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Response to Tom (from Alexander Quanbeck): That sounds like an organization that's deeply involved in caring for the many dimensions of people's lives. I am curious to hear how you get involved. The name intrigues me, given the variety of services they offer. Do you know if the conceive of Manna as not just food, but their responses to various material and social needs?

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Response to Tom (from Alexander Quanbeck): That sounds like an organization that's deeply involved in caring for the many dimensions of people's lives. I am curious to hear how you get involved. The name intrigues me, given the variety of services they offer. Do you know if the conceive of Manna as not just food, but their responses to various material and social needs?

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From Tom Lenihan:
Dear classmates and Dr S
My journey to the ministry at the margins for this class took me to 3 options and no one seemed very responsive.  And by accident, when i was almost ready to pursue a soup kitchen run by St Teresa of Calcutta's community, MANNA ON MAIN STREET responded after being silent for 10 days.  This organization's  vision:  "That everyone might be fed."  To that end, they began humbly in 1981.  They are now with 3 other entities to meet the needs of the North Penn Community:  The Advanced Living Community; North Penn YMCA; and the PEAK Senior organization.  They aim to provide food; fulfill social services and education needs; and to conduct community outreach.  They have a Food Pantry(Manna Market - hours weekdays); and Soup Kitchen.  They provide emergency financial aid, counseling and referrals to those in need in the North Penn area.  They also reach out to the community with an informational piece:  "Bridges Out of Poverty", a training i hope to take this Friday, 10/13.  The October calendar has two recurring events:  Fresh Kids - 2 Mondays; Legal Aid - All the Wednesdays.  I have not toured the facility yet so i cannot post pictures.  Finally, The website: mannaonmain.org notes they aim to be a place where ". . .people are welcome. '  That would be:  those in need and all who want to serve those in need in order to improve community health and well-being!  More to follow!

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Hi Connie,
The work you do is absolutely sacred---and I am sure rewarding for you.
I am curious to know whether your view on death changed since volunteering at this facility.  How did the Lord guide you to this kind of work? Did you respond immediately to this calling or did you have certain reservations?  Do you see much for Latinos at this facility?
Many blessings on this beautiful work that you do!
Edith

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Alexander Quanbeck: RJCA receives most of its funding from the various agencies that refer cases to us as well as lesser amounts from referred participant program fees and private donations.  Recently, RJCA has partnered with a professor at Metro State to offer monthly discussions in different communities in the metro area about race and implicit bias.(The image below is of the Minneapolis City Hall, from which we receive most of our cases). 

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Alexander Quanbeck: RJCA receives most of its funding from the various agencies that refer cases to us as well as lesser amounts from referred participant program fees and private donations.  Recently, RJCA has partnered with a professor at Metro State to offer monthly discussions in different communities in the metro area about race and implicit bias.(The image below is of the Minneapolis City Hall, from which we receive most of our cases). 

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Alexander Quanbeck: RJCA’s mission is “bringing people together to make things right.” This slogan captures some of the core values and principles of restorative justice. Restorative justice differs from the traditional criminal justice system in a few ways. In the traditional justice system, crime is viewed as a violation of abstract laws and a violation against the state. In restorative justice, crime is understood as harms done to particular individuals and communities and violations of relationships. Consequently, justice is viewed not principally as rendering punishment commensurate with the violation of the law that occurred, but rather as “making things right” by repairing harms, making amends, and restoring broken relationships. Instead of the adversarial process of the traditional justice system, which pits the state and the individual against each other, restorative justice offers a collaborative process which gives a voice to participants, the community, and sometimes victims and “brings people together” to reconnect and have productive conversations. As such, restorative justices seeks to treat participants with a dignity they are rarely afforded in the traditional legal system and contribute to individual and community restoration.  In addition, part of RJCA’s purpose as I understand it is to help participants avoid the mess of the traditional legal system and some of the adverse consequences of criminal labeling. Mitigating (very slightly) the vast racial and economic injustices inherent in the traditional criminal justice system by offering an alternative is thus another important element of RJCA’s work. 

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Alexander Quanbeck: RJCA’s mission is “bringing people together to make things right.” This slogan captures some of the core values and principles of restorative justice. Restorative justice differs from the traditional criminal justice system in a few ways. In the traditional justice system, crime is viewed as a violation of abstract laws and a violation against the state. In restorative justice, crime is understood as harms done to particular individuals and communities and violations of relationships. Consequently, justice is viewed not principally as rendering punishment commensurate with the violation of the law that occurred, but rather as “making things right” by repairing harms, making amends, and restoring broken relationships. Instead of the adversarial process of the traditional justice system, which pits the state and the individual against each other, restorative justice offers a collaborative process which gives a voice to participants, the community, and sometimes victims and “brings people together” to reconnect and have productive conversations. As such, restorative justices seeks to treat participants with a dignity they are rarely afforded in the traditional legal system and contribute to individual and community restoration.  In addition, part of RJCA’s purpose as I understand it is to help participants avoid the mess of the traditional legal system and some of the adverse consequences of criminal labeling. Mitigating (very slightly) the vast racial and economic injustices inherent in the traditional criminal justice system by offering an alternative is thus another important element of RJCA’s work. 

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Alexander Quanbeck:  In August, I started working full-time at Restorative Justice Community Action (RJCA), a small non-profit in Minneapolis, as the adult case coordinator. RJCA is located in the Historic Wesley Center (see the attached image), a 125-year old former Methodist Church on the southern end of downtown Minneapolis (right next to the Convention Center).  RJCA offers a diversion program (an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system) with restorative justice content. Participants in our process are typically referred to us by the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, or the University of Minnesota. We are unique among restorative justice programs in the Twin Cities in that we conference both youth and adults. (Other restorative justice organizations only take juveniles cases). RJCA brings together volunteer community members and participants (we try to avoid using the term “offender” to avoid the value-laden legal terminology) to discuss the incident and its effects on the community. Both parties—the participants and community members—are given the chance to engage in a conversation to explain their perspectives, and to then craft an agreement to make amends. The agreements typically involve a mixture of community service, apologies, donations, and/or personal development activities such as writing a reflection essay or pursuing educational or career goals. Here is a link to the website: http://www.rjca-inc.org/

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Alexander Quanbeck:  In August, I started working full-time at Restorative Justice Community Action (RJCA), a small non-profit in Minneapolis, as the adult case coordinator. RJCA is located in the Historic Wesley Center (see the attached image), a 125-year old former Methodist Church on the southern end of downtown Minneapolis (right next to the Convention Center).  RJCA offers a diversion program (an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system) with restorative justice content. Participants in our process are typically referred to us by the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, or the University of Minnesota. We are unique among restorative justice programs in the Twin Cities in that we conference both youth and adults. (Other restorative justice organizations only take juveniles cases). RJCA brings together volunteer community members and participants (we try to avoid using the term “offender” to avoid the value-laden legal terminology) to discuss the incident and its effects on the community. Both parties—the participants and community members—are given the chance to engage in a conversation to explain their perspectives, and to then craft an agreement to make amends. The agreements typically involve a mixture of community service, apologies, donations, and/or personal development activities such as writing a reflection essay or pursuing educational or career goals. Here is a link to the website: http://www.rjca-inc.org/

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Hi Alyssa,
I speak very minimal Spanish, but my husband is fluent so I am working on learning it better myself. Our Hispanic ministries are really involved, but I honestly do not know how much anyone uses our website! That is something I will explore further!

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Here is a beautiful picture of our altar.

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Relational poverty is growing by leaps and bounds I am grateful to see that you are opening space for these youth to connect. When our son entered seminary in 2008 Facebook was the main distraction now we have multiple social media accounts!

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It is a great privilege when we volunteers can engage with groups. Sharing a meal with them or playing games or swimming provide great opportunities for us to share our stories and get to know one another. My experiences in the social services world have opened my eyes to the ways in which developmentally disabled people are often subjected to a lesser status, and it is worse here than I have seen in the States. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of a community that provides a place of acceptance and joy for those that may not experience much of that in their daily lives.

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Beit Noah is a project started by the Benedictine monks of Tabgha, and is funded through their fundraising as well as through the German Association of the Holy Land (DVHL). The house and its surrounding amenities are maintained by each year's volunteers; those volunteers usually try to complete a project that will improve the space's usability or enjoyability. We are still brainstorming ideas for our generation's contribution. Much of our work is manual labor - below is a photo of some volunteers harvesting dates (that will be eaten throughout the coming year). Through this work, I am starting to feel that connection between work and prayer, and how prayer or memorized Scripture can influence our working mindset.

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Tabgha, nestled along the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, is a small community consisting of German Benedictine monks and nuns, international volunteers, and guests and pilgrims from Israel, Palestine, and beyond. Beit Noah, the meeting place and retreat house in Tabgha, seeks to provide a place of rest and rejuvenation for adults and children who may have been physically or psychologically affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or those who may live with any kind of developmental disability.  The website outlining its mission and purpose is here. Below is a picture inside the Church of the Multiplication, also housed in Tabgha and under the care and supervision of the monks.

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 I, Marybeth Volkers, am working with Fr. Efrain at St. Boniface Parish in Cold Spring, MN. I am new to this parish. I have been attending mass there since late August, in order to get to know the parishioners. I have just started to serve as a Eucharistic Minister there on Sundays, but my primary focus at the parish is teaching the Hispanic Youth Ministry Group. Alyssa joins me whenever she can. I have focused on the same theme as their parents, which is teaching Bible stories and how they relate to their every day lives. I offer the children healthy snacks, to munch on while I teach, in order to introduce them to whole foods and low-sugar food options. The first day I brought fresh apples directly from the orchard and the kids were very happy and asked me to bring double the amount the next time. The first lesson I asked them if they knew a bible story involving apples, and that spurred a discussion about Adam and Eve, focusing on good and evil, the importance of values and making good decisions. It was an interactive, bi-lingual discussion. Alyssa was present for the first lesson and supported one of the students who mainly spoke Spanish. I explained to them that one's thoughts, both good and bad, travel from your head downward, and if we have a bad thought, we need to stop it before it reaches our mouths, hands or heart. We discussed how they make their decisions. I also taught them a meditation technique for lowering stress called soft-belly breathing. Our first class was just days after Pres. Trump announced he was ending DACA, so I thought it was a relevant skill to have. I did not talk about this with them, but I know it may be a concern for some of them. I'm trying to stay on the practical side with this group, as it is mixed in ages and capabilities. The students range from age 5-12 years old. One child has Down Syndrome. There are usually 8-12 kids that attend, at the same time when their parents are in the Bible Study group with Fr. Efrain/ Alyssa. Right now, the kids and I are working on the bible story of Joseph and His 10 Brothers. We are watching the film in Spanish and discussing it in both languages, as we are going along, to make sure everyone is following the story line. As far as funding goes, I have bought the snack and materials I have used thus far. There are art, and other religious study supplies available at the parish, or through Fr. Efrain, also. We use the Youth Ministry room to meet in, so the parish funds that space. 

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 I, Marybeth Volkers, am working with Fr. Efrain at St. Boniface Parish in Cold Spring, MN. I am new to this parish. I have been attending mass there since late August, in order to get to know the parishioners. I have just started to serve as a Eucharistic Minister there on Sundays, but my primary focus at the parish is teaching the Hispanic Youth Ministry Group. Alyssa joins me whenever she can. I have focused on the same theme as their parents, which is teaching Bible stories and how they relate to their every day lives. I offer the children healthy snacks, to munch on while I teach, in order to introduce them to whole foods and low-sugar food options. The first day I brought fresh apples directly from the orchard and the kids were very happy and asked me to bring double the amount the next time. The first lesson I asked them if they knew a bible story involving apples, and that spurred a discussion about Adam and Eve, focusing on good and evil, the importance of values and making good decisions. It was an interactive, bi-lingual discussion. Alyssa was present for the first lesson and supported one of the students who mainly spoke Spanish. I explained to them that one's thoughts, both good and bad, travel from your head downward, and if we have a bad thought, we need to stop it before it reaches our mouths, hands or heart. We discussed how they make their decisions. I also taught them a meditation technique for lowering stress called soft-belly breathing. Our first class was just days after Pres. Trump announced he was ending DACA, so I thought it was a relevant skill to have. I did not talk about this with them, but I know it may be a concern for some of them. I'm trying to stay on the practical side with this group, as it is mixed in ages and capabilities. The students range from age 5-12 years old. One child has Down Syndrome. There are usually 8-12 kids that attend, at the same time when their parents are in the Bible Study group with Fr. Efrain/ Alyssa. Right now, the kids and I are working on the bible story of Joseph and His 10 Brothers. We are watching the film in Spanish and discussing it in both languages, as we are going along, to make sure everyone is following the story line. As far as funding goes, I have bought the snack and materials I have used thus far. There are art, and other religious study supplies available at the parish, or through Fr. Efrain, also. We use the Youth Ministry room to meet in, so the parish funds that space. 

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Connie Friebohle
Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

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I find it very rewarding and comforting to families when a health care and end of life directive is in place.
Connie Friebohle

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CaringInfo is supported by individual donations and other funding to the National Hospice Foundation (NHF), the fundraising affiliate of the NHPCO. NHF is a 501 (c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit organization. Your tax deductible gift can make a difference to help others across the country be better informed and help us provide free resources to the general public.

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I am currently volunteering for Horizon Health in Pierz, Mn.
Connie Friebohle
The journey with individuals as they are entering the end of their life is a very sacred space.
I have been graced and blessed to enter this journey with many. Just this past week I was reading psalm 121 and praying with a soul as she sat up and took her last breath before she peacefully entered into that very sacred space and began her journey home.

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Providing senior- and disability-friendly housing options has been our continuing journey since 1991. We make sure that your integrity is respected, our staff is accountable, and your community is close. We offer opportunities for you to stay active through volunteering, events and monthly luncheons which provide education, information and fun!

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Sherri Arnone-Wheat
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass

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Sherri Arnone-Wheat
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
― Mark Twain

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Step 1: Title 1 Purpose and Program Description

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Step 1: Title 1 Purpose and Program Description

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Sherri Arnone-Wheat
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html

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Hi Katie,

Wow this is super cool. I didn't know there was that large of a Latino community in the cities. Super cool! As you probably have already read from a few of my entries, my passion is Hispanic Ministry. I'd love to know more about your integration plan for your parish. Do you speak Spanish at all? It seems that you have a reliable team of adults in addition to the 2 youth coming to your events, how do you plan on celebrating and providing ways for both groups to understand one another's culture? Just a side note, I love your parish website, especially the Latino ministries page, well done! Do you find that most Spanish-speaking families in your parish visit the website frequently? Perhaps it may worth adding more Spanish to your homepage?

Thanks,
Alyssa

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Another focus of mine this year will be the relational poverty our youth are experiencing. Due to technology and our ever-changing world, youth are losing the ability to connect with each other in deep and meaningful ways. I am offering a variety of programming that allows kids to be kids and create meaningful, lasting relationships in their community.
*I have permission to share this image.

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One area we are hoping to merge the two communities with this year is Catholic Youth Nights. Currently the parish ministers to the Latino/Latina adults in the community through Catholic Men's and Women's Nights. We have had one Catholic youth night and invited the non-Latino community and are hoping to grow and develop it more this year.

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Ministry Site: St. Stephen's Catholic Church, Anoka MN
www.ststephenchurch.org

St. Stephen's is a Roman Catholic Church in the diocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul. The mission of St. Stephen's is to seek, love, and serve Jesus Christ. It is located in the heart of downtown Anoka. We are the second largest parish in the diocese and serve a variety of people, especially the large community of Latino/Latina people in the area.
Something I find interesting and am curious to work with is the separateness of the Latino and non-Latino communities. We are separate for our masses, sacraments, and faith formation. It is definitely a bridge in the community we are hoping to close this year.
Specifically, I work with the teens in the parish. On my core team, I have two Latino youth who help represent their community.

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This is the inside of St. John the Baptist parish. Recently, I took on the project of fixing the parish website and I took this picture with my iPhone. This is the picture you will find on the homepage. Not too shabby..

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This is the road that connects my driving to St. Boniface, St. John the Baptist and my graduate studies. Not only do I walk this path avidly but I will use it to contemplate what my Padlet entries will be.

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B. St. Boniface is located in Cold Spring, MN. It is about a 15 to 20 minute drive from the School of Theology and St. John the Baptist. Here is the website link: www.stboniface.com. Their vision statement is actually quite longer, however its overall goal is to proclaim the Gospel to everyone and to provide on-going formation when it comes to being a true disciple of Christ. As a bilingual parish of both English and Spanish speaking persons, I predominately volunteer on the Latino or Hispanic ministries side of this parish. Their activities include adult bible groups, weekly youth catechetical classes, fiestas celebrated in accordance with important days of celebration such as Dia de los Muertos or St. Boniface´s feast day, and events surrounding the theme of immigration.

To keep things short, this parish has had various food drives, Hispanic ministry speakers centered around the topic of immigration, catechetical retreats for married couples throughout the years and their annual Bonifest summer festival celebrating their patron. It's funding sources are from local businesses in the surrounding areas as well as the parishioners and staff. Anchor institutions that rather benefit or help parishioners find jobs in the area in order to stay longer in Minnesota include the meat packing plant in Cold Spring, construction, restaurants and hotels nearby.

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For this first post, I will briefly explain both parishes. One, that I am currently working at as a part-time Faith Formation Coordinator (St. John the Baptist) and the other as a volunteer working in Adult and Youth Ministry as well as singing in a Hispanic Choir at Sunday mass (St. Boniface).
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A. St. John the Baptist Parish is located in Collegeville, MN and here is their link: www.stjohnthebaptistparish.org. Their mission statement can be found on the homepage as speaks about its roots in Benedictine traditions which hope to nurture its community through various areas of worshiping together, Faith Formation classes/speakers, etc. Overall, St. John the Baptist focuses on bringing to life a community of just over 200 families in order be a witness to a church living in the world in order to sanctify it. Something that is also unique to this community is that is also twinned with a parish just four miles away. Identity and parish life therefore growing separately as well as uniquely together with its shared parish as different collaborations take form each year. Beyond yearly parish service projects to the Quiet Oaks, a hospice community, I would have to say that its largest example of a faith-filled, conversational and outreach project is its newly "twinning," as of less than two years ago. Speaking truthfully  when it comes to merging ideas, time or money, the funding and anchors all come from the parishioners as well as the staff.

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+What is the name of your organization and/or ministry that you will use for this course?
+Where is it located?
+Is there a website link, if so please share.

+What is the Mission and/or Vision Statement for the organization

+What are the primary focus areas of the organization, ie., healthy nutrition, violence protection, at risk youth, substance abuse, etc.

+What are some examples of projects that the organization has taken on.

+What are the funding sources?

+What are the anchor institutions that support this ministry?
Please place your name in each post

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These roses are just one of the examples of the many roses that are given to Mary on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Hispanic tradition. Last year, I attended this bilingual event at St. Boniface and it was wonderful. More reflection on this event to come later.