I hope you have a blessed day.” For the first time in my life, I truly felt blessed to be alive, healthy, and where I am today. Each day is a challenge and a blessing but I know that my faith is stronger than it has ever been and I know that is because God is with me at all times.

I honestly never thought that one year of service was going to change me so much but it has. I am truly blessed to say that faith is a part of who I am today and will continue to be for the rest of my life. My year as an AV has been full of ups and downs already but I know that one thing is consistently inspiring me each day: my faith. I want to share with you a quote I found as I was browsing the internet on Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday that I think is quite fitting. He said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Life is not about planning out your every move and knowing everything that is going to happen. Life is about taking a chance and having faith in yourself, God, and others to know that you will continue to be blessed by every miracle God has given you. This is what I have learned about my faith this year and I hope all of you will take a chance to remember how blessed you are and know that faith will always be your guiding grace.


Chicago Fact: I will surely miss a lot of things about Chicago but one of the big things I'll miss is Monday prayers at Catholic Charities.  I have never worked at a place that was so open about praying in the middle of the day and I have come to really appreciate it.  So thank you Ms. Perry for inviting me to prayer and praying with us during our good days and bad. 

Chicago Runs on Dunkin

Before this year of volunteering, I had no problem hoping in my car and driving to Dunkin Donuts to get my favorite French Vanilla and Carmel Swirl Iced Coffee with skim milk and sugar any time of day especially if I was stressed or tired from my crazy life at Merrimack.  This year, things are a lot different.  Most of the time we make a big pot of coffee in the morning before work for everyone to share and Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are only for special occasions such as weekends or if someone sends us a gift card.  We have learned to not spend money on coffee everyday and to live more simply with our coffee choices.  Thankfully my mom has been gracious enough to send Dunkin Donuts gift cards for holidays or random occasions like last weekend when she gave me a $10 gift card when she came to visit.  So last week when I was out of the office all day on home visits, I was getting really tired and decided that I needed an iced coffee to get me through the rest of the day.  As I was driving back to the office after my last home visit, I stopped at a Dunkin Donuts on 87th Street and parked my car.  As I got out of the car and walked up to the door, I noticed an elderly homeless man who was mumbling to himself as he stood outside the Dunkin Donuts.  As I approached him, he opened the door for me and mumbled something about needing food for the day.  I said thank you for holding the door open as I walked right into the store not registering what he said.  As I stood at the counter ordering my iced coffee, which by the way I have been told is "too complicated of an order" according to the manager at the DD on Western across from our street, I thought to myself, "why not!" and ordered a plain bagel toasted.  Thinking back on it now, it would have been even better if I told the guy to come inside with me and order whatever he wanted but at the time I just wanted to get him something so I went with the plain bagel.  As I walked towards the door, the homeless man opened the door again for me and I handed him the bag with the bagel in it. 
"Thank you, thank you so much!" he said.  "You're welcome, have a great day," I replied
As I got in my car and looked back at the man before I pulled away, I saw him smiling, eating his bagel and continuing to open the door and talk to himself.  I smiled and prayed that God will continue to bless him and give him strength everyday.  To think that I needed the iced coffee to get me through my day but this man needed to eat! The bagel might have been the only food he had all day.  So thank you mom for the Dunkin Donuts gift card, it was put to great use!

As I drove back to my office on Martin Luther King Drive and listening to Inspiration 1390, I was inspired by the music was playing and the man that I just helped.  To me it wasn't about helping the man or giving him food it was about realizing that everyone needs some help and every little bit counts.  What do you do when you see a homeless person on the street corner? Do you ignore them like many of us do or do you give them spare change? Do you stop and talk to them or do you continue your coversation with the person next to you?  Do you give them some food or do you eat your lunch right in front of them as you wait to cross the street? Many people believe that you shouldn't give money to the homeless because they are just going to use it on drugs.  Sadly, this is probably true but what about the people who use the money to buy food? Do you drop change into each cup you see or do you ignore all of them like they are not there?  Homelessness and hunger is a huge issue in our world today and many people choose to ignore it while others choose to do something about it.  Whether it is spare change in a cup or a bagel to the man outside of Dunkin Donuts, I encourage you all to help a homeless person one day.  It doesn't have to be every homeless person because unfortunatly there are too many but each one is different and I'm sure you will make their day even if you just give them a "hi" and nothing else.

Always remember how much of an impact you and God have on this world each day.  Know that you can make a difference no matter how big or small.  Now I ask you, what are you going to do to be part of a change? What are you going to do to make a difference? 

Chicago Hunger Fact:  "Today, the Food Depository distributes 66 million pounds of food, including more than 12.8 million pounds of produce, to 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook County. Nearly 142,000 men, women and children turn to the Food Depository’s network each week, and nearly 678,000 people turn to the network annually." http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_whoweare_history

Life is like a Rose...

Life is beautiful but has troubles and roadblocks.  Life is like a rose: beautiful but has thorns.  This was the theme for the Novena Homily for the month of February.  Father Tom, a priest at St. Rita of Cascia High School, used this theme to explain the week’s gospel which talked about how Jesus wants us to be child-like but not childish.  In the gospel reading, Jesus inspires us to all be like a child, free from worry and troubles but not selfish and childish, complaining and thinking only about ourselves.  Father Tom used the rose as a way to explain what Jesus is inspiring us to do.  Life is beautiful and is like a rose but it does have its thorns.  No life can be perfect and smooth like the petals of a rose.  There are going to be troubles and difficulties that we are going to have to get through and they might hurt a lot but it is part of life. While Valentine’s Day has come and gone, there is a center piece in the middle of our dining room table that was given to us from a good friend in Chicago with 5 red roses in it.  Some were in full bloom when we got the gift and others were not.  Some have started to wilt and others are still growing.  This bunch of simple flowers is still beautiful yet some flowers have died before others.  Father Tom was right. A rose is like life and situations we can all relate to.  One day everything is beautiful and you are feeling happy and accomplished and the next day you feel like a thorn: hard, hurtful, and not so nice.  

My volunteer experience has been similar to this explanation of a rose.  Some days I feel like I am doing so much to help the client’s of the Family Case Management program and other days, like last Friday, I want to yell at the client’s for not showing up for their appointment and making me wait.  It is times like these that make me stop myself, take a deep breath, and realize life has its thorns.  This feeling was intensified the week before when we found out that a fellow AV and our good friend Jenny was in critical condition in South Africa because of blood clots in her lungs.  It took a terrifying and heart-wrenching couple of days for me to realize that life is not all pretty, beautiful, and about what is happening in Chicago or the U.S.  It is about the large AV community, the community of Catholic Charities, the South Africa community, Jenny’s family, and everyone else who was affected by this news.  It took a large group of people to come together and pray for Jenny.  Pray like we have never prayed before.  And our prayers were answered.  My prayers for Jenny to be a fighter and be infused with the light of the Holy Spirit came true.  Jenny was touched by God, by her family, by her roommates, by the AVs in the U.S., and everyone else who prayed for her.  Jenny and everyone else experienced a miracle from God that is the biggest most beautiful rose I could ever imagine.  Jenny is continuing to be the rose we knew she always was and regain strength each and every day.  God continues to touch Jenny and answer our prayers as she recovers and shows everyone how amazing she really is.  

Father Tom’s homily was inspiring and thoughtful.  His Novena homily’s always make me reflect about everything that is happening in my life and how much I have grown in my faith through this year of service and living in community.  I am now able to say that I have fully dedicated my life to serving others and I strive everyday to be faithful and dedicated to serving God, my community, and my clients.  

I am called to be faithful and loving to everyone I meet.  I am called to be strong yet weak at times.  I am called to walk humbly with my God and the people who are in my life.  My life and every life is like a rose.  No one life is perfect because then God wouldn’t have to have Jesus die for our sins.  We are child like because we should have a care free attitude yet be dedicated to the people in our life that matter the most.  We need to be grateful for what we have learned because the gift of learning is the ultimate gift.  As an AV, I have learned the great power of prayer, respect, and dignity.  I have embraced the life and people God has given.  Just because someone has 9 kids does not mean she is not a good mother.  She may need extra help and assistance but as long as she is open to help, I am willing to help her.  Success doesn’t always mean wealth and fame.  It can be getting an education, getting a job, following through with a task or asking for help when its most needed.  Whatever it is, we can help and be there for someone in need, whatever that looks like.  

I may not know what I want to do with my or what I want to be but I do know one thing: I want to help people, I want to make a difference in someone’s life.  Is your life more like a rose or like a thorn?  What is God calling you to do? I encourage you all to reflect on this while always remembering that life is like a rose, beautiful but has some thorns.

Chicago Fact: With the massive amounts of snow and lack of snow removal around the city, the phrase “dibbs” has become a reality.  Residents in all neighborhoods have shoveled out their car/spot in front of their house/apartment after a snow storm but then when they leave, they put furniture (ex. Chairs, toys, tables, etc) in the spot until as “dibbs.” This has caused QUITE the issue for people like me who drive to neighborhoods and have to part near client’s house for a short period of time.  I have had to drive around the block 3-4 times to find a spot that is not taken by “dibbs” of the client’s furniture. 

Greta, the crossing guard who brightens my morning

In one of my first posts, I talked about my drive to work and the crossing guard that stands on the corner of 107th and Sanganon.  Every morning I drive by, stop at the stop sign that is across the street from her post, wave and smile to her.  I did this for the first five months without knowing her name or saying hi until one day this changed.  It was a day in January when I decided I was going to stop and introduce myself.  It had been a rather cold week so I decided I would bring her some coffee as well.  So one morning I asked MC to make extra coffee and I filled up my AV travel mug with coffee for the crossing guard and my Yankees travel cup for my coffee.  As I drove to work that morning I thought to myself, does she even like coffee? What if shes not there? Fortunatly I was wrong with both of these questions.  As I pulled up to the stop sign at Sanganon and 107th, I waved to the crossing guard and then made a left turn onto the street instead of going straight on like a normally do.  I parked on the side, grabbed the AV cup full of coffee and got out of my car with a smile. 

"Hi, I drive by you every day and we wave so I figured I would come introduce myself."
The conversation then went on to introducing myself to my new friend and asking about herself.  Her name is Greta and she does like coffee.  So I handed her the mug and told her to keep it as a gift from me to her.  I knew I had a couple minutes to spare so I stood and talked to her for a minute.  Greta asked where I was from and I explained to her what I was doing here and that I had just graduated college in May.  Greta said that she went to college as well and now works three different jobs including two crossing guard jobs before and after school and another job during the day (I can't remember what that one is).  We had some small talk for a while until I had to leave for work.  It was a great little conversation and I'm glad I stopped to introduce myself and get to know a little more about her.  Funny thing is we continue to wave to each other each morning but I haven't stopped to talk to her again.  Maybe I will do that soon. 

Greta really is the one who starts my morning off right because she is one of the first people I come in contact with besides my roommates and by the time I get to her the car is heated up so I'm not feeling miserable from the cold.  It is great to smile and wave to each other each morning and its sad when shes not there or I drive by late and miss her for the day.  Even though I don't know much about Greta, I do know that she is an amazing person who I look forward to seeing each and every day.  God puts people in your life for different reasons and apparently Greta is one of those people.  Her wave and smile make me smile every morning and I hope that she enjoys our little meetings as much as I do.  Take time to appreciate those people in your life that you see each day but might not notice or think too much of.  Maybe its the janitor at work or a shy kid in your class.  I challenge you all to find these people who are in your life everyday and say hi to them.  Introduce yourself and ask them to tell you about them.  You might be surprised how good it makes both of you feel to know that each day you are brightened by each others presence.

Chicago fact:  The snow storm that caused the city to shut down for two days and streets not to get plowed for two days gave the city about 2 feet of snow on average (about 3-4 feet in our driveway becasue of the wind go figure).  This snow storm made it the citys third largest snow storm on record.  The last time it snowed close to this much was in 1999. It was great to have two days off from work but I do have to say, wake up Chicago and come to New England to experience real snow storms!!

"Have a blessed holiday"

Blessed
adjective

consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctificed; worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship; divinely or supremely favored; fortunate; blissfully happy or contented; bringing happiness and thankfulness

These are the many words that define the word blessed.  This word has multiple meanings that are unique, special, and important.  "Blissfully happy" and "worthy of adoration"are probably my two favorite definitions of the word because they have important meanings in my life both as a person and as an AV.  Since I began working at Catholic Charities, I have been blessed with amazing coworkers who are supportive and helpful in anything that I need.  Ms. Tyson is one in particular who has been of great inspiration and help to me.  Ms. Tyson sits in the cubicle directly behind me and we are constantly talking to each other over the wall of our cubicle.  We say good morning to each other and talk each day while working and serviing our clients.  Each day Ms. Tyson answers the phone "Ms. Tyson" as someone on the other end asks how she is and she replies with an "I'm blessed and how are you?"  I'm blessed. What a wonderful phrase that is full of meaning and "blissfull happiness."  To Ms. Tyson, her life is blessed.  She is blessed with a good job, a wonderful family, and health and happiness.  Some days Ms. Tyson answers she is blessed to every phone call and other times its only once a day.  Ms. Tyson and all my other coworkers believe that we are blessed to be here and to be working for our clients.  I personally feel blessed to be working as a case manager in Chicago and living the life as an AV.  I am blessed to have a wonderful and supportive family, boyfriend, and friends who will support me in all my crazy life adventures.  I am blessed to be healthy, happy, and to be alive this holiday season.  I am blessed, like my coworker Ms. Tyson, to be living in Chicago and working such an amazing job by helping unwed mothers, pregnant women, and their babies.


The mothers and pregnant women we work with are also blessed and some of them even recognized that. Right before I travelled home for the holidays, I went on a home visit to one of my clients who is a young pregnant woman with her first child.  She was very kind and attentive during the interview and shared her personal information with me.   At the end of the interview, I left the house and on my way out I said "Happy holidays, Merry Christmas" and she responded by saying, "Have a blessed holiday."  The phrase was amazing and made me smile from ear to ear.  I didn't know how to respond at all so I just said you two and smiled as I walked outside and got into my car.  It is days like this when I love my job and appreciate it when people say "thank you" and think about what we are doing for them.  This year I have learned so much about the appreciation and gifts we are given.   How blessed we really are.  To hear a client say "thank you" and bless me for the things I am doing, its truly an amazing feeling.  Some of my clients are the most faithful and inspiring people not only because of their faith and love for God but for their appreciation for their lives and the things they are blessed with.  My clients may not have a lot of "possessions" or "wealth" but they sure do have a lot of faith, love, and hope.

Even though the holiday season is over, I still hope that you can take this post to the heart and remember how blessed you are each day to be alive, loved, and appreciated.  Each and every one of us is blessed and we have God, our families, our friends, ourselves, and everyone else to thank for that.  So remember to always have a blessed day.

Chicago fun fact: "With more than 159 programs at 156 locations across Cook and Lake counties, we help people of all races and religions move toward empowerment and self-sufficiency. Last year we touched the lives of more than 1 million parents, children, seniors and individuals, helping them through hard times."