Its more than money

DOOR Hollywood member Mark Horvath’s recent addition to Huffington Post Imagine Dropping Off your Grandmother to Sleep on the Street provides more than a story, but with a challenge. “Housing alone will not cure homelessness. We must also be community conscious. Elaine would rather live on the streets where she has social contact with people she knows than be housed in a different part of town.”
I agree whole-heartedly. And yet, I wish it was as easy as throwing money at the issue. Building community conscious is harder.
But, community conscious doesn’t take money….so we can’t use that excuse of “if we only had the money…”. What can I do today that makes me more mindful of my community? How can I make my city more aware of being community conscious? What about you?
I dream of a world that is community conscious.

Holy Week

As you walk this journey called Holy Week,
may you welcome Jesus into Jerusalem with palm branches
may you travel through all the emotions that the disciples did
may you imagine Jesus washing your feet, passing you the cup, and explaining bread
may you attend to Jesus as he carries a cross on which he then is hung
may you wait, wait, and wait
may you awake to a new understanding of what resurrection truly can mean.

On the Other Side of Oscar

I heard that The Hurt Locker won the Oscars. I haven’t taken the time to read the whole list of winners but I may soon.

I know that a DOOR group arrived to experience Hollywood on Sunday night, and not the Hollywood of Oscars.

Contrasts make up cities, and in my travels around the DOOR network, I am always surprised about how deep those contrasts can go – racial, class differences, political learning, dog walkers or cat lovers, fast food or 5 stars, and single or families. All these contrasts are alive and well in the city.

Yet, knowing all that, didn’t make me any less moved by the contrast of being 5 or so blocks from the Oscars and orienting a group to serve and learn for the next week. I am not sure words can describe that kind of contrast.

I am glad I was where I was.

New National Board Chair

Mari Alarcon is the new DOOR National Board Chair. We are delighted to have her lead us in this way. Mari has been support staff and currently serves in San Antonio as board chair.

Mari is a 5th grade teacher who was recently written up as an example of a great teacher! See the article here.

Thanks for serving your city and DOOR, Mari!

Perspective

My husband and I recently moved things around in our house and now each morning my first glimpse of a new day includes a full view of the highway that is right outside our bedroom. I find myself very aware of the slowed traffic or the lack thereof and it colors my morning conversation. “Oh, I wonder what is going on west of us, it seems to busy for this time.” “Wow, traffic seems lighter than normal.” “We need to leave earlier than usual today.”

I like this about the new arrangement. I think about people in my city basically the minute I open my eyes. If people are late will they get docked in pay? I wonder if the folks have hobbies while waiting in the car? Why do people drive when they can take the CTA?

What if a change of perspective was as easy as moving the furniture? Or maybe shifting one or two things in our life, could move the furniture of our mind and heart just enough to let more understanding in?

another link

Here is another Chicago linked article about homeless youth.

What is it about a neighborhood?

I recently read this article about Roger Park, a neighborhood in Chicago, that was published in The New Times.

This article is focused on why you should travel to Rogers Park. And yet, I wished I could rewrite the article to focus not on restaurants but the interesting markers of a truly unique neighborhood.

I would talk about the worshiping community of Living Water Community Church,

just a walk on near by Devon Ave - seeing the sights and sounds of India and also Jewish America,

what about learning about another religion by visiting the International Society of Krishna Consciousness

How about meeting with my friend Peter for a cup of coffee at The Heartland Cafe?

These things aren't the typical things to see on a tourist list...instead they are what I think of doing when I go to Rogers Park that help me see the people and heart of Rogers Park.

Where would you take people in a neighborhood that you appreciate?