Here is the Journal from yesterday's visit to The First Congregational Church of Cheshire.
Bob, Mark, Pam and I gathered at St. Bridget around 7:00 am Sunday morning. Jeanette planned on meeting us at the church.
We greeted each other and Fr. Stephen popped over to say good morning and wish us well and a safe ride. Bob had requested that Fr. Stephen keep our visit to The First Congregational Church in his prayers and perhaps comment at mass. Bob would mention in his opening remarks that the St. Bridget Community was keeping the members of The First Congregational in their prayers.
During our two presentations that seemed to be very well received. As we drove to the church I really didn't know what to expect with this being our real first non-Catholic presentation and we felt a bit concerned with the initial reaction to our presentation as some of the members of this church attended our presentation in New haven during the weeklong ride.
Our presentation was revised to exclude reference to "Catholic" where necessary. For instance we removed the slides pertaining to CCHD and OUA. Plus we only had a limited timeframe in which to speak, that being 45 minutes between services.
We arrived at the church without incident and waited for Cindy to greet us. She did and suggested we greet folks as they came to the service and also advised we could set up in the chapel. A couple of us went to the entrances to the church while Mark and I went to set up in the chapel. We were practically set up when we were advised that the children had a service in the chapel during the regular service and we had to take down and keep the aisle free. We did so. In fact, we were advised that between services we would have to take down an re-set up. Not ideal but we made it work.
Bob, Pam, and Mark went to the 9:00 service while Jeanette and I waited until the chapel cleared out at 9:30 and we cold set up. As we waited, there was a group of Liturgical Dancers from the National Liturgical Dance Network who were going to dance at the end of the church service. I engaged them in conversation asking if they were nervous and all. This was the first time they were at this church. They were a bit nervous but anxious to perform. I asked what kind of reception do they normally receive when they dance at churches. Fro the most part it is all positive but they admitted that sometimes this is so new to people that there is a bit of hesitation. I was anxious to see what was going to happen.
They dancers asked me why we were there and what was Brake the Cycle. That's all I needed. So I did my thing and we talked for a while. During the conversation I mentioned how we meet people on the street and when they ask us what we are doing we almost always get the response, "then you are doing this for me". As I said that one dancer in particular kind of shied away with a half smile half embarrassed look. I did not think that much of it at that time and continued talking until it was time to set up in the chapel.
We were also approached by others in the church who asked us about our mission. It was great to get those opportunities.
Jeanette and I had some difficulty get the presentation to come up and had to cal John Ryan to get his password and also to find out that two steps in the set-up instructions had been changed. Whew! Panic was beginning to set in as time was getting close.
Jeanette and I caught some of the liturgical dancing and thought it was pretty cool. The dancers were there as part of the community celebration for "World Communion Sunday".
After the service I would have to say around 25 to 30 folks attended. We had to start as peopled wandered in and really only had 30 minutes to do the presentation. We announced beforehand that we normally do a 53 minute presentation and would have to act quickly to get through this before the next service.
You know, we pulled it off and had quite a good response to our discussion. I found the whole thing quite pleasant fulfilling.
When done, Cindy thanked us and the members of the community who came and especially folks from their Outreach program.
We took everything down quickly and cleared out for the next group of children.
Jeanette and I went to the 11:00 service but cut out at 11:30 to set up again. The part of the service were there for was quite impressive and spiritual.
We did not know what to expected regarding numbers of attendees to this next presentation. We got a few members of the community but all 8 liturgical dancers attended. We presented similarly keeping their initial timeframe in mind although we did speak for a bit longer this time. All went well.
We had a couple of tweaks to the slides for these presentation one being Matthew 25. I had worked it so the words come in line by line and it really seemed to go over quite well.
Also with the elimination of the "Do we meet Jesus?" slide, the story of Lou meeting Matthew seemed to flow in much more smoothly and powerfully. I would work quite well with Rob's story about his friend Don.
After Cindy did here thing again at the end of our presentation, she focused on the dancers and asked them where each was from. As they conveyed , Stratford, Meriden, New Haven she mentioned that these could be possible cities that BTC could connect with. I took the opportunity to pass out my business cards.
While doing that the dancer that I saw was a bit embarrassed when I spoke about us riding for poverty awareness spoke out and said to me, 'you are doing this for me". I got chills when she said that. She told me she had just lost her job and was a bit nervous about her future. She said that she realized she was there for a reason, that the Holy Spirit obviously wanted her to be there to here what we had to say. She thanked me. We talked about how it felt to loose your job and I shared that feeling with her. I think that helped some. She said she was going to trust in the Lord and that she believed in her heart things would work out.
I asked her to keep in touch. I hope she does. Her name was Annette.
So we were done with our first non-Catholic presentation and we looked forward to the next.
Soon after, around 1:30 Bob, Mark and I set out on our bikes to begin the 40 mile ride to Manchester. Jeanette had another engagement so we saw her off separately. Pam was our sag support.
We were not much into the ride, about 2.5 miles, and Mark got a flat tire. He decide he would try to fix the tire himself and didn’t want Bob or I to stop biking. He rode with Pam, stopped and bought some universal tool he felt would help him fix his flat. He so wanted to do this on his own and not slow either of us down. He was being overly concerned about that.
After about 20 miles into the ride and Bob almost getting nailed by a careless driver who was a bit too anxious to get into some convenience store and cut him off, we stopped at a MacDonald's in Middletown/Cromwell area. I tried to help Mark fix his flat. Then it dawned on me. This was the tire from hell! Rob, you may remember trying to fix this flat. Either the tire was too small for the rim or the rim was too big for the tire. We had a heck of a time getting the tire off initially and then for the life of us could not, I mean, could not get the tire back on. Mark felt a bit guilty feeling he was slowing Bob and I down and decided he would just ride in the van with Pam and listen to the Patriot game.
I felt bad that Mark could not enjoy the ride.
Bob and I continued until we got to Hartford where the Silas Deane continues and the entrance to the highway was. We decided 30 miles was enough and luckily Pam had not gotten on the highway yet. We packed up the bikes and drove to St. Bridget. We were done for the day.
All in all we had a great day. Beautiful weather. A good presentation. Thanks to Kathy King for those sandwiches and cookies. Thanks so much for Pam doing support and sacrificing biking.
I look forward to the next ride.
Peace,
Lou
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
BTC –Day 6 Journal – West Hartford, Holy Family to New Britain, Corbin Heights Public Housing Project
BTC –Day 6 Journal – West Hartford, Holy Family to New Britain, Corbin Heights Public Housing Project
Lou, Fr. Stephen, and Johnnie F left around 6:30 in the morning heading for WDRC station to talk on the air with Brad Davis. They would meet Charlie there. Charlie was biking from Vernon. All were prepared to stay on talk and speak to our mission.
The discussion with Brad went perfectly well and was totally focused on the mission. Brad seemed into it and welcomed us back next year. The four left feeling pretty good.
They headed for Senator Dodd’s office on Lewis Street in downtown Hartford.
The rest of the team went to mass and had their breakfast. They would meet the other bikers at the state capital for a visit with Deb Polun, Legislative Director of the Connecticut Commission on Aging.
The meeting with Mark Stephanou at Senator Dodd’s office went quite well and we discussed the Measurement of Poverty Bill currently before the House of Representatives and hopefully to be put before the Senate by Dodd. It would redefine how poverty is measured. The old measurement is dated form the 1960’s and does not take into consideration housing, child care, and health costs among other things and can have a startling affect on the actual number of people in poverty in the United States. We are looking forward to the redefinition as we use these facts and numbers in our presentations. We believe rather than only 37 million Americans in poverty based on the current definition, there are more like 90 million working poor in America, 1/3 of the population of the United States. Shameful!
The three of us left Senator Dodd’s office and met the rest of the team at the capital. We had lunch right there on the Capital ground and then proceeded upstairs to meet with Deb Polun.
We had met her when she was an aid for Don Williams. She is now in a far more influential position and actually called Charlie as she felt our group could benefit in a discussion with her office. She advocates for the elderly and we now have an agency we can point to in this regard. The discussion was informative as well as enlightening. Pam added the below regarding the visit.
We met with Deb Polun (Legislative Director) and Robert Norton (Communication Director) of Connecticut Commission on Aging. This visit was very educational to all members of our group. This agency works on research and public policy of issues that affect our senior population. They work with both sides of the aisle within the state government to educate representatives and senators on what is right for our seniors.
Some facts that we learned:
Ø The senior population will triple by 2030
Ø Connecticut is the 7th oldest age population
Ø 50% of senior women live on their social security payments alone
Ø New Initiative-State Elder Economic Security Initiative
v Research being done to see what it really costs for a senior to live.
v They will take into account where seniors live, what kind of housing they live in and different economic status.
Ø Seniors need to be given the choice and independence to stay at home rather than going to a nursing home. Services need to be provided so this can happen. This is expensive at first but will be cost saving in the long run.
Ø Biggest challenge of moving seniors out of nursing homes is affordable housing. Initial setup and services need to be in place before any of this can happen.
Ø A program that has been started in Connecticut is called “Money follows the Person”. This program lets seniors stay in their homes and provides services while in the home. It is about choice and independence. This program has been established in Oregon saving 6 million dollars a year. This program needs our support.
Ø Some of their allies are Jonathon Harris (West Hartford), Mary Ann Handley (Manchester) and Peter Vallano (Hamden)
Ø Call the Governor not to cut the Commission on Aging or any services that affect this population.
We then walked over to the Legislative Office building and actually popped in on our state representatives and Senators. None were present but we were able to leave pertinent notes to them. This was all done on the spur of the moment as a response to the suggestion by Deb Polun. Worked out quite nicely.
Some of us next ventured over to Congressman John Larson’s office to speak with John Rossi, Representative Larson’s aid. We have met with Mr. Rossi a number of times and the discussion centered on the devastation in Wethersfield as a result of the tornado that hit the other day. We did also discuss poverty issues and he was right on top of things.
He gave us an overview of what has been happening at the federal level. Healthcare is one of the biggest issues that will have to be decided at the federal level. A middle ground will have to be found for healthcare. The Congressman does not want anyone to go into poverty because of lack of healthcare or inadequate healthcare. The SCHIP money for children’s healthcare is up. The Recovery Act has supplied 11 million dollars for homeless prevention and 25 million for public housing. What people need to understand is that this money really is not for stimulus but for stability. Over the past 8 years, these programs have been under funded so now we just have to catch up. Money for education from the Recovery Act has begun to come into the state. It is sitting until the state budget is passed. One important bill that the Congressman is passionate about is the Youth Promise Act. It is an investment for our future. Councils in high-risk cities will develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. These strategies will be targeted at young people who are at-risk of becoming involved, or involved in, gangs or the criminal justice system to redirect them toward productive and law-abiding alternatives. This bill will be reintroduced on July 15th. Congressman Larson is now the 4th ranking democrat in the House. He has decided not to co-sponsor bills but work very hard within the leadership to get his point across. He was having a public forum on health care that evening at Manchester Community College.
We had to cut the discussion short because we had to be over in New Britain by 3:00.
We all headed over. While biking there, Lou received a couple of calls that the vehicle that Fred was driving had a dead battery. Problem. No jumper cables. Bought a new battery. Still problems. Dave and Fred went and got a part to fix the battery cable. They got to Corbin Heights in time for the presentation.
Lou was greeted by Kim McLaughlin and the other folks from PHRN. Mayor Tim Stewart arrived. The Archbishop arrived. We were good to go. Lou acted as master of ceremonies and did a good job of keeping the flow and getting everyone to speak and say what they had to say in a timely period. Other dignitaries included State Representative Tim O’Brien, PHRN President James White, and Alderman Ray Centano. It was declared PHRN Day as Mayor Stewart delivered the proclamation to resident Addie Keith. Lou brought this little kid, Jaoun, to the mike and had him turn around so we could se what was written on the back of his tee shirt. It read something about God and being with him was an adventure. Don’t remember the exact words.
Also, Archbishop Mansell awarded PHRN a $35,000 CCHD grant which just solidified the entire afternoon. The sun shined brightly and the wind blew a bit but everything went perfectly well.
The culmination of a great week long ride.
We all left for St. Bridget’s. Before anyone left we said a final prayer and hugged each other goodbye and looked forward to next year.
Lou rode home to help wind down. He made it home safely. No crashes this year.
Lou received a phone call from Fr. Jeffries a short time after he was home. Fr. Jeffries just wanted to know how the remainder of the ride went and how we made out at the Finale. Lou told him he helped make this year’s ride special. Great conclusion to the weeklong.
See you again next year. Pedal On!!!!!
Lou
Lou, Fr. Stephen, and Johnnie F left around 6:30 in the morning heading for WDRC station to talk on the air with Brad Davis. They would meet Charlie there. Charlie was biking from Vernon. All were prepared to stay on talk and speak to our mission.
The discussion with Brad went perfectly well and was totally focused on the mission. Brad seemed into it and welcomed us back next year. The four left feeling pretty good.
They headed for Senator Dodd’s office on Lewis Street in downtown Hartford.
The rest of the team went to mass and had their breakfast. They would meet the other bikers at the state capital for a visit with Deb Polun, Legislative Director of the Connecticut Commission on Aging.
The meeting with Mark Stephanou at Senator Dodd’s office went quite well and we discussed the Measurement of Poverty Bill currently before the House of Representatives and hopefully to be put before the Senate by Dodd. It would redefine how poverty is measured. The old measurement is dated form the 1960’s and does not take into consideration housing, child care, and health costs among other things and can have a startling affect on the actual number of people in poverty in the United States. We are looking forward to the redefinition as we use these facts and numbers in our presentations. We believe rather than only 37 million Americans in poverty based on the current definition, there are more like 90 million working poor in America, 1/3 of the population of the United States. Shameful!
The three of us left Senator Dodd’s office and met the rest of the team at the capital. We had lunch right there on the Capital ground and then proceeded upstairs to meet with Deb Polun.
We had met her when she was an aid for Don Williams. She is now in a far more influential position and actually called Charlie as she felt our group could benefit in a discussion with her office. She advocates for the elderly and we now have an agency we can point to in this regard. The discussion was informative as well as enlightening. Pam added the below regarding the visit.
We met with Deb Polun (Legislative Director) and Robert Norton (Communication Director) of Connecticut Commission on Aging. This visit was very educational to all members of our group. This agency works on research and public policy of issues that affect our senior population. They work with both sides of the aisle within the state government to educate representatives and senators on what is right for our seniors.
Some facts that we learned:
Ø The senior population will triple by 2030
Ø Connecticut is the 7th oldest age population
Ø 50% of senior women live on their social security payments alone
Ø New Initiative-State Elder Economic Security Initiative
v Research being done to see what it really costs for a senior to live.
v They will take into account where seniors live, what kind of housing they live in and different economic status.
Ø Seniors need to be given the choice and independence to stay at home rather than going to a nursing home. Services need to be provided so this can happen. This is expensive at first but will be cost saving in the long run.
Ø Biggest challenge of moving seniors out of nursing homes is affordable housing. Initial setup and services need to be in place before any of this can happen.
Ø A program that has been started in Connecticut is called “Money follows the Person”. This program lets seniors stay in their homes and provides services while in the home. It is about choice and independence. This program has been established in Oregon saving 6 million dollars a year. This program needs our support.
Ø Some of their allies are Jonathon Harris (West Hartford), Mary Ann Handley (Manchester) and Peter Vallano (Hamden)
Ø Call the Governor not to cut the Commission on Aging or any services that affect this population.
We then walked over to the Legislative Office building and actually popped in on our state representatives and Senators. None were present but we were able to leave pertinent notes to them. This was all done on the spur of the moment as a response to the suggestion by Deb Polun. Worked out quite nicely.
Some of us next ventured over to Congressman John Larson’s office to speak with John Rossi, Representative Larson’s aid. We have met with Mr. Rossi a number of times and the discussion centered on the devastation in Wethersfield as a result of the tornado that hit the other day. We did also discuss poverty issues and he was right on top of things.
He gave us an overview of what has been happening at the federal level. Healthcare is one of the biggest issues that will have to be decided at the federal level. A middle ground will have to be found for healthcare. The Congressman does not want anyone to go into poverty because of lack of healthcare or inadequate healthcare. The SCHIP money for children’s healthcare is up. The Recovery Act has supplied 11 million dollars for homeless prevention and 25 million for public housing. What people need to understand is that this money really is not for stimulus but for stability. Over the past 8 years, these programs have been under funded so now we just have to catch up. Money for education from the Recovery Act has begun to come into the state. It is sitting until the state budget is passed. One important bill that the Congressman is passionate about is the Youth Promise Act. It is an investment for our future. Councils in high-risk cities will develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. These strategies will be targeted at young people who are at-risk of becoming involved, or involved in, gangs or the criminal justice system to redirect them toward productive and law-abiding alternatives. This bill will be reintroduced on July 15th. Congressman Larson is now the 4th ranking democrat in the House. He has decided not to co-sponsor bills but work very hard within the leadership to get his point across. He was having a public forum on health care that evening at Manchester Community College.
We had to cut the discussion short because we had to be over in New Britain by 3:00.
We all headed over. While biking there, Lou received a couple of calls that the vehicle that Fred was driving had a dead battery. Problem. No jumper cables. Bought a new battery. Still problems. Dave and Fred went and got a part to fix the battery cable. They got to Corbin Heights in time for the presentation.
Lou was greeted by Kim McLaughlin and the other folks from PHRN. Mayor Tim Stewart arrived. The Archbishop arrived. We were good to go. Lou acted as master of ceremonies and did a good job of keeping the flow and getting everyone to speak and say what they had to say in a timely period. Other dignitaries included State Representative Tim O’Brien, PHRN President James White, and Alderman Ray Centano. It was declared PHRN Day as Mayor Stewart delivered the proclamation to resident Addie Keith. Lou brought this little kid, Jaoun, to the mike and had him turn around so we could se what was written on the back of his tee shirt. It read something about God and being with him was an adventure. Don’t remember the exact words.
Also, Archbishop Mansell awarded PHRN a $35,000 CCHD grant which just solidified the entire afternoon. The sun shined brightly and the wind blew a bit but everything went perfectly well.
The culmination of a great week long ride.
We all left for St. Bridget’s. Before anyone left we said a final prayer and hugged each other goodbye and looked forward to next year.
Lou rode home to help wind down. He made it home safely. No crashes this year.
Lou received a phone call from Fr. Jeffries a short time after he was home. Fr. Jeffries just wanted to know how the remainder of the ride went and how we made out at the Finale. Lou told him he helped make this year’s ride special. Great conclusion to the weeklong.
See you again next year. Pedal On!!!!!
Lou
BTC –Day 5 Journal – West Hartford, Holy Family to New Haven, St. Aedan’s
BTC –Day 5 Journal – West Hartford, Holy Family to New Haven, St. Aedan’s
We all attended 7:00 am mass at Holy Family. Fr. John served mass. We also engaged in a special breakfast. Fr. Terry has been such a great supporter of Brake the Cycle and our mission. Thank you Fr. Terry!!
After breakfast we continued a group discussion about the incident that occurred Saturday afternoon. Many feelings were expressed but it appeared more discussion has to occur.
We headed out around 8:15 Charlie and Wayne were not riding this day so Lou rode in the sweep position. The ride went smoothly except for the number of traffic lights and stops because on the number of bikers. It was difficult for the entire team to get through the green light.
The ride was made more fun because Johnnie F kept getting flat tires, three in fact! But that helped Lou get out of the funk he appeared to be in after the discussion this morning. He was able to discuss with Johnnie and get his feeling out there.
During the ride around the Southington area we came across some men picketing their place of business and we stopped to engage in conversation. They were not on strike but were picketing in favor of establishing a Union and to secure their contracts through negotiation.
As a result of Johnnie F’s third flat tire, he and Lou were late for lunch at St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen and did not get a chance to finish their meal. Luckily the Support crew had made lunches provided by Holy Familiy.
While at St. Ann’s Lou did get a chance to talk to one of the clients there. This individual told Lou that he really didn’t have to come to the soup kitchen that he was retired, had a place to live and only came to meet his friends. He did share that he collected empty bottles and cans for extra income. He told Lou how it takes so many bottles and cans to really add up to any significant amount of money. He shared that many of his fellow clients come because they have to, that they lost their jobs. He seemed happy. We saw him picking through the trash container while we gathered before leaving. We assume he was searching for bottles or cans.
We listened to Luke who runs the St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen and he advised us as to the number of folks they feed each day, anywhere from 100-150. The soup kitchen has been around since 1989.
After Luke gave us his little talk, he shared with us that he would be going over to CT Foodbank to pick up food for the soup kitchen and food pantry.
We left At. Ann’s and departed to either Rosa DeLauro office or to CT Foodbank. We split up into two groups of six and went our separate ways.
The CT Foodbank was excellent and we were provided with a lot of information that we compared to Foodshare in Bloomfield. Between these two, they serve 850 “programs”. CT Foodbank serves 220. The rest are served by Foodshare. We were again amazed on how they make the process work and also had to bid for certain produce.
We were again impressed by the fact they sometimes had to bid on shipments of various commodities. But apparently it all works out fine.
As we were there, different “clients’ came in to collect food for their respective agency. We met Luke there as he had said he would be there.
St. Ann’s is not only a Soup Kitchen but is also a Food Pantry where folks come to get specific foods only appropriate for Food Pantry, i.e. can goods, non-perishables.
Those of us who attended Rosa DeLauro’s office, met with Lou Mangini her congressional aide. We thanked Rosa for all her help in speaking for the poor. Lou stated that there has definitely been a change in thinking towards social services with the new administration. Money from the Recovery Act has begun to come into the state, but due to no budget being passed, the money may be sitting around. He said that it is very important for the budget to be passes because some of the funds have dates on them to be allocated. New Haven has started a program for affordable housing. Apartment buildings are being constructed and 80% will be rented at market value and 20% will be affordable housing. They are hoping this model will help all people renting take pride in where they live. We asked what we could tell people in New Haven during our presentation. He said you can have people write, e-mail or call Rosa’s office, but know she will always fight for the people in her district. He suggested people really getting involved in working with the youth in New Haven. He stated that the more these youth can see people care about them and are positive role models the better off we will be.
Those of us coming back from Ct Foodbank met the rest of the team at the Office of Urban Affairs building. We had a mini tour and talked to Lynn Campbell a bit.
The team left together to ride to St. Aedan’s. we got there shortly before Lina Alpert who organized our visit to St. Aedan’s. Loaded most of our bikes on the support vehicles at this time.
We set up for our presentation and suppered on sandwiches donated by Subway. Desserts were donated by Stop and Shop and Dunkin Donuts.
A nice crowd turned out, even New Haven Mayor John Destefano attended for a while anyway. We filled the small room. Our presentation went smoothly and last slightly more than an hour. We had some nice dialogue form some non-Catholic attendees and their perspective on our presentation. We actually had a godd interchange of dialogue.
Made some good contacts for the future. Possible interaction with the Deacon Group.
Talked to Lina afterwards and listened to her plea for assistance in getting more support for what she is trying to do at St. Aedan’s. She is a committee of one and needs help.. suggested she follow up with OUA. They should assist in this regard.
Lina was very pleased with our presentation and the number of people who showed up.
We left St. Aedan’s all in a good mood for a job well done.
When we arrived at Holy Family and congregated on the third floor for refreshments, we decided who would get up early to bike over to WDRC and tlak with Brad Davis and then proceed over to Senator Dodd’s office. Lou, Fr. Stephen, and Johnnie F would meet Charlie there at 7:30.
The rest of the crew would breakfast again at Holy Family after attending 7:00 mass. They would depart for the Capital and meet the others there.
Lou
We all attended 7:00 am mass at Holy Family. Fr. John served mass. We also engaged in a special breakfast. Fr. Terry has been such a great supporter of Brake the Cycle and our mission. Thank you Fr. Terry!!
After breakfast we continued a group discussion about the incident that occurred Saturday afternoon. Many feelings were expressed but it appeared more discussion has to occur.
We headed out around 8:15 Charlie and Wayne were not riding this day so Lou rode in the sweep position. The ride went smoothly except for the number of traffic lights and stops because on the number of bikers. It was difficult for the entire team to get through the green light.
The ride was made more fun because Johnnie F kept getting flat tires, three in fact! But that helped Lou get out of the funk he appeared to be in after the discussion this morning. He was able to discuss with Johnnie and get his feeling out there.
During the ride around the Southington area we came across some men picketing their place of business and we stopped to engage in conversation. They were not on strike but were picketing in favor of establishing a Union and to secure their contracts through negotiation.
As a result of Johnnie F’s third flat tire, he and Lou were late for lunch at St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen and did not get a chance to finish their meal. Luckily the Support crew had made lunches provided by Holy Familiy.
While at St. Ann’s Lou did get a chance to talk to one of the clients there. This individual told Lou that he really didn’t have to come to the soup kitchen that he was retired, had a place to live and only came to meet his friends. He did share that he collected empty bottles and cans for extra income. He told Lou how it takes so many bottles and cans to really add up to any significant amount of money. He shared that many of his fellow clients come because they have to, that they lost their jobs. He seemed happy. We saw him picking through the trash container while we gathered before leaving. We assume he was searching for bottles or cans.
We listened to Luke who runs the St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen and he advised us as to the number of folks they feed each day, anywhere from 100-150. The soup kitchen has been around since 1989.
After Luke gave us his little talk, he shared with us that he would be going over to CT Foodbank to pick up food for the soup kitchen and food pantry.
We left At. Ann’s and departed to either Rosa DeLauro office or to CT Foodbank. We split up into two groups of six and went our separate ways.
The CT Foodbank was excellent and we were provided with a lot of information that we compared to Foodshare in Bloomfield. Between these two, they serve 850 “programs”. CT Foodbank serves 220. The rest are served by Foodshare. We were again amazed on how they make the process work and also had to bid for certain produce.
We were again impressed by the fact they sometimes had to bid on shipments of various commodities. But apparently it all works out fine.
As we were there, different “clients’ came in to collect food for their respective agency. We met Luke there as he had said he would be there.
St. Ann’s is not only a Soup Kitchen but is also a Food Pantry where folks come to get specific foods only appropriate for Food Pantry, i.e. can goods, non-perishables.
Those of us who attended Rosa DeLauro’s office, met with Lou Mangini her congressional aide. We thanked Rosa for all her help in speaking for the poor. Lou stated that there has definitely been a change in thinking towards social services with the new administration. Money from the Recovery Act has begun to come into the state, but due to no budget being passed, the money may be sitting around. He said that it is very important for the budget to be passes because some of the funds have dates on them to be allocated. New Haven has started a program for affordable housing. Apartment buildings are being constructed and 80% will be rented at market value and 20% will be affordable housing. They are hoping this model will help all people renting take pride in where they live. We asked what we could tell people in New Haven during our presentation. He said you can have people write, e-mail or call Rosa’s office, but know she will always fight for the people in her district. He suggested people really getting involved in working with the youth in New Haven. He stated that the more these youth can see people care about them and are positive role models the better off we will be.
Those of us coming back from Ct Foodbank met the rest of the team at the Office of Urban Affairs building. We had a mini tour and talked to Lynn Campbell a bit.
The team left together to ride to St. Aedan’s. we got there shortly before Lina Alpert who organized our visit to St. Aedan’s. Loaded most of our bikes on the support vehicles at this time.
We set up for our presentation and suppered on sandwiches donated by Subway. Desserts were donated by Stop and Shop and Dunkin Donuts.
A nice crowd turned out, even New Haven Mayor John Destefano attended for a while anyway. We filled the small room. Our presentation went smoothly and last slightly more than an hour. We had some nice dialogue form some non-Catholic attendees and their perspective on our presentation. We actually had a godd interchange of dialogue.
Made some good contacts for the future. Possible interaction with the Deacon Group.
Talked to Lina afterwards and listened to her plea for assistance in getting more support for what she is trying to do at St. Aedan’s. She is a committee of one and needs help.. suggested she follow up with OUA. They should assist in this regard.
Lina was very pleased with our presentation and the number of people who showed up.
We left St. Aedan’s all in a good mood for a job well done.
When we arrived at Holy Family and congregated on the third floor for refreshments, we decided who would get up early to bike over to WDRC and tlak with Brad Davis and then proceed over to Senator Dodd’s office. Lou, Fr. Stephen, and Johnnie F would meet Charlie there at 7:30.
The rest of the crew would breakfast again at Holy Family after attending 7:00 mass. They would depart for the Capital and meet the others there.
Lou
BTC –Day 4 Journal – Manchester, St. Bridget’s to St. Timothy’s, West Hartford to Holy Family, West Hartford
BTC –Day 4 Journal – Manchester, St. Bridget’s to St. Timothy’s, West Hartford to Holy Family, West Hartford
We gathered at St. Bridget at 7:30. This was kind of reminiscent of our first day. We had 13 bikers riding his day. Kelley O’Shea from Court House, one of Lou’s spin teachers, joined us after being invited by Charlie and Lou. She borrowed Kelly’s riding jersey so she fit in perfectly. We also had John Rowe with us for the first time and this Patty’s first day this year as well.
Bill Shea was there again to take photos. It was so great getting ready to start again. Fr. Stephen couldn’t ride with us this morning. He had to work. He gave us a nice blessing to start the day. John Ryan also offered up a wonderful social justice prayer before we mounted up. It put all of us in the perfect mood. We were on our bikes rolling away around 8:15.
The ride to St. Timothy’s was relatively flat and everyone enjoyed it. We all stayed close together. Kelley seemed to really enjoy herself and we believe she is now hooked as part of this team. She’s got it and knows it is not about the bike.
We got to St. Timothy’s earlier than we expected, around 9:30. Bill Shea had just got there so he was able to take photos of us arriving. Timing is everything. We rested some and had bagels and juice before we greeted parishioners for the 10:30 mass. We were actually early enough to greet the 9:00 ma parishioners as they were leaving. We either handed them a slip of paper inviting them to the presentation after mass or verbally engaged them. Many were already aware of our visit. Good prior advertising thanks to Lou and Pat Piano’s efforts.
We were all actually surprised at the turnout thinking who would come around 12:00 to a presentation. We were pleasantly surprised. We all tried to speed things up and completed the presentation right at 53 minutes. Remember, every 53 minutes a child in the United States dies as a result of the causes of poverty.
We were engaged and totally into it. Our audience was also engaged. Pat Piano, the Pastoral Associate at St. Timothy’s has already agreed to have us back. We connected with Patty Moran’s husband’s cousin, Bobbi Moran, their Confirmation leaser to set a date in October. The cool thing is that Pat Piano wants to bike with us. I hope she does. She has real enthusiasm and a love for what she is doing. Pat was impressed with our presentation. I guess everyone was since we received our first standing ovation. Fr. Cody also was impressed. He thought our enthusiasm was exceptional and catching as Christianity should be.
We had a larger crowd than for any other presentation. We performed well and timely. It was ironic that the second reading today was so appropriate. “Whoever has much should not have more, whoever has little should not have less”.
We left St. Timothy’s with joyful hearts.
We decided to bike through Hartford on the streets you would not bike alone, Albany Ave., Park Street, etc. We all noticed the conditions of the streets. A fire cracker went off and some of us thought it was a gun shot. We did our best to engage with people. We got some waves, some thumbs up, some looks like why are you guys here. But it is always and eye opening ride.
We brainstormed as we rode. Kelley was already thinking of ways to do things for the future like meeting right there with those less fortunate. Like we said, she is hooked.
After we arrived at Holy Family we got into our circle and we all reflected and shared our impression of riding through Hartford. Really a powerful way to end the ride.’
We had a wonderful supper and celebrated Fr. Stephen’s 43 birthday with a cake from Mozzicato’s bakery in Hartford. His dad came to celebrate with him.
We went to the auditorium for the presentation. Not many showed up and Fr. Terry was a bit disappointed. He tried his best to get folks there. Oh well, sometimes that’s the way it is. We still conducted our presentation as always.
One of the few attendees was a priest from West Africa who came with Fr. Dennis. Fr. Peter approached Lou and said to him he was moved by our presentation talking about poverty in the US. He said it was strange to him because people who really live in poverty look to the United States as a place for hope because of our wealth. We could see his point.
After the presentation we gathered on the third floor for some refreshment as Italian cookies from Mossicato’s. Yummy! Also a little fresh fruit and some wine. We faith shared and discussed the next day’s ride.
Lou
We gathered at St. Bridget at 7:30. This was kind of reminiscent of our first day. We had 13 bikers riding his day. Kelley O’Shea from Court House, one of Lou’s spin teachers, joined us after being invited by Charlie and Lou. She borrowed Kelly’s riding jersey so she fit in perfectly. We also had John Rowe with us for the first time and this Patty’s first day this year as well.
Bill Shea was there again to take photos. It was so great getting ready to start again. Fr. Stephen couldn’t ride with us this morning. He had to work. He gave us a nice blessing to start the day. John Ryan also offered up a wonderful social justice prayer before we mounted up. It put all of us in the perfect mood. We were on our bikes rolling away around 8:15.
The ride to St. Timothy’s was relatively flat and everyone enjoyed it. We all stayed close together. Kelley seemed to really enjoy herself and we believe she is now hooked as part of this team. She’s got it and knows it is not about the bike.
We got to St. Timothy’s earlier than we expected, around 9:30. Bill Shea had just got there so he was able to take photos of us arriving. Timing is everything. We rested some and had bagels and juice before we greeted parishioners for the 10:30 mass. We were actually early enough to greet the 9:00 ma parishioners as they were leaving. We either handed them a slip of paper inviting them to the presentation after mass or verbally engaged them. Many were already aware of our visit. Good prior advertising thanks to Lou and Pat Piano’s efforts.
We were all actually surprised at the turnout thinking who would come around 12:00 to a presentation. We were pleasantly surprised. We all tried to speed things up and completed the presentation right at 53 minutes. Remember, every 53 minutes a child in the United States dies as a result of the causes of poverty.
We were engaged and totally into it. Our audience was also engaged. Pat Piano, the Pastoral Associate at St. Timothy’s has already agreed to have us back. We connected with Patty Moran’s husband’s cousin, Bobbi Moran, their Confirmation leaser to set a date in October. The cool thing is that Pat Piano wants to bike with us. I hope she does. She has real enthusiasm and a love for what she is doing. Pat was impressed with our presentation. I guess everyone was since we received our first standing ovation. Fr. Cody also was impressed. He thought our enthusiasm was exceptional and catching as Christianity should be.
We had a larger crowd than for any other presentation. We performed well and timely. It was ironic that the second reading today was so appropriate. “Whoever has much should not have more, whoever has little should not have less”.
We left St. Timothy’s with joyful hearts.
We decided to bike through Hartford on the streets you would not bike alone, Albany Ave., Park Street, etc. We all noticed the conditions of the streets. A fire cracker went off and some of us thought it was a gun shot. We did our best to engage with people. We got some waves, some thumbs up, some looks like why are you guys here. But it is always and eye opening ride.
We brainstormed as we rode. Kelley was already thinking of ways to do things for the future like meeting right there with those less fortunate. Like we said, she is hooked.
After we arrived at Holy Family we got into our circle and we all reflected and shared our impression of riding through Hartford. Really a powerful way to end the ride.’
We had a wonderful supper and celebrated Fr. Stephen’s 43 birthday with a cake from Mozzicato’s bakery in Hartford. His dad came to celebrate with him.
We went to the auditorium for the presentation. Not many showed up and Fr. Terry was a bit disappointed. He tried his best to get folks there. Oh well, sometimes that’s the way it is. We still conducted our presentation as always.
One of the few attendees was a priest from West Africa who came with Fr. Dennis. Fr. Peter approached Lou and said to him he was moved by our presentation talking about poverty in the US. He said it was strange to him because people who really live in poverty look to the United States as a place for hope because of our wealth. We could see his point.
After the presentation we gathered on the third floor for some refreshment as Italian cookies from Mossicato’s. Yummy! Also a little fresh fruit and some wine. We faith shared and discussed the next day’s ride.
Lou
BTC –Day 3 Journal – Newington, St. Mary’s to Willimantic, St. Joseph’s
BTC –Day 3 Journal – Newington, St. Mary’s to Willimantic, St. Joseph’s
After sleeping at our host families homes, we met at St. Mary’s at 8:30 to collect our bikes and get ready to start our ride to Willimantic and St. Joseph’s. We left around 9:00 and headed north toward Hartford.
On Stoddard Ave. we observed the destruction from yesterday’s storm. Downed trees and power lines were everywhere. We had to detour off our Cue Sheet but made it to the Foodshare Market by 9:50. At the Market we met with Don Scott who gave us a tour of the facility and explained the history and working of the market.
One of the most memorable things he mentioned was that they compete with other Foodshare operations through the Feeding America initiative to get desired goods. They actually have to bid using shares they are pre-awarded. It is sometimes very difficult to outbid areas like Chicago or New York because they have many more shares to bid with. However, Don mentioned there are ways to get around it. He also advised the the merchants at the Farmers market donate left over produce which is one of the ways they keep their facility stocked. They go through every produce shipment and discard any damaged goods. The damaged goods are saved and used for feeding pigs so nothing is wasted.
We left Foodshare around 10:30 and made our way to the MACC Soup Kitchen in Manchester. We had a very good lunch of chicken, pizza, egg noodles, and dessert. Lou and Joan had to leave for a family engagement but would join us later in Willimantic. They would be bringing the food (lasagna) for the Potluck dinner.
After lunch, Jackie Campion gave us a tour of the shelter and Self-Help Pantry. Jackie explained that the Shelter houses 40 residents, 30 men, 10 women. She further explained the merits of the self service pantry was to maintain the dignity of the clients. She proudly stated that MACC is able to provide service with only a staff of 14 and she is grateful for all the volunteers she has.
After the tour, we got back on our bikes and headed for Willimantic along route 6 through Bolton. As we got close to Bolton it started to rain and we again got wet on our ride. Still remembering that we will be dry and warm at the end of the day unlike those in poverty.
While biking on Route 6, we witnessed a tragic accident that had a grateful ending. As we rode past a house, a black dog ran across the street toward the lead bikers. The dog was hit a killed by oncoming traffic. One of the bikers drifted into the middle of the road wanting to be of aid to the dog, totally absorbed in the incident and unaware of the traffic. In the midst of this a tracker trailer truck was forced to jam on its breaks hard, smoke billowing from the brakes and fortunately stopped within a couple of feet of the biker. The skill of the driver of the truck prevented a multi-car, truck, bicycle accident.
We were all very much saddened by this experience. John Ryan and Jeanette crossed the road immediately to comfort the dog’s owner. When they returned we prayed together, some expressing their feelings, most were silent. We all believed God had a hand in driving the truck. We have mentally returned to the events and thanked God, prayed for the dog’s owner, the family, the people involved in the accident, the truck driver and ourselves.
When we arrived in Willimantic some of us visited the habitat for Humanity site that we had worked at.
When we entered St. Joseph’s, our first comments were what a beautiful church. After mass we offered a lasagna supper to those who were able to stay after mass. After supper we began our presentation basically to a family, the only ones who stayed. Our message was punctuated by loud claps of thunder and spectacular flashes of lightening.
We actually changed our presentation because of the wonderful interaction and dialogue of those participants. The father in attendance asked “what more can I do with my skills as a mechanic?” “How else can I help my neighbor who needs a ride to the grocery store?”
As we presented our PEDAL acronym we added some suggestions in the advocacy area. It is important to advocate for yourselves also. By contacting government representatives by phone, letter, or email, people can tell their stories. These stories provide real examples of people in need.
Although we only spoke with an extended family of 7 people, we learned much about their lives, their faith, and their hopes. It turned out to be another nice connection.
It was still raining and thunder storming out there when we finished our presentation. We had to load the bikes in the rain. There was a nice overhang at the door so we just cozied up the vehicles under the over hang and loaded the bikes. We also did the same for the family who stayed for the presentation.
Once everybody was loaded we headed back to Manchester to sleep and get ready for the next day.
Mike & Johnnie F
After sleeping at our host families homes, we met at St. Mary’s at 8:30 to collect our bikes and get ready to start our ride to Willimantic and St. Joseph’s. We left around 9:00 and headed north toward Hartford.
On Stoddard Ave. we observed the destruction from yesterday’s storm. Downed trees and power lines were everywhere. We had to detour off our Cue Sheet but made it to the Foodshare Market by 9:50. At the Market we met with Don Scott who gave us a tour of the facility and explained the history and working of the market.
One of the most memorable things he mentioned was that they compete with other Foodshare operations through the Feeding America initiative to get desired goods. They actually have to bid using shares they are pre-awarded. It is sometimes very difficult to outbid areas like Chicago or New York because they have many more shares to bid with. However, Don mentioned there are ways to get around it. He also advised the the merchants at the Farmers market donate left over produce which is one of the ways they keep their facility stocked. They go through every produce shipment and discard any damaged goods. The damaged goods are saved and used for feeding pigs so nothing is wasted.
We left Foodshare around 10:30 and made our way to the MACC Soup Kitchen in Manchester. We had a very good lunch of chicken, pizza, egg noodles, and dessert. Lou and Joan had to leave for a family engagement but would join us later in Willimantic. They would be bringing the food (lasagna) for the Potluck dinner.
After lunch, Jackie Campion gave us a tour of the shelter and Self-Help Pantry. Jackie explained that the Shelter houses 40 residents, 30 men, 10 women. She further explained the merits of the self service pantry was to maintain the dignity of the clients. She proudly stated that MACC is able to provide service with only a staff of 14 and she is grateful for all the volunteers she has.
After the tour, we got back on our bikes and headed for Willimantic along route 6 through Bolton. As we got close to Bolton it started to rain and we again got wet on our ride. Still remembering that we will be dry and warm at the end of the day unlike those in poverty.
While biking on Route 6, we witnessed a tragic accident that had a grateful ending. As we rode past a house, a black dog ran across the street toward the lead bikers. The dog was hit a killed by oncoming traffic. One of the bikers drifted into the middle of the road wanting to be of aid to the dog, totally absorbed in the incident and unaware of the traffic. In the midst of this a tracker trailer truck was forced to jam on its breaks hard, smoke billowing from the brakes and fortunately stopped within a couple of feet of the biker. The skill of the driver of the truck prevented a multi-car, truck, bicycle accident.
We were all very much saddened by this experience. John Ryan and Jeanette crossed the road immediately to comfort the dog’s owner. When they returned we prayed together, some expressing their feelings, most were silent. We all believed God had a hand in driving the truck. We have mentally returned to the events and thanked God, prayed for the dog’s owner, the family, the people involved in the accident, the truck driver and ourselves.
When we arrived in Willimantic some of us visited the habitat for Humanity site that we had worked at.
When we entered St. Joseph’s, our first comments were what a beautiful church. After mass we offered a lasagna supper to those who were able to stay after mass. After supper we began our presentation basically to a family, the only ones who stayed. Our message was punctuated by loud claps of thunder and spectacular flashes of lightening.
We actually changed our presentation because of the wonderful interaction and dialogue of those participants. The father in attendance asked “what more can I do with my skills as a mechanic?” “How else can I help my neighbor who needs a ride to the grocery store?”
As we presented our PEDAL acronym we added some suggestions in the advocacy area. It is important to advocate for yourselves also. By contacting government representatives by phone, letter, or email, people can tell their stories. These stories provide real examples of people in need.
Although we only spoke with an extended family of 7 people, we learned much about their lives, their faith, and their hopes. It turned out to be another nice connection.
It was still raining and thunder storming out there when we finished our presentation. We had to load the bikes in the rain. There was a nice overhang at the door so we just cozied up the vehicles under the over hang and loaded the bikes. We also did the same for the family who stayed for the presentation.
Once everybody was loaded we headed back to Manchester to sleep and get ready for the next day.
Mike & Johnnie F
BTC –Day 2 Journal – Canaan, St. Joseph’s to Newington, St. Mary’s
BTC –Day 2 Journal – Canaan, St. Joseph’s to Newington, St. Mary’s
We woke up at our respective host families’ homes and got ready to journey over to St. Joseph’s for 7:30 mass. Pam had to get up extra early as she had to get to her last day of school (1/2 day). She left round 5:30 in the morning and would join us later in the day around 12:00 noon to ride. She can’t wait.
Mass at St. Joseph’s was very nice. A small gathering of parishioners and the team. Fr. Stephen co-celebrated with Fr. Jeffries. After mass, we ventured downstairs to the church basement to a wonderful breakfast of bagels, quiche, banana bread, sticky buns, etc. It’s funny how good you eat on these rides. We have so much yet we speak of those who have so little. We are so fortunate that we get a warm bed, hot shower, and a roof over our heads with plenty of food. A contrast to those who do not have those luxuries, We thank God each day for what we have.
After breakfast we bid Fr. Jeffries goodbye and thanked him for all he did to make our visit so pleasant. We went to Immaculate conception to pick up our bikes, pump up our tires, filled up our water bottles with water and Gatorade.
We began our ride going up the hill we came down to get to Immaculate. A bit tough to star the day, an uphill climb. But those in poverty have an uphill climb everyday. We were only doing this for a short time.
Our route for today’s ride was changed but the result made the ride a lot easier. Much downhill with just a couple of cool uphills. We enjoyed the ride very much except when it began to rain. In fact, it poured. We were all cold and wet and had to be extra careful especially going downhill. Again we could relate to the poor who live in this kind of weather routinely with no roof over their heads, no warm showers, we knew we would be warm and comfortable by days end. About 30 miles into the ride the sun came out and the day became a scorcher. Everyone put on sunscreen, even Lou. Pam joined us after going the wrong way on route 10. She met us at the Subway in Farmington. We do happen to eat from Subway quite often. ‘
We all rode to Newington to St. Mary’s together. A nice ride but we did have a doosie of a hill before getting there. We actually arrived at St. Mary’s an hour and a half early. Lucky for us because a powerful thunderstorm, possible tornado, hit the area while we were setting up our presentation and getting ready for supper. Thunder, lightening, hail stones. Wow! We lost power. Trees and branches were down. We heard stories of big trees crushing a couple of houses in Wethersfield.
When we first got to St. Mary’s some of the team spotted this little biker coming up the driveway. He was struggling to get up the hill. Lou immediately recognized his Grandson, Noah, and got back on his bike, forgetting about his sore butt, and rode down to greet him. It was a bit adventurous as Noah kept coming right at Lou. Lou felt he had to turn off to avoid Noah but Noah turn off in the same direction. Lou had to hit his brakes, couldn’t get out of his clips and hit the deck. His shifters got bent a bit and his front tire didn’t roll smoothly. Noah wanted to ride his bike with Grandpa. “Come on Grandpa, let’s race!” Lou did his best to fix his front wheel and biked with Noah for the next ½ hour.
The team went to their respective host families homes to shower before coming back here for the presentation. Lou and Joan and Fr. Stephen stayed at the rectory. Lou and Joan got to sleep in the pastor’s bedroom.
Fr. Dennis got out boxes of votive candles to use for light. The parishioners prepared the supper using Sterno. We all ate by candle light. When it cam time for the presentation, we did it in the dark. No slides tonight. Everyone knew heir part and the presentation went smoothly. Almost perfect. I guess everyone stepped up a bit because of the situation. It was a bit special doing so by candle light and flashlight. Fr. Dennis brought it all together when he compared all the candles to the light of Christ. Seemed so true this evening.
The food was fantastic, more than we could eat. And desserts galore. Everyone was so pleasant and nice to us. It is so amazing how people open their homes and their hearts to complete strangers all for a good cause. Seems there is something biblical here. Thank you all!!!
Lou’s son came to the presentation tonight. Made it special for Lou. His son, Thad , was impressed with our presentation and actually was quite moved by it.
We did good tonight.
We woke up at our respective host families’ homes and got ready to journey over to St. Joseph’s for 7:30 mass. Pam had to get up extra early as she had to get to her last day of school (1/2 day). She left round 5:30 in the morning and would join us later in the day around 12:00 noon to ride. She can’t wait.
Mass at St. Joseph’s was very nice. A small gathering of parishioners and the team. Fr. Stephen co-celebrated with Fr. Jeffries. After mass, we ventured downstairs to the church basement to a wonderful breakfast of bagels, quiche, banana bread, sticky buns, etc. It’s funny how good you eat on these rides. We have so much yet we speak of those who have so little. We are so fortunate that we get a warm bed, hot shower, and a roof over our heads with plenty of food. A contrast to those who do not have those luxuries, We thank God each day for what we have.
After breakfast we bid Fr. Jeffries goodbye and thanked him for all he did to make our visit so pleasant. We went to Immaculate conception to pick up our bikes, pump up our tires, filled up our water bottles with water and Gatorade.
We began our ride going up the hill we came down to get to Immaculate. A bit tough to star the day, an uphill climb. But those in poverty have an uphill climb everyday. We were only doing this for a short time.
Our route for today’s ride was changed but the result made the ride a lot easier. Much downhill with just a couple of cool uphills. We enjoyed the ride very much except when it began to rain. In fact, it poured. We were all cold and wet and had to be extra careful especially going downhill. Again we could relate to the poor who live in this kind of weather routinely with no roof over their heads, no warm showers, we knew we would be warm and comfortable by days end. About 30 miles into the ride the sun came out and the day became a scorcher. Everyone put on sunscreen, even Lou. Pam joined us after going the wrong way on route 10. She met us at the Subway in Farmington. We do happen to eat from Subway quite often. ‘
We all rode to Newington to St. Mary’s together. A nice ride but we did have a doosie of a hill before getting there. We actually arrived at St. Mary’s an hour and a half early. Lucky for us because a powerful thunderstorm, possible tornado, hit the area while we were setting up our presentation and getting ready for supper. Thunder, lightening, hail stones. Wow! We lost power. Trees and branches were down. We heard stories of big trees crushing a couple of houses in Wethersfield.
When we first got to St. Mary’s some of the team spotted this little biker coming up the driveway. He was struggling to get up the hill. Lou immediately recognized his Grandson, Noah, and got back on his bike, forgetting about his sore butt, and rode down to greet him. It was a bit adventurous as Noah kept coming right at Lou. Lou felt he had to turn off to avoid Noah but Noah turn off in the same direction. Lou had to hit his brakes, couldn’t get out of his clips and hit the deck. His shifters got bent a bit and his front tire didn’t roll smoothly. Noah wanted to ride his bike with Grandpa. “Come on Grandpa, let’s race!” Lou did his best to fix his front wheel and biked with Noah for the next ½ hour.
The team went to their respective host families homes to shower before coming back here for the presentation. Lou and Joan and Fr. Stephen stayed at the rectory. Lou and Joan got to sleep in the pastor’s bedroom.
Fr. Dennis got out boxes of votive candles to use for light. The parishioners prepared the supper using Sterno. We all ate by candle light. When it cam time for the presentation, we did it in the dark. No slides tonight. Everyone knew heir part and the presentation went smoothly. Almost perfect. I guess everyone stepped up a bit because of the situation. It was a bit special doing so by candle light and flashlight. Fr. Dennis brought it all together when he compared all the candles to the light of Christ. Seemed so true this evening.
The food was fantastic, more than we could eat. And desserts galore. Everyone was so pleasant and nice to us. It is so amazing how people open their homes and their hearts to complete strangers all for a good cause. Seems there is something biblical here. Thank you all!!!
Lou’s son came to the presentation tonight. Made it special for Lou. His son, Thad , was impressed with our presentation and actually was quite moved by it.
We did good tonight.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
BTC 2009 - Day 1
We rode from Manchester to Canaan. Stopped at Foodshare and gifts of Love and the bike shop. we then continued on Rt. 44 to Canaan.
As we were riding up one of the many long hills, I realized I was riding in the hot sun and I looked over to the other side of the road and realized it was shady. I began to think about the poor and their struggles and how life could be better if they could only ride on the "shady side of the road". Those thoughts helped propel me up that hill.
Mike
As we were riding up one of the many long hills, I realized I was riding in the hot sun and I looked over to the other side of the road and realized it was shady. I began to think about the poor and their struggles and how life could be better if they could only ride on the "shady side of the road". Those thoughts helped propel me up that hill.
Mike
BTC 2009 - Day 1 - Manchester to Canaan
We began to arrive at St. Bridget little by little. Our designated departure time was 8:00. We were all to arrive between 7:00 and 7:30 to pack support vehicles and get our bikes all set. Some of us rode our bikes to St. Bridget, some drove their cars with their bikes on their racks. As it got closer to 8:00 we realized we were not going to leave at that time as Jeanette forgot her helmet and bike shoes. Her sister was rushing them over. While we waited, we gathered around for our usual send-off prayer. Lou had one ready but Mike had read a prayer that morning and thought it was so appropriate he asked if we could use that prayer and asked his Dad, Jim, to read it. Th prayer was perfect for what we were about to begin again this year. So good that rob suggested we put it on the website.
We left St. Bridget around 8:15. Jeanette's sister made good time getting to St B's. Everyone was excited and eager to get going. We were on our way. As we ventured to Foodshare in Bloomfield we had a coupe of spills, John Ryan and Mark, a couple of flat tires, but in all it was a pleasant ride. We actually arrived at Foodshare earlier than expected. after fixing Mark's flat tire, we got an overview by Sarah Santora about the 21% increase in what foodshare has had to put out since last year. They now deliver 15 tons of food a day as compared to only 12 tons last year. One of the most remarkable statistics we heard was that West Hartford, Avon, and Simsbury has a 75% increase in services over last year. It was evident what the economy has done to these services.
Foodshare provided the BTC team with granola bars, water, gatorade and most importunately, restrooms. By the way, they have entirely "green" bathrooms. Our discussion, while brief was to the point and we all learned a bit more.
We left by 11:30 and headed to Avon. We had planned to again stop at Gifts of Love. Gifts of Love is a Food Pantry of sorts. They cater to people who are working but are going through a bad time.
They are working but incapable of making ends meet. Someone may have just lost their job, or more importantly, lost their home. Gifts too have had a significant increase in services, up 43%.
As we again rode Talcott mountain, it seemed this year it was not as difficult. We actually got to Gifts of Love a lot earlier than planned. And, it wasn't raining like last year.
We received a nice talk form Chris and Diana. They provided us with the new information we were looking for. They provide services for 300 families a month. they also are doing some great things for kids with their backpack program. It was nice touching base with then again this year.
We then rode just down the Rt. 44 to the Ski Market & Bike shop and met with David Neuman. he had heard about BTC form hearing bob King on the WTIC radio broadcast last year and called Bob and mentioned that since we were coming through Avon he would service any riders bike if they wanted then checked out. Last year he worked on four bikes. He extended his offer again this year and he actually worked on 9 bikes. He is a great guy. we could not believe how generous he was. We again bid him farewell and thanked him for his kindness.
We also ate our Subway lunch right there at the bike shop. We were stuffed after word.
Once lunch was completed we headed for Canaan. The ride there was a bit difficult but everyone hung in. The hills strung the group out quite a bit. Enough so that Rob and Lou pasted Immaculate conception parish and had to bike back uphill to get there. In time they got back to where they should have been. Ultimately Rob and Lou rode close to an extra 12 miles that day.
When we were ALL at Immaculate, Fr. Jeffries assigned us our rooms and where we would be staying. Pam also met us there at Immaculate. Good to see her there. We went to our respective host homes and showered up. We then proceded to a parishioner's home that was serving us all dinner at their house. Everyone ate well and enjoyed the company.
Still cannot believe how trusting and kind these folks were. It still amazes us.
We had a quick pot luck going and all went well.
The presentation went over smooth. Fr. Jeffries asked many meaningful guestions.
We are grateful for the kindness felt by all.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
We left St. Bridget around 8:15. Jeanette's sister made good time getting to St B's. Everyone was excited and eager to get going. We were on our way. As we ventured to Foodshare in Bloomfield we had a coupe of spills, John Ryan and Mark, a couple of flat tires, but in all it was a pleasant ride. We actually arrived at Foodshare earlier than expected. after fixing Mark's flat tire, we got an overview by Sarah Santora about the 21% increase in what foodshare has had to put out since last year. They now deliver 15 tons of food a day as compared to only 12 tons last year. One of the most remarkable statistics we heard was that West Hartford, Avon, and Simsbury has a 75% increase in services over last year. It was evident what the economy has done to these services.
Foodshare provided the BTC team with granola bars, water, gatorade and most importunately, restrooms. By the way, they have entirely "green" bathrooms. Our discussion, while brief was to the point and we all learned a bit more.
We left by 11:30 and headed to Avon. We had planned to again stop at Gifts of Love. Gifts of Love is a Food Pantry of sorts. They cater to people who are working but are going through a bad time.
They are working but incapable of making ends meet. Someone may have just lost their job, or more importantly, lost their home. Gifts too have had a significant increase in services, up 43%.
As we again rode Talcott mountain, it seemed this year it was not as difficult. We actually got to Gifts of Love a lot earlier than planned. And, it wasn't raining like last year.
We received a nice talk form Chris and Diana. They provided us with the new information we were looking for. They provide services for 300 families a month. they also are doing some great things for kids with their backpack program. It was nice touching base with then again this year.
We then rode just down the Rt. 44 to the Ski Market & Bike shop and met with David Neuman. he had heard about BTC form hearing bob King on the WTIC radio broadcast last year and called Bob and mentioned that since we were coming through Avon he would service any riders bike if they wanted then checked out. Last year he worked on four bikes. He extended his offer again this year and he actually worked on 9 bikes. He is a great guy. we could not believe how generous he was. We again bid him farewell and thanked him for his kindness.
We also ate our Subway lunch right there at the bike shop. We were stuffed after word.
Once lunch was completed we headed for Canaan. The ride there was a bit difficult but everyone hung in. The hills strung the group out quite a bit. Enough so that Rob and Lou pasted Immaculate conception parish and had to bike back uphill to get there. In time they got back to where they should have been. Ultimately Rob and Lou rode close to an extra 12 miles that day.
When we were ALL at Immaculate, Fr. Jeffries assigned us our rooms and where we would be staying. Pam also met us there at Immaculate. Good to see her there. We went to our respective host homes and showered up. We then proceded to a parishioner's home that was serving us all dinner at their house. Everyone ate well and enjoyed the company.
Still cannot believe how trusting and kind these folks were. It still amazes us.
We had a quick pot luck going and all went well.
The presentation went over smooth. Fr. Jeffries asked many meaningful guestions.
We are grateful for the kindness felt by all.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Brake the Cycle Tour 2009 - June 25 thru June 30
We will be adding our daily Journals to this blog beginning Thursday night, June 25. Follow along with us as we begin our sixth BTC Connecticut bike tour.
We head out to St. Joseph's parish in Canaan of Thursday. On Friday we will travel to St. Mary's parish in Newington. Saturday we head to Willimantic and St. Joseph's parish. We will be conducting presentations at each parish.
On Sunday we will be at St. Timothy's parish in West Hartford for 10:30 mass and a presentation. We will also be doing a presentation at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford Sunday evening.
On Monday we head down to New Haven to St. Aedan's parish for a presentation and then head back to Holy Family for the night.
Tuesday, June 30, we head off to New Britain where we will attend out Finale at Corbin Heights housing project, part of PHRN, Public Housing Residents Network.
We intend to stop at Poverty Centers each day along our bike routes and visit legislative offices when we can to share the stories we hear during our ride, to bring a voice of those who do not have a voice to those who can help make a difference.
Join us where you can.
Peace,
Lou Terzo
We head out to St. Joseph's parish in Canaan of Thursday. On Friday we will travel to St. Mary's parish in Newington. Saturday we head to Willimantic and St. Joseph's parish. We will be conducting presentations at each parish.
On Sunday we will be at St. Timothy's parish in West Hartford for 10:30 mass and a presentation. We will also be doing a presentation at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford Sunday evening.
On Monday we head down to New Haven to St. Aedan's parish for a presentation and then head back to Holy Family for the night.
Tuesday, June 30, we head off to New Britain where we will attend out Finale at Corbin Heights housing project, part of PHRN, Public Housing Residents Network.
We intend to stop at Poverty Centers each day along our bike routes and visit legislative offices when we can to share the stories we hear during our ride, to bring a voice of those who do not have a voice to those who can help make a difference.
Join us where you can.
Peace,
Lou Terzo
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Journal of Ride to St. John the Evangelist on 12/14/2008
Here is a journal of our visit to St. John the Evangelist.
Johnnie F. Bob, and I left St. Bridget at around 9:00 am accompanied by Pam. We would be getting on our bikes in Bristol and Pam would be doing support for us.
Glad we decided not to try to bike from St. B's at 8:30 because it was real cold! Mike and Jeanette would hook up with John Ryan around 11:15 and pick up the equipment and leave for St. John's together. We would meet them there.
We got to Bristol around 10:00 ish and got on our bikes. First thing we hit was a pretty good hill. It really got our hearts pumping and sucking in the cool air.
The ride was pretty nice considering the cold and the ice patches we had to avoid.
Some of you who biked to Watertown form Holy Family in June during the weeklong will remember that wicked downhill entering Thomaston. Wow! I rode my brakes the whole way. Never know if you are going to hit gravel or an ice patch.
Then we had that long 2 mile gradual uphill as we approached Watertown. Pam was a perfect support person. Glad she was aboard.
We made it to St. John's around 11:30 and Pam and I actually attended their 12:00 mass.
Bob and Johnnie F waited for Mike and Jeanette and set us up downstairs and we were ready to go at 1:00.
We were greeted by Fr. John Cooney with a great big smile. he was pleased that we biked over and thanked us for returning to his parish.
There were between 50 and 55 9th graders who attended with their teachers. They had attended the 12:00 mass first.
After they had some cookies and juice they got organized and sat for our presentation. Teri Morgado, the DRE who invited us, runs quite a tight ship. She had those kids under full control and she was right on top of things with us as well.
We did our usual presentation but Teri and I had communicated earlier and I had provided her with an outline of our presentation and gave her some of the issues we would mention and speak to.
She formulated an outline from that and passed that out to the kids before we presented. They were instructed to take notes and that they would be required to write an essay based on what they heard. Required!
Believe me, they took notes even asking us not to move off of some of our slides so they could capture the information. They were really a good group of kids and seemed to really get into it. Of course like with any group of kids there were some who when asked a question just gave you that look. But, for the most part there were others that were quick to respond.
I think we did good and based on the feedback I received Teri Morgado agreed.
We handed out candy canes at the end of our presentation bringing the season we are in. Actually Bob started us off wearing a Santa's cap and mentioned how one of the first homeless families were actually Mary and Joseph. Nicely done.
While we were having the kids sign the banner I was approached by Teri and she handed me an envelope with a small stipend. Nice gesture.
As you can see below she wants to keep in touch with us. She thanked us and again mentioned how some of us biked over but emphasized that we had given up our time to come visit , especially at this busy time of the year. The kids and teachers were appreciative. Teri also mentioned to me that she has mentioned out group to all the DREs in the area and strongly suggested they asked us to their parishes. So hopefully we will get a few more invites out of that.
You know, this parish actually has BTC as a link on their own website. Cool!!
We gathered in the parking lot and hugged and drove home to St. B's feeling good about what we had accomplished for the day. God bless!
Peace,
Lou
Johnnie F. Bob, and I left St. Bridget at around 9:00 am accompanied by Pam. We would be getting on our bikes in Bristol and Pam would be doing support for us.
Glad we decided not to try to bike from St. B's at 8:30 because it was real cold! Mike and Jeanette would hook up with John Ryan around 11:15 and pick up the equipment and leave for St. John's together. We would meet them there.
We got to Bristol around 10:00 ish and got on our bikes. First thing we hit was a pretty good hill. It really got our hearts pumping and sucking in the cool air.
The ride was pretty nice considering the cold and the ice patches we had to avoid.
Some of you who biked to Watertown form Holy Family in June during the weeklong will remember that wicked downhill entering Thomaston. Wow! I rode my brakes the whole way. Never know if you are going to hit gravel or an ice patch.
Then we had that long 2 mile gradual uphill as we approached Watertown. Pam was a perfect support person. Glad she was aboard.
We made it to St. John's around 11:30 and Pam and I actually attended their 12:00 mass.
Bob and Johnnie F waited for Mike and Jeanette and set us up downstairs and we were ready to go at 1:00.
We were greeted by Fr. John Cooney with a great big smile. he was pleased that we biked over and thanked us for returning to his parish.
There were between 50 and 55 9th graders who attended with their teachers. They had attended the 12:00 mass first.
After they had some cookies and juice they got organized and sat for our presentation. Teri Morgado, the DRE who invited us, runs quite a tight ship. She had those kids under full control and she was right on top of things with us as well.
We did our usual presentation but Teri and I had communicated earlier and I had provided her with an outline of our presentation and gave her some of the issues we would mention and speak to.
She formulated an outline from that and passed that out to the kids before we presented. They were instructed to take notes and that they would be required to write an essay based on what they heard. Required!
Believe me, they took notes even asking us not to move off of some of our slides so they could capture the information. They were really a good group of kids and seemed to really get into it. Of course like with any group of kids there were some who when asked a question just gave you that look. But, for the most part there were others that were quick to respond.
I think we did good and based on the feedback I received Teri Morgado agreed.
We handed out candy canes at the end of our presentation bringing the season we are in. Actually Bob started us off wearing a Santa's cap and mentioned how one of the first homeless families were actually Mary and Joseph. Nicely done.
While we were having the kids sign the banner I was approached by Teri and she handed me an envelope with a small stipend. Nice gesture.
As you can see below she wants to keep in touch with us. She thanked us and again mentioned how some of us biked over but emphasized that we had given up our time to come visit , especially at this busy time of the year. The kids and teachers were appreciative. Teri also mentioned to me that she has mentioned out group to all the DREs in the area and strongly suggested they asked us to their parishes. So hopefully we will get a few more invites out of that.
You know, this parish actually has BTC as a link on their own website. Cool!!
We gathered in the parking lot and hugged and drove home to St. B's feeling good about what we had accomplished for the day. God bless!
Peace,
Lou
Friday, November 14, 2008
BTC Visit to St. George Parish Guilford, CT 11/3 & 11/10/2008
11/3/2008
Last night we had close to 100 9th graders attend our presentation. These kids were really on the ball and we never lacked for anyone to volunteer with an answer to our questions.
When we got to the part of our presentation where we went over the three questions and asked them what they learned about poverty that they hadn't know before, we received more responses, I believe, than we ever had before. A good group of kids.
Five of us presented. Me, Johnnie F, Mark, Jeanette, and Doug. Worked perfectly fine with the five of us. We talked for just over an hour and we al felt it went very well. It will be interesting to see the difference when we speak to 10 graders next Monday night.
St. George's parish seems to be a very active parish. Over 1300 families. I think we have to try and get them on our agenda to meet with the larger community. We will se how that plays out.
Looking forward to next week. So far we have expected to attend, Lou, Jeanette, Pam, Bob K, Doug (possible), Mark.
Lou Terzo
11/10/2008
Last night, 11/10, we met with close to 90 10th graders at St. George's. We had to overcome some technical difficulties to complete our presentation but overall it went quite well.
My computer, which I practiced with on Sunday to make sure it would "work" when we got there, seemed to be quite temperamental and locked me out. Lucking a teacher there let us use his computer and we got the presentation up and running, but we couldn't use the remote to change screens for some reason and he did not have his power cord so we ran out of battery power with about 10 minutes left in the presentation. We were right at the Two Feet of Social Justice. Oh well, sometimes you just have to improvise.
The kids were very good again last night. Seemed interested and when we addressed the Three Questions again they did respond very well. At least it proved they did listen. They were challenged as they had to meet the expectations set by the 9th graders from last week.
Claire Nichols has a great handle on both grades. She did not take any disrespectfulness from them and had total control. Nice to see.
Bob, Pam, Jeanette and I presented and aside from the computer problems all went very well. It looks like we may be able to get invited back to present to the general parish.
When we were done Claire Nicholls asked if they could donate to our cause. We mentioned how we really do not take donations and preferred they do an Action thing, like writer their legislators concerning one of the poverty issues like Healthcare. She asked for a form letter which I have requested through Doug.
Doug also suggested that in the future when we presented with an opportunity to accept a monetary donation that we suggest they make that contribution to such organizations like CCHD, CT Voices, End Hunger CT, Ct Association for Basic Needs, etc. I think that's a nice idea. We can discuss at out next meeting.
Peace,
Lou
PS: Next presentation is December 14 at St. John the Evangelist in Watertown. Please advise if you can attend. I will be sending out a more formal reminder and request.
Last night we had close to 100 9th graders attend our presentation. These kids were really on the ball and we never lacked for anyone to volunteer with an answer to our questions.
When we got to the part of our presentation where we went over the three questions and asked them what they learned about poverty that they hadn't know before, we received more responses, I believe, than we ever had before. A good group of kids.
Five of us presented. Me, Johnnie F, Mark, Jeanette, and Doug. Worked perfectly fine with the five of us. We talked for just over an hour and we al felt it went very well. It will be interesting to see the difference when we speak to 10 graders next Monday night.
St. George's parish seems to be a very active parish. Over 1300 families. I think we have to try and get them on our agenda to meet with the larger community. We will se how that plays out.
Looking forward to next week. So far we have expected to attend, Lou, Jeanette, Pam, Bob K, Doug (possible), Mark.
Lou Terzo
11/10/2008
Last night, 11/10, we met with close to 90 10th graders at St. George's. We had to overcome some technical difficulties to complete our presentation but overall it went quite well.
My computer, which I practiced with on Sunday to make sure it would "work" when we got there, seemed to be quite temperamental and locked me out. Lucking a teacher there let us use his computer and we got the presentation up and running, but we couldn't use the remote to change screens for some reason and he did not have his power cord so we ran out of battery power with about 10 minutes left in the presentation. We were right at the Two Feet of Social Justice. Oh well, sometimes you just have to improvise.
The kids were very good again last night. Seemed interested and when we addressed the Three Questions again they did respond very well. At least it proved they did listen. They were challenged as they had to meet the expectations set by the 9th graders from last week.
Claire Nichols has a great handle on both grades. She did not take any disrespectfulness from them and had total control. Nice to see.
Bob, Pam, Jeanette and I presented and aside from the computer problems all went very well. It looks like we may be able to get invited back to present to the general parish.
When we were done Claire Nicholls asked if they could donate to our cause. We mentioned how we really do not take donations and preferred they do an Action thing, like writer their legislators concerning one of the poverty issues like Healthcare. She asked for a form letter which I have requested through Doug.
Doug also suggested that in the future when we presented with an opportunity to accept a monetary donation that we suggest they make that contribution to such organizations like CCHD, CT Voices, End Hunger CT, Ct Association for Basic Needs, etc. I think that's a nice idea. We can discuss at out next meeting.
Peace,
Lou
PS: Next presentation is December 14 at St. John the Evangelist in Watertown. Please advise if you can attend. I will be sending out a more formal reminder and request.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Learn More...
Here are few links that fellow BTC of Poverty team members recently found. Read on to learn more about the poverty situation in which our country is...
US | February 20, 2008
Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility
By ERIK ECKHOLM
The poor could have a harder time moving up the income ladder as the higher education gap widens, a report said. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/us/20mobility.html?ex=1204174800&en=6f66cac2a0185c45&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Posted on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008
Homeless men raise voices, lift themselves
By PETER BAILEY
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/424038.html
US | February 15, 2008
Attacks on the Homeless Rise, With Youths Mostly to Blame
By AMY GREEN
Nationwide, violence against the homeless is soaring, and overwhelmingly the attackers are teenagers and young adults.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15homeless.html?ex=1203742800&en=22fa6b13f0704b37&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Op-Ed Columnist
Poverty Is Poison
By PAUL KRUGMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18krugman.html?ex=1204088400&en=94fa25ba8f688210&ei=5070&emc=eta1
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18krugman.html?ex=1204088400&e
n=94fa25ba8f688210&ei=5070&emc=eta1
The New York Times
February 18, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Poverty Is Poison
By PAUL KRUGMAN
"Poverty in early childhood poisons the brain."
US | February 20, 2008
Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility
By ERIK ECKHOLM
The poor could have a harder time moving up the income ladder as the higher education gap widens, a report said. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/us/20mobility.html?ex=1204174800&en=6f66cac2a0185c45&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Posted on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008
Homeless men raise voices, lift themselves
By PETER BAILEY
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/424038.html
US | February 15, 2008
Attacks on the Homeless Rise, With Youths Mostly to Blame
By AMY GREEN
Nationwide, violence against the homeless is soaring, and overwhelmingly the attackers are teenagers and young adults.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15homeless.html?ex=1203742800&en=22fa6b13f0704b37&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Poverty Is Poison
By PAUL KRUGMAN
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18krugman.html?ex=1204088400&e
n=94fa25ba8f688210&ei=5070&emc=eta1
The New York Times
February 18, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Poverty Is Poison
By PAUL KRUGMAN
"Poverty in early childhood poisons the brain."
Sunday, January 27, 2008
St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Presentation, 1/21/2008
Journal, Monday January 21, 2008 - BTC at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish - Confirmation Group Presentation, 7:00 - 8:15 pm
Last evening, John Ryan, Johnnie F., Charlie, Kelly, Pam, and Jeanette presented to 35 Confirmation young adults at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Rocky Hill. It was a very cold evening as we arrived at the parish, It was even colder when we left. Temperatures that I for sure would not be wanting to be sleeping in a cardboard box outside. We talked about that some with the kids and among ourselves last night. We are so very lucky we just had to endure the cold in the car and were going home to a warm house.
These kids were rewarded with candy when they responded correctly or appropriately to our questions. It seems the candy does "excite" them and encourage participation. Although Charlie wasn't too excited about us rewarding them with sweets.
The Three Questions we present upfront again went over quite well and Johnnie F really got them involved. We again got many different answers so we at least know some of them "got it" or were attentive enough to come up with the right answers.
We had intended to have them compose a letter to Governor Rell about the State EITC but ran out of time. We left the material with Ann Marie Shattuck to work with them at a later time.
St. Elizabeth Seton is a very social justice involved parish so there were many things we were able to point these kids towards as far as Taking Action. Johnnie F actually assigned one of the participants, Stephen or Michael or Michael Stephen, to do some research about how does a child die from the causes of poverty every 53 minutes. I would have to say that this particular number stood out among this group more than any other.
The presentation lasted for about 75 minutes which was a little too long. I guess we were a little more wordy last night. Although in my earlier discussions with Ann Marie she indicated that we could take up as much time as needed and she requested we end by 8:15, which we did. Regardless, we have to continue to focus differently when speaking to a youth group or confirmation class.
We also had a new member to our team, Mark Chmielecki, visit with us last night to get a first hand peek at what we do. He is going to offer his comments and suggestions from a completely new eyes point of view. Thanks Mark and welcome aboard.
All in all it was a satisfying night. I have requested feedback form Ann Marie. I will share with you when I receive it.
Peace,
Lou Terzo
Last evening, John Ryan, Johnnie F., Charlie, Kelly, Pam, and Jeanette presented to 35 Confirmation young adults at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Rocky Hill. It was a very cold evening as we arrived at the parish, It was even colder when we left. Temperatures that I for sure would not be wanting to be sleeping in a cardboard box outside. We talked about that some with the kids and among ourselves last night. We are so very lucky we just had to endure the cold in the car and were going home to a warm house.
These kids were rewarded with candy when they responded correctly or appropriately to our questions. It seems the candy does "excite" them and encourage participation. Although Charlie wasn't too excited about us rewarding them with sweets.
The Three Questions we present upfront again went over quite well and Johnnie F really got them involved. We again got many different answers so we at least know some of them "got it" or were attentive enough to come up with the right answers.
We had intended to have them compose a letter to Governor Rell about the State EITC but ran out of time. We left the material with Ann Marie Shattuck to work with them at a later time.
St. Elizabeth Seton is a very social justice involved parish so there were many things we were able to point these kids towards as far as Taking Action. Johnnie F actually assigned one of the participants, Stephen or Michael or Michael Stephen, to do some research about how does a child die from the causes of poverty every 53 minutes. I would have to say that this particular number stood out among this group more than any other.
The presentation lasted for about 75 minutes which was a little too long. I guess we were a little more wordy last night. Although in my earlier discussions with Ann Marie she indicated that we could take up as much time as needed and she requested we end by 8:15, which we did. Regardless, we have to continue to focus differently when speaking to a youth group or confirmation class.
We also had a new member to our team, Mark Chmielecki, visit with us last night to get a first hand peek at what we do. He is going to offer his comments and suggestions from a completely new eyes point of view. Thanks Mark and welcome aboard.
All in all it was a satisfying night. I have requested feedback form Ann Marie. I will share with you when I receive it.
Peace,
Lou Terzo
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