Privilege!

Privilege:  Oxford definition1 [countable] a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of people has2 [uncountable](disapproving)the rights and advantages that rich and powerful people in a society have
3 [singular] something that you are proud and lucky to have the opportunity to do

synonym

honour4 [countable, uncountable] (technical) a special right to do or say things without being punishedPrivilege:  Webster Student definitionnoun: a right or liberty granted as a favor or benefit especially to some and not others 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Missed another month again in posting on my blog.  Despite the fact that I did not have a job I have been keeping myself plenty busy. But now I started my job working with the Dane County Time Bank.  It was very rewarding that my strategy for finding a job actually worked!  Four of the major organizations I was volunteering for were very keen to hire me on, but they didn't have the funds: Madison-area Urban Ministry, Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, CORE, and DCTB [there are other organizations that I work with as a consultant as well].  It is the Time Bank that was the first to have some funds available to at least see them through to the end of 2011.  I'm still keeping the door open for paid opportunities with the other organizations and continue to volunteer with them as much as I can.  I am grateful for this initial opportunity because the Time Bank has something new for me to learn.  I've experience in volunteer, fund and program development and consulting but the one area of knowledge, next to social entrepreneurship, that I want to get a hold of is: effectively tapping into human resource.  It is more than mere volunteerism, it is an alternative or rather supplemental economy:  getting things done through people as the primary resource;  not money; not knowledge; not equity/property; not status (privilege); not program.  While these are not excluded, TimeBanking is a model that's ultimate and final resource are people and ultimate and final goal is community.  It's a privilege to be in this position.And that is what I've been meditating on for the last few days:  what a privileged life I have and what I should do with such privilege.  I don't simply want to blog about the details of my personal privilege; honestly why could you possibly find any interest in hearing "how good I've got it!"? I am not saying life is perfect, for there is no such thing this side of heaven.  But as I look at my own life, I realize the degree to which I overlook the advantages and opportunities placed on life's path. While I believe that everyone has variations of advantages and opportunities available to them I do recognize that some of us are given an abundance, maybe even an extravagant abundance, while others must fully utilize the little.  So these are some thoughts about how I may ponder the privilege I recognize today, in hopes of when things may not seem as copasetic!  But even more, how can I bring others to this place of privilege?  I do believe that it is actually improving the conditions of life, but I also believe there is something very significant to be said about it being a state of mind that is not dependent on the quality of circumstances or life.While I personally believe that my faith (or actually the object of my faith) is what brings me to this privileged state, I do recognize that others who may even have more faith than I don't seem to always maintain their grasp.  Sickness, joblessness, grief over loss, fear/anxiety, family strife, and a variety of life circumstances can throw even the strongest willed or strongest believer into the throws of the tossing sea of difficulty and woes.  I've been there, I've struggled with things all by myself without a whole lot of support around.  Very unlike my current circumstances.  I remember how stressed out I would be about things like housing, food, transportation and health.  I constantly questioned desperately:  what if this is cancer? what if this is disabling arthritis, what if this is a brain tumor, what if this is chronic fatigue syndrome?  It wasn't that I was a hypochondriac.  It was a paralyzing concern that I would be unable to carry such a burden as well as raise my kids and carry out my calling in life [some may call a career or vocation; I call it a mission, as in missionary].  But somehow I made it through those years.  And through it all I learned to not permit such fears to paralyze me, but to be invigorated by discovering and focusing on Mercies that are new every morning and gleaning what daily bread my be provided. I am struck by the phenomenon of nature (creation) that is full of deficiencies and decay right along side of extravagances and abundance.  So that in the course of a day I am filled with choices of how to pour out on others from a cup that I now recognize as full to overflowing (rather than deficient).  There are clear choices to be made to carry out responsibilities and duties that the present day carries with it, and then there are those multitude of other choices of how to spend or share one's privilege.  

Many times I am frustrated because I can't really figure out what to DO, and so all I know to do is to BE.  As others around me struggle through their grief, illness, loss, strife, and woes I can be present.  Positioning one's self not just to know what conditions are like elsewhere, but to place yourself at least along side of or in the same place of another, is powerful.  To be able to set one's privilege aside or to share one's privilege I believe is our highest calling.  It is what Jesus exemplified, and what I try to follow.  May I never lose sight of such advantage and opportunity that will always be within reach.  If I squander my full appreciation of it when it is in abundance then how much more will I lose sight of it when it be more illusive.

Government done Mad-City style

Dreams are funny....you wonder what they forecast or indicate.  Usually I don't remember my dreams, but yesterday I woke remembering a very funny dream about the City Budget hearing that would happen later that day. 

In the dream when I sat down in the room the woman sitting next to me said that these hearings are a lot of fun and I will enjoy it.  A gospel choir suddenly got up and proceeded to sing their proposal for funds, and then several other creative presentations were given.  We voted ranking each one on a paper (a little like American Idol).  One of the funnier things that happened was that the Jail gave a presentation of how some boating project would help rehab inmates.  As is possible in dreams, a big speed boat was put in a river to demonstrate how it would work, the boat driven by an inmate just sped away (and honestly AB ;-] I did not see your picture before I went to bed ).  Everyone just watched it go out of sight and then that was it....hmmm, I couldn't figure out what that was suppose to mean.  So that was the gist of the dream.  When I woke I really wondered what the real thing was going to be all about.  My dad's take on it was that "government hearings are just a joke".

I went to the meeting in the evening, and it wasn't anything like my dream.  However, it was like no other government meeting that I had ever been to.  It was more like a strategic planning meeting that I've attended at several non-profits.  There was a kind of "voting" in that we put stickers on categories that we would prioritize.  And then had a group discussion about why the results showed dots heavy in some areas and low in others.  The Mayor, several Alders, and city workers were there and about 225 citizens of the community. Not exactly reflective of the city's demographics. A higher representation of the non-profit sector, since the evening's discussion was focused on social service.

Throughout the evening many promises were expressed by those representing the City government that this process of relying heavily on citizen input would continue to be developed during Mayor Soglin's administration.  That budget decisions will take seriously into account input from these meetings (which will cover 5 funding areas: Social services, administration, facilities & parks, safety, infrastructure) and input from a 40 page on-line survey that they are hoping as many city's residents will take the time to complete.

Survey link: http://www.cityofmadison.com/budgetProcess/survey.cfm

Essentially, they are building a case that this is not a joke, not a carnival or contest, but a serious dialogue and as is a common chant here in Madison these days: "This is what democracy looks like!"

Surviving Spring! Embracing Summer!

May came and went without a posting!  Partly due to the fact that Spring was a challenge to me: wondering when will winter ever end!  But I was "sprouting" like the rest of nature: taking root, budding new leaves, new flowers.  I'm working hard, especially since dad broke his hip, so now I have to take on a lot of his chores: mowing, clearing out the roof drains, driving, etc.  I do it with joy, but want him back in full form again (primarily because he loves to work too!)  And I've enjoyed being a "gardener" for the first time! 

FEATURED HIGHLIGHTS:

The Greater Isthmus Group along with MUM and United way organized an affordable housing tour of both the south side and north east side of Madison.  The grim stats 20,000 are at income levels that need affordable housing (this does NOT include middle income groups that still have to spend more than 30%  percentage of their income on the housing that is available) and there are only 10,000 units available through private and public ventures through out the city!  So affordable housing remains to be a priority!

Madison-area Urban Ministry: I've enjoyed volunteering there every Friday and helping out with the Re-Entry Simulations that show the community how difficult it is to get back into society after prison!  Next Wednesday I will do my first Simulation IN a prison, helping the inmates understand all that they need to do when they get out, to make sure they don't end up back where they came from.

Rainbow Project:  have enjoyed early discussion with the staff on how to think of volunteers as integral to the vision and mission of the organization that will not only enhance their critical service: counseling services to children and families who have experienced trauma and/or abuse.

The Road Home:  as a member of Door Creek I participated in our week to serve with the Road Home, by making Ribs for the families.  First time but I started with Famous Dave's BBQ sauce and then of course added everything in my spice rack (and those of you who know me know I have a lot of strange things there) and they tasted fantastic.  It was such a joy to hear the families' excited stories of their visit to the Henry Vilas Zoo!  It truly is wonderful to have a free Zoo in the heart of the city!  While this was self-initiated on the part of the families, I love seeing when there is this kind of "cross-polination"  of services throughout the community.

Dane County Time Bank:  Last night they had a very important meeting with the politicians, press, and movers and shakers of the city to demonstrate how much the time bank is doing in our community:  energy conservation education, youth court (and potentially an adult court), allied drive wellness center, etc. Afterwards there was a small fundraiser event.  I helped coordinate the event.  Have to say that when you depend on volunteers and donations you never know what's going to show up, but it was a marvelous event, great food, great music, great door prizes, and great people!  I enjoyed talking to various people about how to engage organizations more in the time bank.  This included speaking with Edgar Cahn, the founder of Time Banking.  I'm looking forward to reading his book: "No More Throw Away People: The Co-Production Imperative"

And then there is NEHEMIAH.  I have to say I loved this group even before I met them!  I believe that because they are a CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) organization that we have a shared vision and purpose, so I just knew ahead of time that we would be of one mind and one spirit!  We are still getting to know each other.  I have to admit I found it the highest compliment when Lalida said I seem like an "earthy" person!  It's good to know that people read you the way you want to be read!  Now don't get me wrong!  My earthiness is of the Kingdom of Heaven style!  I'm just starting a journey with them of toning up their volunteer coordination.  It's a critical part of who they are and they do a great job, but as they anticipate doubling their opportunities, some basic pieces need to be established. 

I enjoy being a part of all these organizations, and then a few others.  But the part that is giving me great joy is mentoring C(13) and D(11).  I started mentoring C right when I arrived, since my dad has been the family's volunteer chauffeur for the past 3 years.  She is such a delightful young lady:  full of confidence, questions, and yet pliable to learn.  I try to introduce her to a lot of new things:  the farmer's market, gardening, and then last week we went and saw Shalom Sallam (bellie dancing!) in return I tolerate the mall!  D is a bit of a challenge.  I was introduced to her through MUM's Mentoring Connection with their Children of Incarcerated Parents program.  She's been through 3 mentors already, so I'm getting the "test" as only an 11 year old can dish out!  But, don't get me wrong, not in a nasty way, that silent treatment!  Which is difficult since C. is so talkative!  I'm enjoying having two kids to direct my concern towards, now that my own are grown and doing adult life so majestically!

Rebuilder of Broken Places

This passage continues to be my life verse!

Isaiah 58 (New Century Version)

Isaiah 58                                                                              

 ¹ The Lord says, "Shout out loud. Don't hold back.
       Shout out loud like a trumpet.
    Tell my people what they have done against their God;
       tell the family of Jacob about their sins.
 ² They still come every day looking for me
       and want to learn my ways.
    They act just like a nation that does what is right,
       that obeys the commands of its God.
    They ask me to judge them fairly.
       They want God to be near them.
 ³ They say, 'To honor you we had special days when we fasted,
       but you didn't see.
    We humbled ourselves to honor you,
       but you didn't notice.' "

    But the Lord says, "You do what pleases yourselves on these special days,
       and you are unfair to your workers.
 ⁴ On these special days when you fast, you argue and fight
       and hit each other with your fists.
    You cannot do these things as you do now
       and believe your prayers are heard in heaven.
 ⁵ This kind of special day is not what I want.
       This is not the way I want people to be sorry for what they have done.
    I don't want people just to bow their heads like a plant
       and wear rough cloth and lie in ashes to show their sadness.
    This is what you do on your special days when you fast,
       but do you think this is what the Lord wants?                                   

 ⁶ "I will tell you the kind of fast I want:
    Free the people you have put in prison unfairly
       and undo their chains.
    Free those to whom you are unfair
       and stop their hard labor.
 ⁷ Share your food with the hungry
       and bring poor, homeless people into your own homes.
    When you see someone who has no clothes, give him yours,
       and don't refuse to help your own relatives.
 ⁸ Then your light will shine like the dawn,
       and your wounds will quickly heal.
    Your God will walk before you,
       and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
 ⁹ Then you will call out, and the Lord will answer.
       You will cry out, and he will say, 'Here I am.'

    "If you stop making trouble for others,
       if you stop using cruel words and pointing your finger at others,
 ¹⁰ if you feed those who are hungry
       and take care of the needs of those who are troubled,
    then your light will shine in the darkness,
       and you will be bright like sunshine at noon.
 ¹¹ The Lord will always lead you.
       He will satisfy your needs in dry lands
       and give strength to your bones.
    You will be like a garden that has much water,
       like a spring that never runs dry.
 ¹² Your people will rebuild the old cities that are now in ruins;
       you will rebuild their foundations.
    You will be known for repairing the broken places
       and for rebuilding the roads and houses.

 ¹³ "You must obey God's law about the Sabbath
       and not do what pleases yourselves on that holy day.
    You should call the Sabbath a joyful day
       and honor it as the Lord's holy day.
    You should honor it by not doing whatever you please
       nor saying whatever you please on that day.
 ¹⁴ Then you will find joy in the Lord,
       and I will carry you to the high places above the earth.
       I will let you eat the crops of the land your ancestor Jacob had."
    The Lord has said these things.

The Good Samaritan

An expert asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life? 
Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"

The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "

Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."

But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"

Jesus replied:

As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (very rugged road commonly called "The Blood Highway"), robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.  A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"

The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity and mercy."

Jesus said, "Go and do the same!"                                             


OBSERVATIONS:

When Jesus told this story, who do you think the listeners were identifying with the most?
   The crowd (Jewish):  the man who was beaten up by the robbers    The "Expert" with the spiritual leaders .  No one would have identified with the Samaratin, except Jesus forced them to, because he behaved as the Scriptures instructed.

Who do you identify with in this story?
  Are you like the man who would view the Samaratin as the "lost" or "broken" one?  But would you ever find yourself in the position where you are this desperately in need?  Not if you stay in a safe place.  Sometimes, we have to go on the "blood highway", sometimes we have to go to the place, where we can get hurt, and left half dead on the side of the road.  But most of us chose to stay home safe.  We never really discover who really is out there to rescue and defend the one's who are out there being robbed and beaten and killed!  We might "happen" to find ourselves in the same place, by turning on our evening news, or driving through a neighborhood, or attending public schools, or taking public transportation.

What do we do when we happen to be on the "Blood Highway"?
Which emotion strikes our heart?  Fear? Disgust? Mis-Trust? or Compassion?
What actions do we take?  How are the many ways we go on the other side of the street?  Or the other side of the tracks?  Do we shut off and tune out?  Do we turn our backs? Do we kick/throw stones? Do we shoot our guns to ward off any would be robbers from attacking us?  Or do we DO something?


And if we DO something is it something to appease our own emotions about the matter?  Our pity produces us to quick write a check, or do what I like to call a "One and Done" volunteer activity. Do something that makes me walk away and pat myself on the back and say "whew that made me feel good"?

Consider all the actions done as an example of being a "neighbor"

• -being on the same road
• -seeing the man in need
• -feeling for the man in need
• -going over (closer)....crossing over, not crossing away from
• -treated the wounds....getting some blood on your own hands
• -bandaged them....applying available resources
• -gave silver coin....giving of our own resources (notice not the first action)
• -please take care of him....enlisting community support
• -if you spend more....risk!
• -when I return....follow up, engagement...not abandonment

Jesus ends by asking which of the three are the real neighbor, to spur us on to be real neighbors that behave like this.  But by choosing the Samaritan Jesus is reminding us that we just might find we need the very ones we intend to serve, and they have resources and knowledge and skills that we know not of.  The "expert" was not the one to fix this broken situation.  When we go in to a situation are we coming as the experts or are we coming as fellow travelers on the Bloody Highway, subject to the same brokenness as other travelers on the way....it does require getting out of our protected cocoons but it also requires us, who happen to be on the road to truly engage, invest and persist!

TiMeBaNk!!!!

Rather than write my own description of the TimeBank, I've just posted below their own Overview!  It truly is one of the more exciting things I've come across.  I'm currently reviewing and analyzing how organizations currently are utilizing the time bank here in Dane County (Madison) to help them think through how to facilitate greater participation and collaboration.  I am sure you will be hearing more about this as I post while I learn more and get more involved.

I hope you find this interesting.  Check out on this website http://www.timebanks.org/ to find out if there is a TimeBank near you and learn more about how it works in your community....I certainly welcome any comments of other experiences.

Dane County TimeBank: An Overview

The Dane County TimeBank is a network of individuals and organizations in Dane County working to increase efficiency, opportunity and resource sharing through mutually beneficial exchange -- building community ties and community self-sufficiency. 

TimeBanks exist to promote exchanges that honor five core values:

Assets

We are all assets.

Every human being has something to contribute.

Redefining Work

Some work is beyond price.

Work has to be redefined to value whatever it takes to raise healthy children, build strong families, revitalize neighborhoods, make democracy work, advance social justice, and make the planet sustainable. That kind of work needs to be honored, recorded and rewarded.

Reciprocity

Helping works better as a two-way street.

The question: “How can I help you?” needs to change so we ask: “How can we help each other build the world we both will live in?”

Social Networks

We need each other.

Networks are stronger than individuals. People helping each other reweave communities of support, strength & trust. Community is built upon sinking roots, building trust, creating networks. Special relationships are built on commitment.

Respect

Every human being matters.

Respect underlies freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and everything we value. Respect supplies the heart and soul of democracy. When respect is denied to anyone, we all are injured. We must respect where people are in the moment, not where we hope they will be at some future point.

TimeBank members are a caring and interconnected community of people who help each other by sharing our abilities, talents, and experiences. By both giving and receiving, we learn to appreciate the value of each and every member and also come to believe in the value of our own contributions. Instead of separating our community into those who need and those who provide, we recognize that we all have needs and gifts to share. When members provide a service for other members, one TimeBank Hour is earned for each hour spent providing the service. Members can then exchange each TimeBank Hour earned for an hour of service from someone else.

The Dane County TimeBank (DCTB), with a focus on equality and community building, strives to encourage all members' strengths and involvement. TimeBank Member Coordinators take great care in matching individuals for the success and benefit of all involved in each exchange. We believe through these exchanges members build positive relationships and we broaden support networks within the community. Things that may not be as accessible due to financial situations, insurance, qualifying factors, etc. become accessible to everyone through timebanking.

Since its launch in October 2005 the Dane County TimeBank – the first of its kind in Wisconsin – has grown rapidly and is recognized as a leader in the international TimeBanking movement. The Dane County TimeBank has hosted the 2007 and 2009 International TimeBanking Conferences.  In an era of declining government funding, TimeBanking provides a practical tool to mobilize the resources of citizens in a community in a way that enables people from diverse backgrounds to know and help each other, reweaving community and building trust and skills.

The DCTB began as a pilot project in partnership with the Northside Planning Council with financial support from a City of Madison's Neighborhood Leadership and Capacity Building grant. Since 2005, the Dane County TimeBank has rapidly expanded throughout the county and has added special projects such as the TimeBank's Youth Court program, the TimeBank Store, the Community Justice and Homecoming Project, and support and empowerment of the developmental disabilities community. A primary objective of the service exchange model is to empower residents from all walks of life to create positive changes in their own communities. The TimeBank is a leadership development tool for youth, a provider of resources for individual community members, a pool of resources and springboard to address community concerns, and an organizing tool. 

An explicit goal of the Dane County TimeBank is to provide a mechanism to facilitate the sharing and exchange of resources among organizations that are often put in a position of competing for limited resources. This approach reduces strain on municipal budgets and human service providers, provides opportunities for restorative justice, and offers a chance for everyone to work together to address community needs.  The Dane County TimeBank partners with local organizations to develop programs to meet local needs. The TimeBank has attracted funding from Dane County Human Services, Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance and Community Shares of Wisconsin to support a paid staff of three.

Projects

A goal of Dane Co. TimeBank is to use the TimeBank structure to create and support projects that accomplish what people want for their own communities. At any given time we may have more informal projects that you can learn about at http://danecountytimebank.org. The following projects are ongoing programs within the Dane Co. TimeBank.

TimeBank Youth Court:

The mission of the TimeBank Youth Court is to provide an alternative to the juvenile justice system so youth can willingly take responsibility for their actions, make amends and build healthy and productive relationships to create a safer, more caring community.

The TimeBank Youth Court gives teens in trouble an opportunity to go to a jury of their peers rather than get a ticket or other formal consequence. The peer jury generally sentences youth to serve on the jury and to take part in activities that can help them succeed in the long run. These activities can include: writing letters of apology to victims or other restorative justice activities, participating in life skills or mentoring programs, tutoring younger kids, serving on the jury, and more. When young persons' sentences are complete they have the option to continue their service, earning TimeBank Hours. Our goal is to keep kids in programs that they enjoy and are benefiting from, helping them to maintain a strong social network and build their skills, capacity, and work experience. We are modeling this program on Washington DC's Time Dollar Youth Court. The TimeBank Youth Court is now underway in Madison's North and East sides, LaFollette High School, and South Madison. If you would like to get involved please call Lorrie at (608) 663-0400 or send an email.

Prison Reentry

Several organizations have teamed up to use the TimeBank structure to assist people coming out of prison in re-integrating with their communities. In addition to teaching Non-Violent Communication and meditation classes in prisons, TimeBank members are also providing Circles of Support for formerly incarcerated people, helping to connect them with other TimeBank members to build references, skills, trust and access to resources. If you would like to get involved please call (608) 663-0400 or email Cheri Maples at cheri@mindfulnessandjustice.org.

Maxine's TimeBank Store

Dane Co. TimeBank operates a store where members can get donated goods using TimeBank Hours they've earned helping in the community. The store is located at 2225 Allied Drive.To learn more or to help staff the store please contact Gary at gary@danecountyTimeBank.org or (608) 663-0400.

For more information see http://danecountytimebank.org

New Finds

Updated)
The past few weeks I have personally felt the dormancy of the winter blues.  With everything that has been going on in Madison and around the world you can feel like there is a social volcano that is in early stages of irrupting.  While I share in most of the objections to a degree, still there is a point when you decide how close to get to the epicenter.  The several days of cloudiness certainly did not help me secure clarity of thought.  I want to be the change agent that I believe I was placed here on this earth to be.  However, there is change and there is change!  And I have to hold on to my core value, that positive change is birthed within our hearts, grown within community, and shared through love and grace. Politics and governance, activism and protest I believe play an important role in creating a healthy citizenry.  But the real test comes in the vibrancy of communities, churches, families, schools, organizations, friends, and individuals.  How dynamic and how engaged are we in responding to the world and in caring for the creation and in creating community?

While I haven't really felt that much has been "happening" for me.  I've realized that I have made several very good finds that I would like to share.  First is a very interesting book that I want to read called the Social Animal, that argues that we are not rational animals, but social.  Our decisions and our politics etc are based far more on emotion then upon rationality (though we believe otherwise).  It is not enough to develop our minds but it is critical to develop our character. I am interested in reading this book, because it seems to argue that it is not enough to simply run programs and create policy, but that the personal and relational aspects are key to anything we set out to do.


 OTHER NEW STUFF I'VE DISCOVERED over the past few weeks. 
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BUS TOURS:   

-Housing First Bus Tour April 30th 9-12and May 4th 4pm-7pm Greater Isthmus Group (GIG)  work with NanCnare and Barbara McKinnon
I was brainstorming with my parents about what I like to do and if I could make it a "business".  I told them that I would really like to arrange bus tours that would build awareness in the community to build bridges.  It is said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in the US. Which is true not just along race lines,  but also between denominations. I have participated in a couple of church tours (St Louis and Miami) where on a Sunday morning we visited about 10 different churches between 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.  15 minutes in each church gives you an overall picture of what is going on on any given Sunday.  The one question each church is asked is "What are you doing to contribute to your community" and either they will give us materials, or someone in the church will talk to the church for a few minutes to explain what they are doing.  But I would also be interested in doing a tour of social service organizations, so that people can find out what is going on in their community/city.  The next day my cousin called me up and asked me if I was going to a meeting she had invited me to on Homelessness in Madison.  I told her I had a conflict, but was going to see the moderator of the meeting the following day, so I could tell her I'm interested in participating.  I asked her what was on the agenda.  Guess what it was?  They are planning a bus trip to build awareness of the "affordable housing" issue in the county!  What?   You think a thought and then something falls in to your plate!  Well let's see where this takes me to......

-Guided tours CNU http://www.cnu.org/cnu19/guidedtours  I googled Urban Tours to find out what other kinds of tours take place in Madison.  These are very interesting tours that showcase the unique urban development of this fair city.
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PRISON REENTRY SIMULATION: 

Madison Urban Ministry:  3/21 with MedStudent; 4/5 United Way

Prison Orientation: Oakville Prison 4/12 5-8 pm
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TIME BANK this is the most amazing (more on this later!)  http://www.danecountytimebank.org/
TimeBanking connects you to the best in people because it creates a system that connects unmet needs with untapped resources.  It provides ways for us all to contribute and benefit. 
This is so radically incredible!  A way to give your volunteer time and then get some services in exchange for it!  I've been asked to help volunteer with them to help it run better.  It's very community oriented and neighborly.  It's designed to include the marginalized.  And then to boot....I love it that they organize everyone on a first name bases!   That's how I preferred to organize my "client files"....because they aren't clients (that's just a useful name for the purpose of grants etc).  They are people. And I know them on a first name basis, so why shouldn't that be how I organize them.  So I was so thrilled with this silly little detail that they organize people by their first name!  Woohoo! 
------------------------------------

FOOD PANTRY GARDENING:

-http://www.cacscw.org/pantry_garden.php

-Door Creek  April 18/19

Door Creek Church

Final tally for our food pantry garden: 5268 lbs. of veggies from a modest plot, 15 helpers and a perfect growing season (thanks God!). Just think of the difference all that food made in many lives this summer and early fall.

----------------------------
ZOO's 100 year Birthday!

http://vilaszoo.org/events/index.php?category_id=5007

---------------------------
Rainbow Project:  Volunteer Development  http://www.rainbowproject.bizland.com/Jobs/Overview%20of%20The%20Rainbow%20Project%20Inc.%20%282007.07.21%29.pdf




So people are asking me if I am looking for a job.  I tell you this is such a great way to look for a job.  I know that I could search for job openings, fill out applications, tweek resumes, do interviews, and receive rejection upon rejection, until I find a job that I most probably won't like.  That's way too nerve wracking.  I know several people in my age bracket who have been unemployed for years now and have just shot every nerve in their body through the whole process.  This way I am working, I am meeting people, I am learning a new culture, I am expanding my network, and I'm really exploring what is possible.  I highly recommend it.  I am truly grateful to my parents for making this possible.

Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

This morning I woke up with a line reciting in my mind from a poem I wrote about 30 years ago:

"There's death all around me that I never would have known
And pain stands beside me, making joy a lesson to relearn"

While I know that my portion of having deaths in the family is perhaps average to low compared to many around the world, still it's been a season of sorrow these past two months:  the loss of Bill, my brother-in-law; Ruth, my grand-mother-in-law (California); and Rachel, a "niece" (daughter of a family that is close as kin).  Sorrow that's hit very close, but not directly at me: severing the closest loved ones.  So I've played a supporting role in the grief around me: being the arms, the shoulders, the hands, the words, the gifts where there is an emptiness.  Being the presence in the fog.

When I started this adventure, I had no idea the degree to which I was being called back home to be a pillar of support for my family and my extended family.   I think there is still something sobering and humbling to ponder in it all.  I am mindful now of the importance of the Tree of Life that stands in the midst of the new heaven and the new earth that brings healing to the nations. And I look to those leaves now to be the soothing balm in the hearts and lives of those around me that I love and to this world that is currently and continuously in distress and turmoil.  I look to the hope set before us where every tear will be wiped away and sorrow and death shall be no more!  I am mindful of it as a beacon shining to all to direct us all through the thick clouds of sorrow.

I don't know to what extent my poem captures the heart of what I am feeling at this time, nor what others who grieve around me are feeling.  I know for sure that it's theology/philosophy may not jive with all world views, but it is spoken out of my world view. And I think there is something in it to for those who stand around complacent (including myself) in their humanity blissful of the delicacy and struggle of our existence on this earth.  Something that may, just may, help us check our pride at the door and walk through our days open to restoration.  I share this poem with you and ask you to take yourself back to sit before the first woman, the mother of us all, who seeks to speak to us today:

Volunteering and Community Collaborations

I've decided that the best way to figure out what the Madison Non-Profit world looks like is to go through the volunteer application process with several.  Hopefully after interviewing with them I will find some well-suited opportunities for me to volunteer.  I do hope to become a mentor to a teen, I would like to help some organizations organize their volunteer programs, and maybe even try my hand at sitting on a board.  But clearly I can't do it all!  So the ultimate goal is to find out more about the culture of volunteerism here in Madison.  Eventually also to find out the extent that the local churches get involved with their community and how cohesive the faith and community organizations are. 

I've been coordinating, recruiting, and managing volunteers for the past decade and so if there is any title that I can confidently hold it is: Volunteer Coordinator. But, it is not enough for me to just be a Volunteer Coordinator I also seek to be a Community Collaborator.  I have enjoyed creating opportunities where organizations can come together on mutual projects bringing volunteers, employees and "clients" together in collaborative efforts.  I've found the process builds communities, develops relationships, enhances services, and empowers individuals.

Creating programs or projects just for the sake of it is not sufficient.  But there is inevitably needs and resources that are not efficiently combined.  One organization has a resource, such as building space, and another has a need, for the building space.  It is not a matter of creating something to bring people together, it is a matter of sharing resources and merging ideas and projects.  However, this is not easy.  Organizations, such as churches and non-profit service agencies, have different cultures.  So collaborations are intensely cross-cultural experiences.  Ironing out expectations, clearing up miss communications, altering well set attitudes, are all huge obstacles in successful collaboration.  Overcoming such obstacles is well worth it!  Failing at the attempt could be detrimental to the health and progress of the community.  When one is wounded the whole body is wounded!

So for this reason it is well worth my effort to explore the culture for a season, to talk to some of the community activists and developers, to learn some history, to spend time with the organizations by volunteering with them and find out where there have been gaps, where there are failures, where there are strengths and assets. So that I can be better equipped to be what my ultimate calling in life (where ever I may find myself to be): The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.(Isaiah  58:12)

Exegeting Madison Wisconsin

Update entries are shaded Latest update 1/18/11 2/22/11 3/18/11

For the past 6 years I have been working with engaging the Christian community to enhance and empower its service to the community.  Now that I've moved to Madison I have a unique opportunity to apply much of what I've learned, and to learn and apply tools that i have not yet used, to study a city that I am returning to after 20 years. In studying it and making connections I hope to discover what my niche might be in this unique and wonderful city in the great North.  I am clearly mostly interested in working with the Christian community, of which I am a part.  However, especially in Madison, I think it is important to understand all the faith communities and other communities that are non-faith-based.  I am also interested in "poor" communities, which are communities of the disenfranchised, excluded, with restricted access to resources.  My personal belief system compels me to relocate (or living among the people as Modeled by Jesus), redistribute (which includes recognizing and utilizing existing God-given resources beyond just money), and reconcile (reconciliation between people, including the excluded, and reconciling people to God) [Best articulated by Dr. John M. Perkins].

I welcome comments and suggestions: This particular posting will be under continuous edition as i cover the following topics based on The Lausanne document “Toward the Transformation of our Cities” suggested twenty steps in exegeting a city:

NEW STUFF: 

BUS TOURS:   

-Housing First Bus Tour April 30th 9-12and May 4th 4pm-7pm

Greater Isthmus Group (GIG)  work with NanCnare and Barbara McKinnon

-Guided tours CNU http://www.cnu.org/cnu19/guidedtours

REENTRY SIMULATION:

Madison Urban Ministry:  3/21 with MedStudent; 4/5 United Way

Prison Orientation: Oakville Prison 5-8

FOOD PANTRY GARDENING:

-http://www.cacscw.org/pantry_garden.php

-Door Creek  April 18/19

Door Creek Church

Final tally for our food pantry garden: 5268 lbs. of veggies from a modest plot, 15 helpers and a perfect growing season (thanks God!). Just think of the difference all that food made in many lives this summer and early fall.

ZOO's 100 year Birthday!

http://vilaszoo.org/events/index.php?category_id=5007

Rainbow Project:  Volunteer Development  http://www.rainbowproject.bizland.com/Jobs/Overview%20of%20The%20Rainbow%20Project%20Inc.%20%282007.07.21%29.pdf

TIME BANK:

http://www.danecountytimebank.org/

 TimeBanking connects you to the best in people because it creates a system that connects unmet needs with untapped resources.  It provides ways for us all to contribute and benefit.

1.    Compile a list of significant historical events that inform the city’s identity.

Early History of a city that is 150 years old: Before the arrival of European settlers, the Madison area was home to Native Americans for nearly 12,000 years. Beginning in 1837, Yankee, English, Irish, German and Scandinavian settlers flocked to the rapidly growing community named for James Madison. Known for its natural beauty and healthful conditions, Madison's designation as the capital of Wisconsin guaranteed its growth as a center of state politics and education. By the time Madison became a city in 1856, the community had grown to more than 9,000 residents.

1857-1882 capitol building built….bringing workers with the marble from Italy

The 1960’s & 70’s. 

The War at Home: shows how Vietnam was fought in Madison

  2. Understand clearly the sections or zones that make up the city.

City of Madison Neighborhoods (click here)
Madison Neighborhood stats (click here)

http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/wisconsin/madison need to get US census updates 2010

3.    Study the neighborhoods: their ethnic, social and economic composition, religious affiliations, occupational patterns, younger and older populations, concentrations of the elderly, young professionals, singles, problem groups, to understand a neighbourhood you must walk the streets, talk to people, insiders and outsiders.  These are areas that I am particularly interested in

The Triangle   http://www.thedailypage.com/theguide/details.php?event=246560

South Side     http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/south/newsletters/documents/Feb09.pdf
                      http://www.southsideraiders.org/the-news/6-raiderhistory.html

Allied Drive    http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/profile/1.html
                     http://krause4alder.com/       Finding that 53711 is a zip code that is terribly divers!!!
   Gang Prevention & Safety Awareness Special Events   Speakers from community organizations, 1-4:30 pm, 7/27, Second Baptist Church, plus entertainment, food, kids' activities & school supplies. Free. 622-5900
When: 07/27/10 @ 1:00pm  Call: 622-5900
To start out with we will have several speakers, including Norman Thone, the chairman of power out reach youth org; and speakers from the YMCA, The Wisconsin Youth And Family Centers, The School Board, The Fire Dept, Pastor Anthony Wade of Second Baptist Church, Jackie Hunt of Allied Wellness Center On Mental Health, Selena Pettigrew of the Allied Community and Allied Wellness Center, St Mary's, The Boys and Girls Club, The National Guard/US Army, and many more. Our guests also include the chief of police Noble Wray, many alders and other agencies.

University of Wisconsin

Monroe St area

Williamson Street area

East side where I live between Atwood Ave/E Wash & Fair Oaks

Laotian/Hmong/Vietnamese: I was involved with the sponsorship and resettlement of them about 25-30 years ago so I am very interested to see how they have settled and prospered in Madison.

Crime map: http://spotcrime.com/wi/madison

4.    Determine and analyze the power centres in the city – the political figures, the police department, business leaders and the Chamber of Commerce, religious leaders.

Currently vamping up for Mayoral Election between Soglin (who was mayor after I left) and Dave   

Cieslewicz (who is current mayor and I don’t even know how to pronounce that)

The power of volunteerism: I've moved from a city that has a reputation of being the worst volunteer city in the US to one that is considered the best volunteer city in the US.  Today (1/14/11) I went to interview to become a mentor for a teenage girl through Madison Urban Ministries' Children of Incarcerated Parents.  After that I went to the Urban League of Greater Miami's Volunteer Fair. I discussed volunteerism with some folks.  While Madison is a great volunteer city and most of the time organizations get a glut of volunteers and volunteers have to compete for certain positions, still they find that volunteers prefer the "One-and-Done" experience.  Where a regular and longer commitment is needed, then it's hard to find...or keep...volunteers. 

Judge Paul Higginbotham: 1/17/11 received MLK Herritage Award.  Back in the late 80's when he was a law student I went with him on a week trip to Tchula Ms to show solidarity for Eddie Carthan.  They spend time interviewing people to help build a case for Carthan's defense...I think I still have some of those tapes in my possession (unless in this last move I threw them out). So in googling him i came across:

Pilgrims Covenant Church: this is what they have (in addition to other defamation) I just can't help wonder what they would say about Jesus if they were living in his time.

"A man is known by how he spends his time and the company he keeps. Judge Higginbotham's web site lists other endorsements as well as a list of the positions he has held with a plethora of liberal, in some cases even leftist, organizations including: Acting Executive Director of the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission, 1993-1994; Dane County Minority Affairs Coordinator, County Executive's Office, 1988-1992; Staff Attorney, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, 1986-1988; Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Inc., 1985-1986; Dane County Housing Authority, former Commissioner; Madison Mutual Housing Association, Board of Directors, former Vice-President; NAACP, former Executive Committee Member; Wisconsin Community Fund: Grant Allocations Board. At a recent Wisconsin Community Fund event, Paul Higginbotham was honored by his friend U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin. Other pals of Paul attending the party included such liberal luminaries as U.S. Senator Russ Feingold and former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. In his acceptance speech, Higginbotham made the standard "progressive" call for "social justice." Higginbotham obviously is not the "middle of the road" candidate he would have voters believe him to be. His interests and experience have clearly been of the leftist, socialist persuasion."

wikapedia:Ralph Ovadal (born August, 1951) is the pastor of Pilgrims Covenant Church in Monroe, Wisconsin. He is a Reformed Baptist, although his church is not part of any formally recognized denomination. He is noted for impassioned street preaching and picketing in various cities. Ovadal is highly opposed to abortion, public nudity, homosexuality, and ecumenism; his vigorous public actions against them have resulted in frequent scrapes with the law. Vehemently anti-Catholic, he openly calls the pope "antichrist,"

University of Wisconsin 1/19/11: http://centerfornonprofits.wisc.edu/aboutus/index.html

5.    Analyze the felt needs of specific people groups within the city.

South East Asians HMONG: http://www.apl.wisc.edu/publications/HmongChartbook.pdf
                                             http://www.themadisontimes.com/news_details.php?news_id=232

South Asians

African Americans

Hispanic/Latino

Homeless

RECOVERY: http://meetings.intherooms.com/meetings/search?latitude=43.066773&longitude=-89.403662&proximity=100

6.    Examine the traffic flow of the city.

1/17/11: take note that when there's a snow storm....I for one do not go out!  

So I am missing the MLK Day celebrations.

7.    Seek to discover how news and opinion spread in the city, and in particular groups.

 http://host.madison.com/wsj/

Allied Dr:  http://madisonvoices.com/
http://www.topix.com/city/madison-wi 
http://www.allgodspeople.com/madison/
http://www.channel3000.com/index.html
CITY LIVE: http://www.cityofmadison.com/mcc12/
STATE: http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=3759 
County DANE: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?ctid=3064

8.    Examine the relationship between city-dwellers and the rural, small-town communities outside the city. 

EG Madison’s corps is traditionally progressive to left wing while the rest of the state is progressive to conservative in politics.

9.    Faith Ministries and churches in the city – locate them on a map; identify them by denomination, size & age.

10.    Analyze the various types of existing faith communities.

        The Black Church: 1/16/11  Ecumenical Worship Celebrating the life Ministry & Vision of MLK

                     Mt. Zion Baptist Church: Pastor Rick Jones & Emmett Woodward (also in DA's office)

                                                           Deacon Gloria Ladson Billings, Deacon Percy Brown

                     St Paul AME: Pastor Thomas Flint
                     SS Morris AME:  Pastor Gregory Armstrong

11.    Find out the growth patterns of the various faith communities – attendance, membership, and rate of growth.

12.    Inquire about planting and closures of various faith communities in the past several years.

13.    Who is planning to start new faith communities?

14.    Strategies for establishing Churches and other places of worship/community hubs– what has been tried in the past, what has failed, and what was effective in starting churches and stimulating growth?

15.    Christians and other Faith Communities – where are the Christians located (which may not be where they attend church)?  Identify areas of the city where relatively few Christians live.

16.    Identify Faith Community in positions of influence in the city – in business, politics, the media, education, entertainment, and sports.

Volunteering: Some community organizations have difficulty finding volunteers from among churches because the churches feel their hands are tied to have freely express their faith.  That is unfortunate, because it is simply a matter of education on what is and is not appropriate. Churches may not understand what community organizations can offer them that they cannot do themselves. (1/14/11)

17.    List and analyze the parachurch ministries operating in and to the city.

18.    Make an inventory of all possible personnel resources that might be tapped for the carrying out of your church planting strategy.

19.    Evaluate all known methods for planting churches in light of what you know about this city, its history, people, existing churches, and particular characteristics.

20.    List and evaluate the community agencies (private, religious and civic) that are designed to meet particular needs (literacy, overnight shelter, emergency food and clothing, etc.) and consider how their help can be incorporated into your overall strategy.