This is a copy of a letter that I sent to St. Jude's. You don't have to read it.
My parents passed along the message to me that St. Jude’s is going to try to help support the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and its mission. I’ve included information on both the JVC and my agency, Project Lazarus, because I’m not sure if you were looking to donate to the JVC or Lazarus. I’ve also been told that you’re looking for information on what it is I do as a member of the JVC and at my job here, so I’m going to try my best to explain as many parts as I can.
Around this time last year, my stay at Sacred Heart University was quickly coming to a close. During my four years as a student, I had been actively involved in both campus ministry and our social justice club. I had been volunteering at various non-profits in the Bridgeport area, but had no singular focus or issue that really ignited me. I also had the privilege to take service trips to El Salvador, Arizona, and twice to Mississippi. I knew that my future was in the non-profit sector, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. At the urging of my campus minister and service coordinator, I attended a volunteer fair on campus, which is similar to a job fair just with volunteer opportunities. After walking around, I stopped and talked with a JVC recruiter and became very interested in the program. I began the lengthy application process and shortly after graduation found out that I was accepted into the program and would be headed to New Orleans!
JVC: South begins with a one week orientation at a retreat house outside of Houston, TX. This orientation allows you to meet your community as well as the other volunteers in the southern region. Together we total almost 50 recent college graduates who are seeking to give a year of service and dedicate themselves to the four values of the JVC. These four values are social justice, spirituality, simplicity, and community. New Orleans is one of the larger JV communities, made up of two houses of six volunteers. JVs come from all over the country, with my community being from New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Chicago, and Beverly, MA. Each of us works a 40 hour work week at a local non-profit agency. Our placements vary from a homeless drop-in shelter, a domestic violence crisis center, a local Catholic school, and legal aid for those wrongly imprisoned or given unfair trials which have landed them on death row. My placement is at Project Lazarus.
Project Lazarus is a residential facility for men and women with AIDS who can no longer be emotionally or financially supported by their friends and family. We have both transitional and permanent housing and offer a variety of support. Upon coming to us, a client will be immediately assisted in finding medical coverage (if they don’t already have it) and put onto proper medications to slow the effects of the disease. They then work with the social worker and the nurse to create a life plan for their future. This includes obtaining disability funds, learning to medicate and care for themselves, and seeking out safe housing. We have personal care attendants on duty 24/7 who prepare three meals a day, clean the houses, and help with medications. A transitional resident stays here for anywhere from a month to a few years, depending on the severity of their condition and their needs. We do have a few permanent residents who are not able to go out and live on their own again. Many of residents come to us bankrupt of not only of money, but of dignity. To address this issue, we offer support groups throughout the week to assist in mental rehabilitation as well as physical.
My job is to work with the volunteers and utilize their talents to improve the lives of the residents. Our volunteers do so much, from helping with fundraisers to transporting residents to just spending time and being here. Many of the people who live here are very lonely and we depend on volunteers to help brighten up their day. We also have volunteers with specific talents that they share. Each semester Loyola University sends over a few music therapy students who put on weekly sessions for the residents. A local Lutheran church organizes a Bible study and makes sure that any resident who wants to attend church is able to. And yet another group of volunteers come by and put on musical days for the residents, inviting them to participate in singing and requesting songs. Additionally, we have college groups that come and spend a week with us. They live on site and organize different activities and outings each day for the residents. This year we will be visited by 9 different college groups, each staying for a week or more!
I often get asked if Lazarus is a hospice, and the answer is no. Occasionally, we do have a resident who comes in at the end stages and passes away, but that is rare. Most of our residents are weak when they arrive, but quickly gain their strength back. There are still battles lost, but the face of AIDS is changing and many people are now living long lives, despite being afflicted with the disease. Project Lazarus first started in the early 80’s, as two priests saw the desperate need for AIDS housing. The New Orleans community was hit hard and it was the now defunct Holy Trinity church that came to the rescue. In 1986, the organization was officially titled Project Lazarus, making reference to the Biblical story. The buildings now occupied by Project Lazarus are the former rectory and even though the church has long been closed, the Archdiocese of New Orleans still owns the land and the buildings and allows Lazarus to stay, acknowledging the need for such a non-profit to exist. Originally run entirely by volunteers and clergy of the Franciscan order, Lazarus is now a fully functional non-profit with many fundraisers throughout the year and a paid staff of about 25. Gone are the days of losing a few residents a week (we only lost 7 in 2008). With medicinal advancements, there is talk that one day there might not be a need for AIDS housing, but I have faith that Project Lazarus would always exist, simply changing with the times and beginning to address other medical and housing needs instead.
Besides my placement, I also get to reap the other benefits of the JVC. Living in community, we are given the options of how to organize the four values into our everyday lives. My community has chosen to keep a more scheduled system. We eat together every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night. Every other Monday we have a support night, in which two former JVs who now live in the New Orleans area come over and discuss various topics with us, everything from consensus decision making to our thoughts on the environmental situation. On Tuesday nights we alternate organizing a spirituality night, which can include readings, silent reflection, and music. Thursday nights we have our community nights, which can be fun or serious, depending on the night. In the past we have done trivia and game nights, outings to see things in the city, and discussions on various controversial topics. In addition to these scheduled nights, we often participate in other events as a community. In the fall we did the St. Vincent DePaul Walk for the Poor and we always help out at fundraisers for our various agencies. We also occasionally eat with other communities, including the Duchene house (a community of four Sisters) and with the Jesuits, many of whom teach at Loyola.
As I stated before, the JVC is built off of four core values: social justice, spirituality, community, and simple living. Social justice is primarily practiced through our daily jobs and enhanced through discussions and attending various events, such as the School of Americas Watch, a protest in Columbus, GA every year. Spirituality is encouraged not just within the weekly nights, but elsewhere as well. One of my roommates and I have chosen to help teach local Confirmation classes at the Jesuit church near us, Holy Name of Jesus. Community is practiced through our living environment. We live in a three bedroom, two and a half bathroom house, with six of us. We had to learn quickly how to effectively and respectfully bring up housing issues, and through that we grew closer together as people. Simplicity is the lifestyle we are engaging in. We receive a monthly stipend. It is exactly enough to cover rent, utilities, a bus pass, $105 worth of food, and $80 which we can choose to spend wherever (I call it our “fun money”). Everything, except for our personal $80, goes into one large bank account so if there is leftover, we can choose as a community to spend it or save it. In the past we’ve used leftover community money to go out to eat together, see the Christmas lights in City Park, and take a weekend trip to visit one of the other JV communities in Mobile, AL.
The JVC: South also provides retreats throughout the year that are attended by all 50 volunteers coming from our seven Southern cities. The first one was in October and had us travelling to the backwoods of Mississippi, going down dirt roads past men sitting on their porches with shotguns and everything else Southern urban legends are made of. The retreat facility itself was set up similar to a camp and was located in Hazlehurst, MS. The focus for the four days was community. We learned effective communication techniques, had a chance to air things out among each other, and even played a game show in which the questions were about our community (we got 2nd place out of 8…so close to winning). The next retreat was just a few weeks ago and took place in Leakey, TX, right outside San Antonio. We literally drove through a river to get to the retreat site, breathtaking cliffs surrounding us and the river being as clear as the Caribbean thanks to the natural spring. The retreat focused on social justice and incorporated the Catholic Social Thought teachings and Encyclicals into our work. We learned methods of social analyzation and were blessed with two amazing speakers, the current social justice coordinator at the New Orleans Province and the Jesuit who is the former President of Catholic Charities USA and accomplished author, among other things. The next retreat is in May and will be in Grand Couteau, LA and will be silent, focusing on spirituality. The last retreat takes place back at our original retreat site and is a kind of dis-orientation.
New Orleans is a vibrant city, full of an eclectic mix of people and activities. It’s not unusual to see ten foot bicycles, neon colored party buses, parades complete with costumes, or twenty cats on the porch of a house; that’s just a typical Monday. In this post-Katrina city, there is a sense of constant fear of what may happen in the future, but for right now, it is still the Big Easy. Two weeks after arriving in New Orleans, my community and I were evacuated due to Hurricane Gustav. We were sent up to Grand Couteau, LA where there is a large Jesuit seminary and retreat center. Unfortunately, this put us directly in the path of the storm. We watched as huge tree limbs snapped off like twigs and even saw one land and crack the roof on the opposite side of the retreat center. It was incredible and fear evoking all at once. The next day we were able to survey the damage and I can safely say that I have never seen anything like that. Trees were knocked down everywhere, including one that decided to land right in the living room of the elderly woman across the street. We ended up having to stay in Grand Couteau for a whole week, not wanting to return to New Orleans unless we had power and a/c to survive the sweltering temperatures. During our stay we were able to help up at the local all-girls boarding school as well as at the seminary, picking up tree branches and leaves all day long but still not accomplishing much. We were fortunate because Gustav didn’t harm Louisiana that badly, but the next storm might not be the same way and could be another Katrina. Carnival season starts this weekend and I can’t wait to be in the midst of all the parades and festivities; no matter what this city has gone through, it still knows how to have fun.
I included a bunch of pictures in here and labeled them on the back, so you can know what they are. I hope that everything is going well back in Norfolk and that the snow isn’t too bad. It’s a beautiful 67 degrees out today down here and I can safely say that I do not miss Massachusetts weather! Thanks so much for contacting me about this and let me know if you have any questions/comments.
Around this time last year, my stay at Sacred Heart University was quickly coming to a close. During my four years as a student, I had been actively involved in both campus ministry and our social justice club. I had been volunteering at various non-profits in the Bridgeport area, but had no singular focus or issue that really ignited me. I also had the privilege to take service trips to El Salvador, Arizona, and twice to Mississippi. I knew that my future was in the non-profit sector, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. At the urging of my campus minister and service coordinator, I attended a volunteer fair on campus, which is similar to a job fair just with volunteer opportunities. After walking around, I stopped and talked with a JVC recruiter and became very interested in the program. I began the lengthy application process and shortly after graduation found out that I was accepted into the program and would be headed to New Orleans!
JVC: South begins with a one week orientation at a retreat house outside of Houston, TX. This orientation allows you to meet your community as well as the other volunteers in the southern region. Together we total almost 50 recent college graduates who are seeking to give a year of service and dedicate themselves to the four values of the JVC. These four values are social justice, spirituality, simplicity, and community. New Orleans is one of the larger JV communities, made up of two houses of six volunteers. JVs come from all over the country, with my community being from New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Chicago, and Beverly, MA. Each of us works a 40 hour work week at a local non-profit agency. Our placements vary from a homeless drop-in shelter, a domestic violence crisis center, a local Catholic school, and legal aid for those wrongly imprisoned or given unfair trials which have landed them on death row. My placement is at Project Lazarus.
Project Lazarus is a residential facility for men and women with AIDS who can no longer be emotionally or financially supported by their friends and family. We have both transitional and permanent housing and offer a variety of support. Upon coming to us, a client will be immediately assisted in finding medical coverage (if they don’t already have it) and put onto proper medications to slow the effects of the disease. They then work with the social worker and the nurse to create a life plan for their future. This includes obtaining disability funds, learning to medicate and care for themselves, and seeking out safe housing. We have personal care attendants on duty 24/7 who prepare three meals a day, clean the houses, and help with medications. A transitional resident stays here for anywhere from a month to a few years, depending on the severity of their condition and their needs. We do have a few permanent residents who are not able to go out and live on their own again. Many of residents come to us bankrupt of not only of money, but of dignity. To address this issue, we offer support groups throughout the week to assist in mental rehabilitation as well as physical.
My job is to work with the volunteers and utilize their talents to improve the lives of the residents. Our volunteers do so much, from helping with fundraisers to transporting residents to just spending time and being here. Many of the people who live here are very lonely and we depend on volunteers to help brighten up their day. We also have volunteers with specific talents that they share. Each semester Loyola University sends over a few music therapy students who put on weekly sessions for the residents. A local Lutheran church organizes a Bible study and makes sure that any resident who wants to attend church is able to. And yet another group of volunteers come by and put on musical days for the residents, inviting them to participate in singing and requesting songs. Additionally, we have college groups that come and spend a week with us. They live on site and organize different activities and outings each day for the residents. This year we will be visited by 9 different college groups, each staying for a week or more!
I often get asked if Lazarus is a hospice, and the answer is no. Occasionally, we do have a resident who comes in at the end stages and passes away, but that is rare. Most of our residents are weak when they arrive, but quickly gain their strength back. There are still battles lost, but the face of AIDS is changing and many people are now living long lives, despite being afflicted with the disease. Project Lazarus first started in the early 80’s, as two priests saw the desperate need for AIDS housing. The New Orleans community was hit hard and it was the now defunct Holy Trinity church that came to the rescue. In 1986, the organization was officially titled Project Lazarus, making reference to the Biblical story. The buildings now occupied by Project Lazarus are the former rectory and even though the church has long been closed, the Archdiocese of New Orleans still owns the land and the buildings and allows Lazarus to stay, acknowledging the need for such a non-profit to exist. Originally run entirely by volunteers and clergy of the Franciscan order, Lazarus is now a fully functional non-profit with many fundraisers throughout the year and a paid staff of about 25. Gone are the days of losing a few residents a week (we only lost 7 in 2008). With medicinal advancements, there is talk that one day there might not be a need for AIDS housing, but I have faith that Project Lazarus would always exist, simply changing with the times and beginning to address other medical and housing needs instead.
Besides my placement, I also get to reap the other benefits of the JVC. Living in community, we are given the options of how to organize the four values into our everyday lives. My community has chosen to keep a more scheduled system. We eat together every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night. Every other Monday we have a support night, in which two former JVs who now live in the New Orleans area come over and discuss various topics with us, everything from consensus decision making to our thoughts on the environmental situation. On Tuesday nights we alternate organizing a spirituality night, which can include readings, silent reflection, and music. Thursday nights we have our community nights, which can be fun or serious, depending on the night. In the past we have done trivia and game nights, outings to see things in the city, and discussions on various controversial topics. In addition to these scheduled nights, we often participate in other events as a community. In the fall we did the St. Vincent DePaul Walk for the Poor and we always help out at fundraisers for our various agencies. We also occasionally eat with other communities, including the Duchene house (a community of four Sisters) and with the Jesuits, many of whom teach at Loyola.
As I stated before, the JVC is built off of four core values: social justice, spirituality, community, and simple living. Social justice is primarily practiced through our daily jobs and enhanced through discussions and attending various events, such as the School of Americas Watch, a protest in Columbus, GA every year. Spirituality is encouraged not just within the weekly nights, but elsewhere as well. One of my roommates and I have chosen to help teach local Confirmation classes at the Jesuit church near us, Holy Name of Jesus. Community is practiced through our living environment. We live in a three bedroom, two and a half bathroom house, with six of us. We had to learn quickly how to effectively and respectfully bring up housing issues, and through that we grew closer together as people. Simplicity is the lifestyle we are engaging in. We receive a monthly stipend. It is exactly enough to cover rent, utilities, a bus pass, $105 worth of food, and $80 which we can choose to spend wherever (I call it our “fun money”). Everything, except for our personal $80, goes into one large bank account so if there is leftover, we can choose as a community to spend it or save it. In the past we’ve used leftover community money to go out to eat together, see the Christmas lights in City Park, and take a weekend trip to visit one of the other JV communities in Mobile, AL.
The JVC: South also provides retreats throughout the year that are attended by all 50 volunteers coming from our seven Southern cities. The first one was in October and had us travelling to the backwoods of Mississippi, going down dirt roads past men sitting on their porches with shotguns and everything else Southern urban legends are made of. The retreat facility itself was set up similar to a camp and was located in Hazlehurst, MS. The focus for the four days was community. We learned effective communication techniques, had a chance to air things out among each other, and even played a game show in which the questions were about our community (we got 2nd place out of 8…so close to winning). The next retreat was just a few weeks ago and took place in Leakey, TX, right outside San Antonio. We literally drove through a river to get to the retreat site, breathtaking cliffs surrounding us and the river being as clear as the Caribbean thanks to the natural spring. The retreat focused on social justice and incorporated the Catholic Social Thought teachings and Encyclicals into our work. We learned methods of social analyzation and were blessed with two amazing speakers, the current social justice coordinator at the New Orleans Province and the Jesuit who is the former President of Catholic Charities USA and accomplished author, among other things. The next retreat is in May and will be in Grand Couteau, LA and will be silent, focusing on spirituality. The last retreat takes place back at our original retreat site and is a kind of dis-orientation.
New Orleans is a vibrant city, full of an eclectic mix of people and activities. It’s not unusual to see ten foot bicycles, neon colored party buses, parades complete with costumes, or twenty cats on the porch of a house; that’s just a typical Monday. In this post-Katrina city, there is a sense of constant fear of what may happen in the future, but for right now, it is still the Big Easy. Two weeks after arriving in New Orleans, my community and I were evacuated due to Hurricane Gustav. We were sent up to Grand Couteau, LA where there is a large Jesuit seminary and retreat center. Unfortunately, this put us directly in the path of the storm. We watched as huge tree limbs snapped off like twigs and even saw one land and crack the roof on the opposite side of the retreat center. It was incredible and fear evoking all at once. The next day we were able to survey the damage and I can safely say that I have never seen anything like that. Trees were knocked down everywhere, including one that decided to land right in the living room of the elderly woman across the street. We ended up having to stay in Grand Couteau for a whole week, not wanting to return to New Orleans unless we had power and a/c to survive the sweltering temperatures. During our stay we were able to help up at the local all-girls boarding school as well as at the seminary, picking up tree branches and leaves all day long but still not accomplishing much. We were fortunate because Gustav didn’t harm Louisiana that badly, but the next storm might not be the same way and could be another Katrina. Carnival season starts this weekend and I can’t wait to be in the midst of all the parades and festivities; no matter what this city has gone through, it still knows how to have fun.
I included a bunch of pictures in here and labeled them on the back, so you can know what they are. I hope that everything is going well back in Norfolk and that the snow isn’t too bad. It’s a beautiful 67 degrees out today down here and I can safely say that I do not miss Massachusetts weather! Thanks so much for contacting me about this and let me know if you have any questions/comments.