First Week

Wow. I made it--my first full week of work as a JV.

I must say, there is way too much to write about, so I'm going to try to just talk about the highlights of the week.

I started off this past Monday at a meeting with EQUIPO--a group that comes together with representatives from all the main community outreach centers in Boyle Heights. It is run from Dolores Mission Parish. We discussed different topics like the summer programs going on at IMPACTO, and the grass-roots summer program called "Jovenes Seguros Verano Divertido" that a few moms in the church decided to organize for their children. The program runs at the plaza of DM, parents can drop their kids off for a day of fun--gratis. It has truly been inspiring to watch these women come together to ensure a safe program for their children. There is a meal provided each day by a different family that Paula and I have been lucky enough to partake in :) Paula and I have been spending half-days working with the kids at the camp. This past Thursday we chaperoned a trip to the beach and aquarium. I think I found myself a couple new best friends, seven-year-olds Carlos and Michelle--arguably the cutest and sweetest kiddos in East LA! A big hug from a kid you just met has the power to cure just about anything.

After the meeting on Monday, Paula started showing me everything she did in the past year as a Youth Minister and began to explain to me the different programs that we are in charge of running. One of the main programs that we will be running is a Confirmation program for high schoolers. We will be teaching catechism classes weekly, organizing service trips for them to complete, putting together youth masses in different and fun locations (aka BEACH!), organizing a confirmation retreat (possibly in a snowy location), and also just throwing some fun events for the kids to get to know each other. This program is going to be a big chunk of our work, and I am really excited to get it running. The classes start in October and run through May.

Another program high on the to-do list for Paula and me is the Scholar's Program. This is basically a program where 30 students who went to DM School receive a $2000 scholarship to go onto Catholic High Schools. Note that this money is provided by one man. We've been told that this program many times makes the difference from students entering into a productive lifestyle versus falling into gang life.

Another program that we are in charge of organizing is the Immersion Program. This is a program in which different universities and high schools come to spend a long weekend or a week at Dolores Mission. Their days are jam packed with different activities, like waking up early (3 am) to make breakfast for the homeless men who sleep at the church before they are bussed to different job agencies in LA. Other activities include helping out with after school programming at the school, visiting Homeboy Industries, helping out on skidrow, and the list goes on and on. Paula and I will be overseeing many of the details of this program.

And of course, we have youth group! Every Thursday night, we meet with high schoolers to play games, eat, and hang out. I had my first youth group this past Thursday, we made banana boats, played salad bowl, played another game involving hula-hoops, and just hung out. I really love hanging out with the high schoolers--they are SO much fun and SO very sassy! Gotta love 'em. I have already met a great deal of them because they love to come up to our offices and just talk and help us out with stuff that we're working on. The other day we walked around the neighborhood and met some kids playing basketball in the rec center around the corner. Paula and I are going to try to organize a youth group retreat for the fall.

Another thing I'm really excited about is that I'm going to be offering free yoga classes on Wednesday evenings for the people at Dolores Mission Church/School, and opening it up to the larger Boyle Heights community. There is a program called Underwings that is an after-school program for the kids at DM where they work on their homework and then get to participate in fun activities. I am going to be teaching a dance class for 2nd-5th graders on Thursday afternoons...I'm really excited for this! I'm hoping to put together a little showcase for them to show off their new moves to their families and friends at the end of the semester. Another program that Paula and I will be offering to the Underwings kids is a Girl Talk hour. It basically is what it sounds like--just girls, talking about girl stuff. Enough said!

Goodness gracious! There is so much else going on that we are involved in....the community participates in Caminatas, a tradition in which a group of people walk around the neighborhood and make stops at certain places where kids sing songs and pray. Other traditions that I cannot wait to be a part of are the Dia de los Muertos, Our Lady of Guadalupe Day, Christmas Novenas and Posadas, and so much more. But, all this is in the future...

As of now, I'm loving living in the moment - day by day.

One thing I'd like to share is my experience this past Monday night. After a long and tiring day in the office and meeting tons of new faces, my casamates and I met up in the basement of the school to eat dinner with the homeless men. Now, I have participated in many-a-soup kitchen, but, as shameful as it is to admit, I have never sat down to eat with the people that I have served. I have cooked and handed out silverware and drinks. I have offered a smile and warm conversation. But, I could never bring myself to eat from the same plates, use the same utensils, and drink from the same cups that I have personally handed out to these homeless men and women to use. That was a boundary that I put up, a wall between "them" and "me." To be honest, this never phased me. I felt that I had done a good job by just going and helping out--which, of course, I did. But, what's the use of serving others if we do not simultaneously stand with them? ......... Is that not the point?

JVC is teaching me that I not only am serving the under served, but they are serving me. I am no better than them, I am no more entitled to a life of luxury. It's true, I do have a safety net to fall back on--the blessing of growing up in a privileged community. But, I am beginning to feel the way it feels to not have that net. I don't go home to a luxurious home, I don't have a comfortable ride to work everyday, I don't have much solitude, I share a bathroom with four other people, I have to spend a lot more time in the grocery store and actually check prices to ensure that I am getting my money's worth. The list goes on. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life. I am still living very well and in luxury compared to even some of the members of my community, but, and I'll leave it at this, things are definitely DIFFERENT. Different but welcome. I am very uncomfortable. But, I am more comfortable than ever. Is that possible? A smart man once said that we are not meant to be comfortable. We are always meant to be uncomfortable, so we are constantly working for change, for the bettering of our communities, for the (if you will) "largening" of our hearts.

Anyway, to finish my story about Monday night. We sat down with the homeless men, ate from the same plates they ate from, and shared conversation. Well, the conversation was a pretty funny part of the situation because my Spanish usually comes out in a mixture of Italian/Spanish/English. One man found this to be incredibly funny and got a kick out of laughing at (or with?) me :) I didn't mind. After dinner, a few of the men joined my casamates and I in a classroom where we lead an English class. The class was so so much fun. We learned body parts and played bingo. The men really enjoyed themselves. It was incredibly rewarding to see that we were able to bring them some joy in the midst of a difficult time in their lives. Every Monday night, we will be eating with these men followed by a casual and fun English class.

Last weekend we visited China Town, tried some of that bubble tea stuff (sorry, not a fan!), and walked around Venice Beach. This past Friday, we went to a farmers market in Mariachi Plaza, and tried to mesh in with the huge crowd that was there to enjoy the beautiful mariachi band! So much fun! Afterwards, we joined all of the other JV houses in LA in a party at one of the other houses. It was a really great time to see everyone again and hear about their first weeks. Yesterday (Saturday) we slept in and then drove up to a beach near Malibu. We brought an entire watermelon with us that we cut up on the beach and ate right there. The funny part was that our chunks were more like 1/4 watermelon each, so we were a great sight. Other than that, we relaxed, took in the sun, did some body surfing, and watched the surfers (which made me a little crazy since I don't have my board with me!). Afterwards, we drove home, made stir fry, and hung out.

This morning we went to the 9 am mass at Dolores Mission, which is known as the "gringo/social justice" mass. It is the only English speaking mass at the church on Sundays. Paula and I made a few announcements about youth group and the yoga classes coming up. After that, our support family (Kristina, Brady and Baby Ben) took Colleen, Katie and Greg on a Costco trip while Paula and I stuck around to make announcements at the next two masses. Now, I must say, although I am officially a "youth minister" I feel more like a "church lady:" one of those older ladies who are always around, they seem like they never leave, and always know everything about what's going on in the church. It's pretty funny. But, Paula and I are happy to do the job. I couldn't be more honored to be associated with this incredible community. So, instead of attending each of the masses after the 9:00, Paula and I sat around with some older women in the plaza of the church. The conversation was all, of course, en espanol. I kept up for the most part, mostly nodding, smiling and laughing. The woman sitting next to me had some sort of Mexican dish on her plate that she kept referring to as "muy bien." Trying to be polite, I would say, "si si, looks like it!" That was all it took for her to force me and Paula to eat the rest of the plate while she bought another platter. She was so happy to feed us I thought she might explode! It was pretty great. I guess Latino culture isn't too much different from us Greeks....you eat? You're cool.

So, the next two masses were Spanish speaking, and what does that mean? Yes! Announcements are also in Spanish! Paula helped me to rehearse my Spanish shpiel about the new yoga classes that we'll be offering, and I actually did it! It was pretty funny, I must say. But, the older mujeres (fellow church ladies) in the front row wore the most encouraging smiles. I think that my mix of Italian and Spanish turned out to be quite endearing -- lots of laughs at the new gringo girl had by all. Once again, fine by me. Turns out, a lot of people, guys included, are very interested in taking yoga. Can't wait to start!

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and I'll write soon!

A delicious looking cake baked by x-gang members at Homeboy Bakery

Alternative Latino Music Festival (fundraiser for Impacto) This band was AMAZING--they're really famous in Nicaragua

Venice Beach

Mariachi Plaza

Beach by Malibu

OK! So I left off saying that we visited each of our job placements yesterday. First of all, I need to explain that I have four of the most amazing casa-mates in the world! Katie, Colleen, Paula and Greg. We started out the day by visiting Dolores Mission School and Parish which is where Katie will be teaching P.E. classes, Paula and I will be doing youth ministry, and Colleen will be working in collaboration with as youth resource coordinator. The principal of the school gave us a presentation on the history of DM and the Boyle Heights area. The school is surrounded by project housing, and that is where most students come from. $5600 is the actual cost of tuition at DMS, but expense is never something that should turn a family away from an education. The school works with families personally to come up with a payment plan. Something like 90% of students are given scholarships. Some families only pay $20 a month, depending on their income and situation. The school is hardly run on tuition, the money really comes in from fundraising and donations.

It was nothing less than inspiring to hear the story of Dolores Mission and how this community has come together in order to promote change. There are so many organizations that have come out of this community. I don't have time to go into all of them, but I'll tell you about one that stuck with me. Last year there was a fatal shooting on a corner just a block from the school and parish community. In response, the older women in the community came together, prayed, tried to think what Christ would have them do in this situation, and out of their contemplation came an idea. These women all wore green shirts and stood on every street corner in order to ensure their children getting to and from school safely. On the corner where the shooting happened, two older women and Father Scott (my boss) stood. They didn't need to say anything, just their presence was enough. The respect that people have for these older women and for Father Scott who has done so much for this community is incredible.

After the presentation we walked across the street to the DM church, which was beautiful. By night, it becomes a homeless shelter for men trying to get jobs. There is actually a sleep capacity sign in the church. Just to the right of the church there is a beautiful outdoor area for gathering and parties. The homeless men are involved in gardening, so there are an abundance of plants around the Church as well. There is so much to be involved in here, I can't wait to get started.

Next, we drove over to Greg's placement, the LA Center for Law and Justice. His workplace was celebrating the end of the term for their interns, so they were having a big bbq party that we got to join in on. Greg's placement is very inspiring because they offer free help to people in this area who otherwise could not receive legal help. He will be working largely with women involved in domestic violence. After Greg's placement, we visited Colleen's placement, Projecto Pastoral. This place was bustling with little kids getting ready for a talent show that they were putting on last night! It is basically, from what I understand, a youth center and Colleen will be working with here and in connection with Dolores Mission in youth outreach. One of the goals of this organization is something they called "pipelines," to promote a positive childhood that lasts and eventually leads to attending college.

We were invited back to Dolores Mission to end the day in meditation. Yolanda, a lay minister at DMP, lead us through an Ignation mediation in which we placed ourselves in Peter's feet while he looked out to Christ who was walking on water. We all found this type of meditation/prayer to be very peaceful and powerful. It was a beautiful way to end the very busy day. We drew cards to figure out room situations, and I am living in a double with Colleen--yay! I'm pretty excited about my new roomie. Last night we took it easy, got lost trying to find "El Superior," the local grocery store, not to be confused with "El Super," the least cool of the two.  We did a little staple shopping, walked back to the casa, cut up half a watermelon, warmed up the last of the pizza, and had a great dinner and great conversation.

East LA in a few words: colorful, big families, big-eyed beautiful babies, hoop earrings, taco trucks, horchata, little old ladies, smiling faces, mariachi, loud music, porch parties.

I love you, ELA. Can't wait to get to know you better.

reception area outside church

Colleen at her placement with the mural of Boyle Heights the kids made (it explains the different paths a child can take in their community, either positive in the church or negative into gang life)

Dolores Mission Parish

Dolores Mission Parish sleeping capacity sign

Hello lovely blog readers!!

So, here I am. East LA. Typing away from the Starbucks that's within walking distance from my casa (which if you're interested, is called "Casa Ita Ford") Every "casa" that houses JV's in LA is named after a nun that was martyred in El Salvador: Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, Maura Clark, and Jean Donavan. For more information on their story, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ita_Ford

The past week has flown by. I'm going to try to be brief. I had the honor of meeting my fellow southwest JV's this past Saturday as we all arrived at Camp St. Francis in Aptos, CA. This retreat center is located on top of a cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Fine by me. From Saturday to Thursday morning, we participated in workshops about simple living and being a JV, celebrated liturgy on the beach as the sun was setting, I lead a small group of motivated people in a yoga class three of the mornings at 7 am, we participated in a powerful afternoon of silence to reflect, engaged in a fist-pumping sober dance party, and then rented cars from SJ airport in order to drive to our perspective casas. The six hour drive from Aptos to LA felt like nothing with the friendly and fun company of Katie and Zach, but of course, once we got into the city, LA traffic warmly welcomed us to the City of Angels. Enough complaining :)

By Thursday evening, my casa-mates and I had arrived at our new, cozy and lovely home, Casa Ita Ford in East LA. We immediately checked out every room of our cute little house that is a living monument to 17 years worth of JV's living there. We've got pictures of each group on our fridge, we've inherited an incredible library, an array of board games, plenty of comfy couches, a collection of only the best 80s and 90s VHS tapes a girl could ask for, and TONS of other awesome stuff and quirky decorations. Within an hour, our "support" people were at our door with three boxes of pizza and a case of beer in hand. "Support" people are set up by JVC, and their job is to, well, support us! They give us great ideas about exploring the city, living simply, etc, and are just there to be super supportively supportive. Brady was a JV 5 years ago and lived in, you guessed it, Casa Ita Ford! He met his awesome wife, Christine, during his volunteer year who he "couldn't say no to" (direct quote), so he ended up staying out in sunny LA. Brady and Christine were married at Dolores Mission Parish, the church that I will be working at. They are a beautiful married couple and have an ADORABLE baby boy named Ben, who is 14 months old and uses sign language to get what he wants! We already named him "support baby," t-shirt will be bedazzled for him soon. Honestly, this couple is what I'd call a power couple. From just meeting them, I can already tell I'm going to be inspired by them greatly.

After our support family left, we had to return our rental car to LAX. So, we drove our swanky, little, red car nicknamed by another Casa Ita Ford community the "red barren." We basically smoosh ourselves into this little guy that definitely gets the job done. But, very uncomfortably. Hey, that's the fun of it. It was pretty awesome to get that look at the city lights at night while telling embarrassing stories and getting a little lost on the way back. Then......we passed out.

This morning, I popped up without the use of an alarm (which seems to be a pattern of the past week) at precisely 7 am. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I hung out while waiting for my casamates to wake up. We had a date with our job placements today.

Sorry to cut this short, but it's almost 8 pm, and we're thinking we should start walking back to our casa before it gets too dark out. I'll update ya'll tomorrow on the rest of the story!

Love, Love, and more Love,
Dana

View from Camp St. Francis (retreat site)

CASA ITA FORD!! HOME!

the first day of the rest of my life

So, here's my first shot at this blog thing. 


It's Thursday evening, I'm barely packed, and I leave first thing Saturday morning for San Jose. As soon as I get to San Jose, I'll be meeting up with all of the Jesuit Volunteers (JV's) that are placed in California and Arizona. Then we head up to Aptos, CA for our week of orientation. The following Thursday, my community members and I will be driving down to our casa in East LA. I am beyond excited to meet all of the amazing people that will be coming together this weekend--especially my community members that I'll be living with.


As of right now, I've had barely any time to just sit and think about what I'm getting into. But, now that I sit here and try to explain myself, I find myself in a place of peace and contentment. For all of you San Diegans, I kind of see myself standing at the edge of Sunset Cliffs on a day when the marine layer is just not burning off. I am standing there, not able to see what lies ahead, but, I'm ready. "Here I am, Lord." I'm ready to make a leap of faith, to jump blindly into the arms that have been holding me all along.


I see this year as a blessed opportunity for me to lay my life down at the feet of Christ. After such an incredible undergrad experience and a beautiful beginning to the journey of my maturing faith, I can think of no better way to pay forward what I have received. 


As Matt Maher would say, "this is the first day of the rest of my life." I am ready to be, as JVC puts it, "ruined for life." 


Before I even begin this journey, I'd like to thank certain people who have helped bring me to where I'm standing now. To be honest, just a few years ago, I never would have thought that I'd be doing something like JVC. For those of you who grew up with me, you know that I'd probably be more interested in opening up my dance studio (which would still be great one day :). What I'm saying is that this "change of heart" didn't just happen in a vacuum. From the moment that I decided (very last minute, I might add) to attend Saint Mary's College, through the experiences there--both very high and very low--up to the life-altering decision to transfer to the University of San Diego--I have been changed. My heart has been set on fire with Love. I really must single out the Search community at the University of San Diego--you truly are "to blame" for my involvement in JVC. The people that I have met have loved me so unconditionally, so completely, and after being loved like that, there's no turning back. I will never be able to thank all of you enough for what you have given me. You all know who you are. I absolutely love you. "The Best is Yet to Come." 


And of course, I must thank my family here! You can't think I was going to leave you out. Thank you for loving me, for believing in me, for putting up with my crazy ideas, and making me feel like I have the entire world behind me. Because I do--you are my world. I will miss all of you a lot, but I know you're never farther than a phone call away. 


Ok, so enough blogging for now. The next time I sign in, I'll be in East LA! Yikes! 


I'll sign off in prayer. 


I lay myself at Your feet
Asking You, won't You meet
Won't You meet me?

I cannot do it on my own
I cannot do it all alone

Here I am, tonight
With my arms open wide.
Won't You come inside, God?
Come and fill this heart of mine

I'm in need of You
Of Your touch, of Your life, of Your love
I need You.
-Shawn McDonald