Waves of Contradiction

I love Chicago. The more time I spend here, the more I love it but the more I see of its underbelly too...  I had another ‘take-the-novice-to-work day’ today - this time with Jean, a senior Social Worker with ‘Catholic Charities.’  Again, what an eye opener!  I spent the day visiting numerous innovative projects including shelters for homeless families, a centre providing nutritious food for pregnant women, babies and children, and a programme trying to assist homeless single people (for whom there are no state benefits) to find and maintain housing.  I met a series of energetic, committed, passionate, people working so hard to provide opportunities for some of the most vulnerable and needy. 

The shelters are doing amazing work but face inordinate difficulties.  Here as at home the weak economy has meant that the numbers of people needing help has increased at the same time that budgets have been slashed.  Among the clients (and sadly their children) mental illness abounds and motivation is lacking – which means that even when there are programs in place to help them move forward, some are unable to benefit fully from them.  There are success stories though and without exception, the staff glowed when they talked about those people who have succeeded in getting and keeping a job, making their own home and providing a settled base for their children.  There were also many stories: sad stories, shocking stories, funny stories – often all three. 

Last night Licha and I were down at the Lake watching huge waves crashing onto the shore.  It was a spectacular sight standing at the southern point and looking over to Chicago’s beautiful skyline as a full moon emerged and the buildings began to light up against a orange sky.  I was in awe and busy taking photos (of course) while every so often being soaked with spray from the crashing waves.  It struck me that that is exactly what Chicago is like:  beautiful, dramatic, noisy, violent -  all at once. 

St. Louis

Last week I was invited to go down to St. Louis to visit two Helpers living there.  I was keen to go as I knew Mary from her time in Liverpool when I was a teenager, plus Missouri was a new state to add to my tally! 

The drive down is through flat, flat cornfields – the whole 6 hours... While my legendary travel sleepiness inevitably kicked in, every time I did come to, there they where-  the flat, flat fields. The only break in the landscape is the occasional vast hill which it transpires, are not hills at all but a giant landfill sites...  When you look closely there all ventilation pipes dotted around to allow the monitoring of air.  Where I’m living in Chicago, there is as yet no recycling collection which, along with the complete lack of any ‘fair-trade’ options in the major supermarkets makes attempts at sustainable living even more difficult.

St. Louis greets you with the beautiful ‘Gateway Arch’ though and won me over with its public art and free entrance to so many ‘attractions.’  Mary and Pat proved good tour guides covering the Missouri Botanical gardens (just when the azaleas were at their most spectacular) the zoo, and the City Park with it’s array of sculptures and resulting photo opportunities!  The pay off however was the non-negotiable daily Mass at 8am! 

A Tale of 2 Cities

Last week I spent some time with Rayo, getting to seme ore of what is involved in her ministry.  This is how I found myself amid a crowd of thousands marching from Unity Park to the Federal Square in downtown Chicago.  My first ever May Day Protest!  I was there with a group of children, teenagers and young adults Rayo works with and who were enthusiastically (and loudly) calling for Immigration Reform.   We managed to be stationed right behind a Guatemalan marching band  - just what you need to liven up a few thousand vociferous Latinos!  There were other groups matching too – including teachers against the closure of 53 Chicago schools.  Although these schools are grossly underfunded and under-subscribed  parents and children have a very real fear of the dangers involved in crossing gang territories to travel longer distances to school.

The next day I went to South Chicago with Rayo.  We met a bright, passionate young woman who despite having a good job and being well educated, refuses to leave ‘her’ community, choosing instead to volunteer with the young people of the neighbourhood.  She was distressed over the shooting of an unarmed friend earlier in the week by police – he was crossing the street trying to avoid an altercation between  the police and some gang members and he was shot three times for moving too fast.  The police are afraid and jumpy in these areas... 

We visited ‘Casa Esperanza’ http://casaesperanzachicago.org which is a Helper project serving homeless women and children as they transition out of emergency shelters, towards independent living.  The house provides a safe space, training and community in which the women can train, heal and grow and their children can find stability and security. 

I also spent time with local children who come to the parish after school.  Ostensibly they come for help with their homework, but they are fed and welcomed in a safe space that has become very much their own.  It was lovely to see some of the older teenagers from the community coming to help out.  They were very open in talking about their lives and their dreams – especially to someone with a strange English accent!  It is sobering though to see the extent of the violence and fear that is part of their everyday reality. 

Casa Esperanza (House of Hope) is well named and despite the injustice, poverty and fear – I saw hope in action this week.   By Saturday though I was ready for the other side of Chicago!  Moe and I had a lovely day up in Evanston, gossiping over lunch, walking by the lake and visiting the stunning  Baha’i temple.   The sun was out, all was suburban calmness and there was humour to be seen in the creative rock graffiti at Northwestern University’s lake side.