Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monthly Donation Option Now Available
You can now help support the PVs by donating a set amount each month, via PayPal. Just click the subscribe button on the right side of the blog and choose which level of monthly support you would like to offer. Plans start at just $5 a month. Every little bit helps!!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
February Volunteer Reflection, Part 2
In our February PV Newsletter, we also included a reflection written by another of our volunteers,Maureen Maroney. Maureen thoughtfully compared her experience volunteering her first summer in 1994 and this past summer.
Flashback: July, 1994
Kate Maroney, 12, and I, her mother, slightly older, leave New Jersey for Wild and Wonderful West Virginia to be Passionist Volunteers for the first time ever. Attracted by the family- welcoming structure, and completely seduced by the incredibly charismatic Katie LaCarrubba, we plan to spend two weeks in Preston County, living in community and helping out where needed. Lacking a car capable of making the trip, we take a train, ending up in Cumberland, Maryland where we are met by the first PV’s we will come to know and love: the pre-Luke Mechmanns, who had graciously offered to fetch the novices and bring us’ Home.’
As the following ten days unfold, we learn Peggy and Ed, Michael and Clare, are representative of the other PV’s we will meet: the Schletzbaum family, as well as Trish and her two nieces from Massachusetts and the group we call the ‘teenagers’- Jill Wallace and Jenny Wiley (more about them later!) Jen’s brother John, Bill and Fabio- all living together in the big old parish house and going to work everyday- to run camps, to do house repair, to tutor. At night we pray and reflect on our day ( we especially like the ‘new and the good’ and will use it often in the following months.) We also have fun- who would have thought that Demolition Derbies were real? Remember Chubby Bunny?
When it is time to leave, Kate is in tears, so I figure our trip has been a success. Only when I promise we will return the following summer does she stop crying and start to plan for the following year.
Flash-forward: July, 2012
Kate Maroney, 29, and I, her mother, still only a teeny bit older, are leaving once again for West Virginia. Although we have been to WV many times since 1994, this is the first time in a dozen years we are able to drive down together. Much has changed: Kate, a professional singer, no longer lives at home; I have retired from teaching, and we have a car which will make the trip! The Passionist Volunteers are now the PV Volunteers, and Jenny and Jill, once apprentices to Katie, are the Co-Directors of the program. We are no longer working in Preston County, but in Wyoming County, and this year in a completely new location. We are not as nervous as we were that first year, but spend a lot of time saying, “I hope so and so is there with us this year” and “I wonder what jobs we will be doing, and how many kids will come to camp” reflecting our veteran rather than newcomer status. Of course, we still criticize one another’s driving and argue about the music we will listen to, but after all, we have been mother and daughter for a long time, and some things will never change.
More important things have not changed, either. The welcome we receive from Jill and Jenny and the other volunteers, some whom we know and some we do not. The strong sense of being in the right place at the right time, doing worthwhile work in sync with incredible human beings, the volunteers as well as the people we serve. Our new Directors, Jill and Jenny, along with the unfailingly imperturbable Dan, follow Katie’s lead in running a program which allows dozens of different people to come together to work and live in an atmosphere of peace, tolerance and justice. In short, our PV experience is a microcosm of the world we wish to inhabit; we get a glimpse of that world whenever we serve.
No tears when we leave this time, because Kate and I know we will be back- and we don’t even argue until we hit New Jersey!
Flashback: July, 1994
Kate Maroney, 12, and I, her mother, slightly older, leave New Jersey for Wild and Wonderful West Virginia to be Passionist Volunteers for the first time ever. Attracted by the family- welcoming structure, and completely seduced by the incredibly charismatic Katie LaCarrubba, we plan to spend two weeks in Preston County, living in community and helping out where needed. Lacking a car capable of making the trip, we take a train, ending up in Cumberland, Maryland where we are met by the first PV’s we will come to know and love: the pre-Luke Mechmanns, who had graciously offered to fetch the novices and bring us’ Home.’
As the following ten days unfold, we learn Peggy and Ed, Michael and Clare, are representative of the other PV’s we will meet: the Schletzbaum family, as well as Trish and her two nieces from Massachusetts and the group we call the ‘teenagers’- Jill Wallace and Jenny Wiley (more about them later!) Jen’s brother John, Bill and Fabio- all living together in the big old parish house and going to work everyday- to run camps, to do house repair, to tutor. At night we pray and reflect on our day ( we especially like the ‘new and the good’ and will use it often in the following months.) We also have fun- who would have thought that Demolition Derbies were real? Remember Chubby Bunny?
When it is time to leave, Kate is in tears, so I figure our trip has been a success. Only when I promise we will return the following summer does she stop crying and start to plan for the following year.
Flash-forward: July, 2012
Kate Maroney, 29, and I, her mother, still only a teeny bit older, are leaving once again for West Virginia. Although we have been to WV many times since 1994, this is the first time in a dozen years we are able to drive down together. Much has changed: Kate, a professional singer, no longer lives at home; I have retired from teaching, and we have a car which will make the trip! The Passionist Volunteers are now the PV Volunteers, and Jenny and Jill, once apprentices to Katie, are the Co-Directors of the program. We are no longer working in Preston County, but in Wyoming County, and this year in a completely new location. We are not as nervous as we were that first year, but spend a lot of time saying, “I hope so and so is there with us this year” and “I wonder what jobs we will be doing, and how many kids will come to camp” reflecting our veteran rather than newcomer status. Of course, we still criticize one another’s driving and argue about the music we will listen to, but after all, we have been mother and daughter for a long time, and some things will never change.
More important things have not changed, either. The welcome we receive from Jill and Jenny and the other volunteers, some whom we know and some we do not. The strong sense of being in the right place at the right time, doing worthwhile work in sync with incredible human beings, the volunteers as well as the people we serve. Our new Directors, Jill and Jenny, along with the unfailingly imperturbable Dan, follow Katie’s lead in running a program which allows dozens of different people to come together to work and live in an atmosphere of peace, tolerance and justice. In short, our PV experience is a microcosm of the world we wish to inhabit; we get a glimpse of that world whenever we serve.
No tears when we leave this time, because Kate and I know we will be back- and we don’t even argue until we hit New Jersey!
February Volunteer Reflection, Part 1
In our February PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by one of our volunteers,Lucy Schletzbaum. Lucy talks about using her experience as a PV in a new and different volunteer experience.
A PV Experience in St. Lucia
This January four PV’s ventured to a different country to serve others for two weeks. It was through Bernice Toepfer that we decided to go to St. Lucia Island. In Bernice’s parish she knew Sister Diane and this Sister suggested we go to St. Lucia because of a hurricane had went through there in October. Some repairs needed to be done at the Pastoral Centre and Sister Frances could use some help. On January 10 Nick Bjelica, Bernice Toepfer, Dan and myself flew to St. Lucia, only knowing that we would be painting and varnishing.
In PV style, Sister Frances was there at the airport to greet us. I felt the warm welcome as I do when in WV.
During my stay there I felt the PV presence all the time: the sharing of bathroom/showers, the occasional coldness of the water at shower time (or sometimes no water), the laughter and sharing memories of past summers, the gathering after dinner with card games and snacking, the new foods at meal time and in general the whole sharing of the group. Many conversations were connected with the PV Volunteers. The thought that was always in the back of my mind was the encouraging comment Jenny and Jill share with the PV’s every summer: the PV’s do the things for the people that aren’t always the most noticeable and glamorous. We did not build any houses while in St. Lucia. Instead we did the simple and sometimes tedious jobs that made a difference in someone else’s life. The other volunteer group that was staying there stated many times they couldn’t believe we were just going to paint. They would brag on the number of small homes they were able to build and all the good they would be doing for the people. Sometimes they would invite us to join them on their sites, but we would turn them down because we were there to help Sister and the Pastoral Centre with their needs. The staff at the Pastoral Centre were very appreciative of what we were doing and the Monsignor couldn’t believe what we had accomplished in the two weeks we were there. Altogether we varnished the outdoor Stations of the Cross and the doors, and painted hand-rails, benches, the entrance gate, four large rooms, a hallway, two bathrooms and two doors!
I felt connected with the PV’s the entire time I was in St. Lucia. We started off as four people going to volunteer but during our stay I felt that we spread the PV charisma, realizing that we will always have the mission of the PVs in our hearts, and came back with a better understanding of what being a PV Volunteer truly means.
A PV Experience in St. Lucia
This January four PV’s ventured to a different country to serve others for two weeks. It was through Bernice Toepfer that we decided to go to St. Lucia Island. In Bernice’s parish she knew Sister Diane and this Sister suggested we go to St. Lucia because of a hurricane had went through there in October. Some repairs needed to be done at the Pastoral Centre and Sister Frances could use some help. On January 10 Nick Bjelica, Bernice Toepfer, Dan and myself flew to St. Lucia, only knowing that we would be painting and varnishing.
In PV style, Sister Frances was there at the airport to greet us. I felt the warm welcome as I do when in WV.
During my stay there I felt the PV presence all the time: the sharing of bathroom/showers, the occasional coldness of the water at shower time (or sometimes no water), the laughter and sharing memories of past summers, the gathering after dinner with card games and snacking, the new foods at meal time and in general the whole sharing of the group. Many conversations were connected with the PV Volunteers. The thought that was always in the back of my mind was the encouraging comment Jenny and Jill share with the PV’s every summer: the PV’s do the things for the people that aren’t always the most noticeable and glamorous. We did not build any houses while in St. Lucia. Instead we did the simple and sometimes tedious jobs that made a difference in someone else’s life. The other volunteer group that was staying there stated many times they couldn’t believe we were just going to paint. They would brag on the number of small homes they were able to build and all the good they would be doing for the people. Sometimes they would invite us to join them on their sites, but we would turn them down because we were there to help Sister and the Pastoral Centre with their needs. The staff at the Pastoral Centre were very appreciative of what we were doing and the Monsignor couldn’t believe what we had accomplished in the two weeks we were there. Altogether we varnished the outdoor Stations of the Cross and the doors, and painted hand-rails, benches, the entrance gate, four large rooms, a hallway, two bathrooms and two doors!
I felt connected with the PV’s the entire time I was in St. Lucia. We started off as four people going to volunteer but during our stay I felt that we spread the PV charisma, realizing that we will always have the mission of the PVs in our hearts, and came back with a better understanding of what being a PV Volunteer truly means.
Monday, January 2, 2012
January Volunteer Reflection
In our January PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by two of our volunteers,Rebecca Hinman and Rob McKnight. Do do space constraints, we were only able to print part of their reflection. Here is that reflection in it's entirety.
As city folk, our notion of a “lifeline” upon entering into our service in Wyoming County was a narrow one, to put it kindly. A week, or two, or seven without what we would consider basic amenities would provide for us an entirely different lifestyle, one that we were both unfamiliar with. College consists of traffic, packed schedules, coffee shops, restaurants, textbooks, family, and friends. Little did we know that this so-called reality was simply a slice, even a sliver, of the whole. The West Virginia experience challenged all of our ideas about what a “normal” life was. To come to realize those true lifelines, like the Itmann Food Bank, The Way community center, Mullen’s Manor, UGWA, the refurbished homes of those displaced by floods and circumstance, and the PV’s was to encounter Christ’s love here on earth.
We had experienced different forms of service numerous times before. As regular volunteers at food pantries and soup kitchens, we were not strangers to the hardships that the poor and marginalized faced every day. But service in a big city offered something completely different than service in Wyoming County, West Virginia. When serving in Kansas City, Missouri or Lawrence, Kansas, we knew of resources that could provide shelter, food, and love to those who needed it. There are multiple food pantries, domestic violence shelters, social workers, free health clinics and people who make it their job to provide for the poor in our towns. There are never enough of these resources, but they are at least present. If someone in Kansas City told us they were in need, we could simply direct them to St. Francis Xavier food pantry where they could get food, St. James Place where they could get assistance paying their electric bill, JayDoc clinic where the uninsured could receive free care, and Holy Family Catholic Worker House where they could take shelter from the cold and enjoy the company of others. West Virginia did not seem to have these luxuries. Our time spent in West Virginia was time spent in community, service, and maybe most importantly, reflection. The reflections about our time this summer led to a personal campaign that told of our stories and of the insights we gained. We gave a voice to the voiceless of West Virginia. We told our friends back home not only about the injustice we saw, but all about the homemade biscuits, the hikes in the mountains, and the friendships formed with the PV’s and those we served. Our experience would not have been complete without every component.
West Virginia beautifully demonstrated how clarity is most often found in simplicity. One highlight of the PV experience was the opportunity to construct guitars out of little more than string, rocks and cigar boxes. PV’s as diverse and unique as the coffee mugs they held in their hands circled around to listen to Tom and Fred as they strummed these simple instruments, each in tacit agreement that the music was as rich and beautiful as anything they had previously heard. We couldn’t help but think about the work that was being done. The PV’s, for all we lacked in the way of resources and time, made up for it through our love and generosity. In those moments we realized how paramount the human element was, not only with regards to the service at hand, but to our lives as a whole. This was demonstrated in perhaps the biggest project of the summer, one in which the majority of the PV’s played a role. Jesse, a devoted preacher displaced by a flood, was in need of easy access for a home that had been raised onto cinderblocks in hopes that flooding would no longer be a concern. With a stockpile of wood, nails, tools, and a little (actually, a lot) of ingenuity, everyone set out to construct a ramp that would serve this purpose. Each individual contribution came together, and eventually this work of art we all called a ramp was created. All of the lunch making, water carrying, designing, nailing, sawing, and laughing had come together to make something that was larger than the sum of its parts, but for all of the significance of this ramp, perhaps the most meaningful element of the experience was the opportunity to talk to the man that we had all been working so diligently for. His gracious and cheerful nature was a reassuring reminder of the reason we had all come together in the first place, and the most gratifying part of the experience.
We are so grateful for our experience in West Virginia. It has altered our world view in the best way possible. We learned how to play Hearts, put up drywall, win at knockout, and how to cherish the PV’s who loved, encouraged, and kept us company. The PV’s have taught us so much about what it means to be men and women for others, and ultimately gave us hope that God has graced this planet with servants of all ages and backgrounds to make a heaven on earth. West Virginia and the PV Program is a haven for those who believe that we all have something to offer, and by putting faith in God and one another, we can accomplish great things. We pray that the PV’s continue to bring the spirit of service, simplicity, and reflection back to their homes and make a haven in New Jersey, Iowa, Florida, and everywhere else that PV’s are working for change. The PV’s continue to inspire us and give us strength even in the coldest of Kansas winters. Know that we are thinking and praying for PV’s everywhere and cannot wait to see you this summer!
Peace & Prayers,
Rebecca & Rob
If you are interested in writing a reflection for the February PV E newsletter, please let us know. We are always looking for new reflections!
As city folk, our notion of a “lifeline” upon entering into our service in Wyoming County was a narrow one, to put it kindly. A week, or two, or seven without what we would consider basic amenities would provide for us an entirely different lifestyle, one that we were both unfamiliar with. College consists of traffic, packed schedules, coffee shops, restaurants, textbooks, family, and friends. Little did we know that this so-called reality was simply a slice, even a sliver, of the whole. The West Virginia experience challenged all of our ideas about what a “normal” life was. To come to realize those true lifelines, like the Itmann Food Bank, The Way community center, Mullen’s Manor, UGWA, the refurbished homes of those displaced by floods and circumstance, and the PV’s was to encounter Christ’s love here on earth.
We had experienced different forms of service numerous times before. As regular volunteers at food pantries and soup kitchens, we were not strangers to the hardships that the poor and marginalized faced every day. But service in a big city offered something completely different than service in Wyoming County, West Virginia. When serving in Kansas City, Missouri or Lawrence, Kansas, we knew of resources that could provide shelter, food, and love to those who needed it. There are multiple food pantries, domestic violence shelters, social workers, free health clinics and people who make it their job to provide for the poor in our towns. There are never enough of these resources, but they are at least present. If someone in Kansas City told us they were in need, we could simply direct them to St. Francis Xavier food pantry where they could get food, St. James Place where they could get assistance paying their electric bill, JayDoc clinic where the uninsured could receive free care, and Holy Family Catholic Worker House where they could take shelter from the cold and enjoy the company of others. West Virginia did not seem to have these luxuries. Our time spent in West Virginia was time spent in community, service, and maybe most importantly, reflection. The reflections about our time this summer led to a personal campaign that told of our stories and of the insights we gained. We gave a voice to the voiceless of West Virginia. We told our friends back home not only about the injustice we saw, but all about the homemade biscuits, the hikes in the mountains, and the friendships formed with the PV’s and those we served. Our experience would not have been complete without every component.
West Virginia beautifully demonstrated how clarity is most often found in simplicity. One highlight of the PV experience was the opportunity to construct guitars out of little more than string, rocks and cigar boxes. PV’s as diverse and unique as the coffee mugs they held in their hands circled around to listen to Tom and Fred as they strummed these simple instruments, each in tacit agreement that the music was as rich and beautiful as anything they had previously heard. We couldn’t help but think about the work that was being done. The PV’s, for all we lacked in the way of resources and time, made up for it through our love and generosity. In those moments we realized how paramount the human element was, not only with regards to the service at hand, but to our lives as a whole. This was demonstrated in perhaps the biggest project of the summer, one in which the majority of the PV’s played a role. Jesse, a devoted preacher displaced by a flood, was in need of easy access for a home that had been raised onto cinderblocks in hopes that flooding would no longer be a concern. With a stockpile of wood, nails, tools, and a little (actually, a lot) of ingenuity, everyone set out to construct a ramp that would serve this purpose. Each individual contribution came together, and eventually this work of art we all called a ramp was created. All of the lunch making, water carrying, designing, nailing, sawing, and laughing had come together to make something that was larger than the sum of its parts, but for all of the significance of this ramp, perhaps the most meaningful element of the experience was the opportunity to talk to the man that we had all been working so diligently for. His gracious and cheerful nature was a reassuring reminder of the reason we had all come together in the first place, and the most gratifying part of the experience.
We are so grateful for our experience in West Virginia. It has altered our world view in the best way possible. We learned how to play Hearts, put up drywall, win at knockout, and how to cherish the PV’s who loved, encouraged, and kept us company. The PV’s have taught us so much about what it means to be men and women for others, and ultimately gave us hope that God has graced this planet with servants of all ages and backgrounds to make a heaven on earth. West Virginia and the PV Program is a haven for those who believe that we all have something to offer, and by putting faith in God and one another, we can accomplish great things. We pray that the PV’s continue to bring the spirit of service, simplicity, and reflection back to their homes and make a haven in New Jersey, Iowa, Florida, and everywhere else that PV’s are working for change. The PV’s continue to inspire us and give us strength even in the coldest of Kansas winters. Know that we are thinking and praying for PV’s everywhere and cannot wait to see you this summer!
Peace & Prayers,
Rebecca & Rob
If you are interested in writing a reflection for the February PV E newsletter, please let us know. We are always looking for new reflections!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Another Successful PV40 Event
Last month PV Jo Welter decided to have a dinner part at her house to help support the PV40 effort. It turned out to be a very successful evening, and her words a pretty easy thing to do, so we asked her to write down how the event came to be.
When I approached my friend Sandy about helping me raise money for the PVs, she didn't hesitate for a moment. I knew I could count on her since she was involved in a fundraiser held at our parish to benefit the PVs two years ago.
My idea was to have a pizza party and invite some of our friends. Sandy thought it over and said it would be better to have a dinner party instead because it would bring in more money. We hoped we would be able to have 16 people but when the fliers went out, we ended up with 22, and then even more wanted to come!
WE had three table s end to end from the dining room extending into the living room. Deacon John and his wife Kare had just returned from Italy the day before and provided the salad and gave us a hand setting up the tables, etc. One friend served as bartender, other guests insisted on bringing desserts, it seemed everyone wanted to help out.
One couple was celebrating their 57th anniversary that day, so we ended up toasting them with Proseco, which is Italian champagne. What fun!
The dinner was fabulous. Sandy did all the cooking and the desserts she made, along with the others, were out of this world. We ended up with coffee, tea and espresso.
You don't have to have a dinner party or go to extremes to have a fundraiser. Of course having a friend like Sandy would be helpful, but I'm sure if you asked a friend or a group of friends to help you, they will not turn you down. Remember the words of Jesus, "when two or three gather in my name, I am there" and when we do things to help others, our actions become prayers and the Holy Spirit becomes a helper too.
Good luck with all your fundraisers!
Joo
When I approached my friend Sandy about helping me raise money for the PVs, she didn't hesitate for a moment. I knew I could count on her since she was involved in a fundraiser held at our parish to benefit the PVs two years ago.
My idea was to have a pizza party and invite some of our friends. Sandy thought it over and said it would be better to have a dinner party instead because it would bring in more money. We hoped we would be able to have 16 people but when the fliers went out, we ended up with 22, and then even more wanted to come!
WE had three table s end to end from the dining room extending into the living room. Deacon John and his wife Kare had just returned from Italy the day before and provided the salad and gave us a hand setting up the tables, etc. One friend served as bartender, other guests insisted on bringing desserts, it seemed everyone wanted to help out.
One couple was celebrating their 57th anniversary that day, so we ended up toasting them with Proseco, which is Italian champagne. What fun!
The dinner was fabulous. Sandy did all the cooking and the desserts she made, along with the others, were out of this world. We ended up with coffee, tea and espresso.
You don't have to have a dinner party or go to extremes to have a fundraiser. Of course having a friend like Sandy would be helpful, but I'm sure if you asked a friend or a group of friends to help you, they will not turn you down. Remember the words of Jesus, "when two or three gather in my name, I am there" and when we do things to help others, our actions become prayers and the Holy Spirit becomes a helper too.
Good luck with all your fundraisers!
Joo
Friday, November 18, 2011
BREAKING PV 40 NEWS
As of November 18th, the PV40 Challenge has raised $6,954!!!
Thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this total. We are only $3,000 from our goal!
Thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this total. We are only $3,000 from our goal!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
WEB in Brooklyn
WEB, the young womens empowerment group formally known as TGIA, kicked off it's eighth year recently. With the loss of meeting space, the group as had to be creative as to where they can gather. They have met in diners, at parks, and for this meeting they were welcomed into the home of two of its members. We can't thank their mom enough for giving the space for the group to meet.
Leaders and WEB members alike were able to catch up on each other lives. The WEB leaders hadn't seen the young women since camp this summer, where they were all such a huge help in running our first camp at St. John's. The other purpose was to celebrate the first birthday of one of the member's child. Happy Birthday!!!
Plans are in the works for the annual WEB Thanksgiving celebration, always a highlight of the year. The Thanksgiving feast would take place in the same home again, but if anyone knows of a more permanent place where the group could meet, please let us know!
Leaders and WEB members alike were able to catch up on each other lives. The WEB leaders hadn't seen the young women since camp this summer, where they were all such a huge help in running our first camp at St. John's. The other purpose was to celebrate the first birthday of one of the member's child. Happy Birthday!!!
Plans are in the works for the annual WEB Thanksgiving celebration, always a highlight of the year. The Thanksgiving feast would take place in the same home again, but if anyone knows of a more permanent place where the group could meet, please let us know!
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