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HOME VAN NEWSLETTER 4/17/09
LUNCH LIMITS
Last night the City Commission was told that 700 people - including children, elderly people and pregnant women - were turned away from lunch at St. Francis House in one week, as a result of the 130-meal limit. The city responded by saying that the City Manager's office is holding meetings to talk about finding alternative lunch sites. A great tidal wave of anger swept through me - understandable enough, but not the best response. I have read many places that anger is almost always rooted in fear, and I have found this to be true. Anger and fear, even in the service of the good, leads to further polarization, further misunderstandings and even, ultimately, to wars. To see the fear and work through it is to open the door to actions based on love rather than fear and anger. "Perfect love casteth out fear." I asked myself why the city's response scared me. Immediately I understood that I am deeply afraid of finding myself in a world of moral and spiritual collapse where money is the ultimate value. I am afraid of being a stranger in a strange land. To a large extent, this has happened.
I don't believe it is possible to work for moral and spiritual regeneration from a place of anger and fear. Ghandi said, "I am not against Britain, I am for rights for Indian people." His student, Martin Luther King, pointed out that he was not against white people, he was for rights for African Americans. I tried out the statement, "I am not against the city of Gainesville, the Hampton Inn, the neighborhood associations - I am for feeding and sheltering people." It felt good. The people who oppose us are not space aliens, they are other human beings stumbling through life doing the best they can, doing what they think is right, as we all are. It is important to love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you. That increases the power of love in our world and can lead to real victories.
That being said, we do need to be proactive in this situation. Michael Stoops, the director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, believes that we should hold a march/rally in support of dropping rules against feeding hungry people. I believe such a march would get a great deal of support in our community. I can not be the coordinator for this event. Feeding the hungry people has become for me, and the Home Van's core volunteers, a fulltime job. We need to find a coordinator. Email me if you are interested in playing that role. Such a march could go from St. Francis House to City Hall, with the rally in front of City Hall. The coordinator would need to choose a date and time, notify a wide array of churches and civic groups, contact GPD to let them know this is happening (I don't believe permits are required for such an event, but this should be checked out), and send press releases to local media. If several people are willing, which seems entirely possible, the work will be light.
CHESS AND POETRY
An anonymous donor mailed me a large box of small, magnetized chess sets. These chess sets flew out of the van at Tent City. One of the old vets told me, "We love playing chess and now we could hold a tournament!" One of our friends at Lynch Park has requested that we start stocking poetry in the Home Van library. When you think of our beloved friends many sad images come to mind, but so often these brave souls are not sad. They grab every opportunity to be happy. Also think of them reading poetry and playing chess.
JACKIE 'BUTTERFLY'
I think her street name may have come from her beautiful, delicate tattoos, as well as her bright spirit. We learned yesterday that 'Butterfly' died last week after being hit by an impaired driver in Kentucky. She and her partner were hitchhiking to California. Butterfly was a romantic and an adventurer, always seeking new horizons. Now her journey is done and she is flying in the Light.
CHESS, POETRY AND PERSONAL HYGIENE
just kidding...But we are low on personal hygiene products. If you have a stash, now would be the time to drop them by. A big thank you to all the peanut butter and vienna sausage elves.
love,
arupa
______________________________________________________________________________
The Home Van needs Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, socks, candles, tents, tarps, bug spray, recreational supplies, and money. Financial donations to the Home Van should be made out to St. Vincent de Paul, earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601.
Last night the City Commission was told that 700 people - including children, elderly people and pregnant women - were turned away from lunch at St. Francis House in one week, as a result of the 130-meal limit. The city responded by saying that the City Manager's office is holding meetings to talk about finding alternative lunch sites. A great tidal wave of anger swept through me - understandable enough, but not the best response. I have read many places that anger is almost always rooted in fear, and I have found this to be true. Anger and fear, even in the service of the good, leads to further polarization, further misunderstandings and even, ultimately, to wars. To see the fear and work through it is to open the door to actions based on love rather than fear and anger. "Perfect love casteth out fear." I asked myself why the city's response scared me. Immediately I understood that I am deeply afraid of finding myself in a world of moral and spiritual collapse where money is the ultimate value. I am afraid of being a stranger in a strange land. To a large extent, this has happened.
I don't believe it is possible to work for moral and spiritual regeneration from a place of anger and fear. Ghandi said, "I am not against Britain, I am for rights for Indian people." His student, Martin Luther King, pointed out that he was not against white people, he was for rights for African Americans. I tried out the statement, "I am not against the city of Gainesville, the Hampton Inn, the neighborhood associations - I am for feeding and sheltering people." It felt good. The people who oppose us are not space aliens, they are other human beings stumbling through life doing the best they can, doing what they think is right, as we all are. It is important to love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you. That increases the power of love in our world and can lead to real victories.
That being said, we do need to be proactive in this situation. Michael Stoops, the director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, believes that we should hold a march/rally in support of dropping rules against feeding hungry people. I believe such a march would get a great deal of support in our community. I can not be the coordinator for this event. Feeding the hungry people has become for me, and the Home Van's core volunteers, a fulltime job. We need to find a coordinator. Email me if you are interested in playing that role. Such a march could go from St. Francis House to City Hall, with the rally in front of City Hall. The coordinator would need to choose a date and time, notify a wide array of churches and civic groups, contact GPD to let them know this is happening (I don't believe permits are required for such an event, but this should be checked out), and send press releases to local media. If several people are willing, which seems entirely possible, the work will be light.
CHESS AND POETRY
An anonymous donor mailed me a large box of small, magnetized chess sets. These chess sets flew out of the van at Tent City. One of the old vets told me, "We love playing chess and now we could hold a tournament!" One of our friends at Lynch Park has requested that we start stocking poetry in the Home Van library. When you think of our beloved friends many sad images come to mind, but so often these brave souls are not sad. They grab every opportunity to be happy. Also think of them reading poetry and playing chess.
JACKIE 'BUTTERFLY'
I think her street name may have come from her beautiful, delicate tattoos, as well as her bright spirit. We learned yesterday that 'Butterfly' died last week after being hit by an impaired driver in Kentucky. She and her partner were hitchhiking to California. Butterfly was a romantic and an adventurer, always seeking new horizons. Now her journey is done and she is flying in the Light.
CHESS, POETRY AND PERSONAL HYGIENE
just kidding...But we are low on personal hygiene products. If you have a stash, now would be the time to drop them by. A big thank you to all the peanut butter and vienna sausage elves.
love,
arupa
______________________________________________________________________________
The Home Van needs Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, socks, candles, tents, tarps, bug spray, recreational supplies, and money. Financial donations to the Home Van should be made out to St. Vincent de Paul, earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601.
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