Updates #2

Over the past few months St. Vincent’s has really experimented with its programs for the guests that walk through its doors. One by one these pilot programs are finishing up and the managers, staff, and interns are able to take a step back and evaluate what they’ve put together and where they want to move forward. For the most part the programs have been very successful. A basic computer class was setup by one of our interns in the men’s center. It was an 8 week program that taught students everything from turning on a computer to setting up an email account. We recently had a graduation ceremony for all the students who stuck with it until the end.

The Kitchen of Champions is moving along with its second graduating class, and a graduation ceremony was held for the three graduates. It was really a sight needed to be seen to be fully appreciated. The program was well put together and seemed to be a little more “well oiled” then the first graduation. The highlight of the ceremony was both Marilyn King’s keynote speech and the student’s speeches. Marilyn King is a two time Olympian, and in her speech she talked about how she stumbled onto greatness by just having a willingness to give something a try. She acknowledged the student’s willingness to try something new and noted that it was a big step for each of them to participate in the Kitchen of Champions.

She started off by telling everyone a little bit or her story. While she was attending a pentathlon state championship the officials asked for a volunteer to participate in the meet because there were only two people competing and a third was needed to make the meet official. So she gave it a shot. To make a long story short, with a lot of self motivation and commitment to herself she went from having never competed in the pentathlon to going to the Olympics in 1972 and 1976 in a few short years.

After Marilyn spoke each of the students got a turn say a few words. Christine was the first to speak she wrote a little motivational poem and read it to the audience. Leon was the next to speak and he talked about how he just wanted to give back to the people who don’t have much, and that his belief in god and treating his fellow men and women with dignity is what brought him to St. Vincent’s and what keeps him here. The last to speak was Dolores who told everyone about how she promised her kids that she would graduate from the culinary class no matter what it took. It was a special time for all the graduates and everyone who was at the ceremony.

In addition to all the things that are finishing up and coming to an end there are some new projects coming about in the near future. For the past several months the new Men’s center has been under construction and will be done in the very soon. We have already started moving furniture and office supplies to the new center and it should be opened up sometime in early February. We will also be starting a bible study/spirituality group for both men and women in the community center. It will be a trial program to see how it goes. It should work out well and will fill a need for spiritual nourishment of the people who walk through the doors of St. Vincent’s. That’s about it I just wanted to give everyone some updates on what going on in and around St. Vincent’s.

Back in Oakland

Walking around Oakland on my first day back from a bit of a vacation, I couldn’t help but be glad to be back. As much as I enjoyed being back home and not having to live off my $100 dollar a month stipend, it didn’t feel like home. I feel like I’ve come to adopt this city as my home town. I didn’t expect coming back to Oakland to realize how much my life has changed. Between living simply and working with the people that I do the life I used to have back home looks a lot different. My friends and family are still back there but I feel as though my outlook has changed considerably. When I went back home I noticed how easy it was to distract myself from boredom, loneliness or any other unpleasant feelings I might have had. I did that with a lot of playing videogames, spending money on dinners, going out to the bars with my friends, and driving my brother’s brand new car. All that in fun, but I felt disconnected from people in general, and disconnected from any unpleasant feelings I might have been having.

So when I got back to Oakland there has been a noticeable adjustment period to going back to simple living and finding things to do that don’t cost too much money. It took an adjustment to not be distracted anymore. It kind of hit home last night when I was really bored and instead of calling up my friends and deciding which bar to go to or playing videogames long into the night I went to an NA meeting at St. Vincent’s (A little odd I know). But in all honesty it was the highlight of the last few weeks for me. The speakers they had were extremely eloquent and captured the audience’s attention better then anyone I have ever seen. I walked into a place where a group of people were devoted to helping each other to stay free of their distractions; drugs and alcohol. The people at that NA meeting were not trying to run from any unpleasant feelings they may have been having but tried to embrace them as a step in recovery. I immediately felt at home, and I felt a renewed motivation of my purpose here in JVC and volunteering at St. Vincent’s. It’s about people helping other people through their struggles and watching them grow, that’s why I came here in the first place and that why I’m excited to be back.

It feels a bit like settling in for the long haul, no more long vacations, going home, or taking a break from simple living. It feels like I just got out of the convenience store with snacks and candy in hand ready for a long car ride. There’s not a sense of drudgery about the journey but knowing that it’s going to be like this for a while so I’d better get used to the simple lifestyle and community living. There is also an excitement that when it’s all said and done I will be in a new place that I’ve never been before.