Category Archives: community

Mar5

food for love.

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pink and pretty princess cupcakes with edible glitter
for sweet little Nova as requested
(living in foster care)
two giant lasagnas with lots and lots of sauce
 for a 3-generation Vietnamese family of 10
recently arrived and all living in one home
—
with all of the challenges going on around us right now
it’s nice to have the opportunity
to work with these grassroots organizations (below)
(both started by one person in their kitchen, spreading across the nation)
to bring a warm home cooked meal or first ever birthday cake
to people who suffer from food insecurity for a variety of reasons and circumstance
making their day a little easier, letting them know that someone cares, and bringing a bit of unexpected joy.
—
https://lasagnalove.org

for families who need a home cooked meal hand-delivered to them for a variety of reasons
(begun 5  years ago and 2.3 million now served)
(the sprinkle squad)
For Goodness Cakes matches volunteers to make and hand-deliver birthday & graduation cakes
to children in foster care and youth overcoming adversity on their special day
many who have never been celebrated
(begun 9 years ago)
—
‘the older I get, the greater power i seem to have to help the world.’
*susan b. anthony
*Susan B. Anthony was a prominent leader of the women’s suffrage movement and social reformer. Her work helped pave the way for the 1920 Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Inspired by their belief that everyone was equal under God, she became an abolitionist and agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. She was known for her passionate anti-slavery speeches, a rare activity for women at the time.
Dec4

shop with a cop II – holiday edition.

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for the second time 

i’ve had the honor of volunteering 

with local law enforcement officers, firefighters, marines,

first responders, heroes of all kinds,

community members

athletes from university sports teams

all there to host children from across the area

from families who are underserved in our surrounding community

the parents receive a stocking filled with gift cards

for gas, food, things for home, other things they want or need

the children stay with us

for an afternoon/evening of fun, food, activities, a santa visit,

and holiday shopping

for loved ones,

for warm outdoor winter wear for themselves,

holiday pajamas, cuddlies,

for things on their dream wish list,

(we find some things to pass on to a parent to give them from santa for holiday gifts)

along with some other things they’ve been hoping for or need

so joyful to see

most children wanted to buy things for those they loved first

we had to steer them back to also choosing some things for themselves

these are children who struggle

yet still understand the joy found in giving to others

j, the little guy who was trusted with myself and a young sherriff’s officer

said his mom’s very favorite thing in the world was mountain dew

 he chose this as the first thing to put in our cart

he also bought some toys for his two cats

but just wrote ‘to: cats’ on the tag

so they would both share them

for ‘papa-grandpa’, some chicken noodle soup

j is an only child, raised by a single parent

he’s not had an easy life

yet, he has a gentle spirit

watched the fish in the tanks for a long while

 wanted to take them home and let them go

‘because they are prisoners in there’

loves nature, being outside, running,

catching minnows and letting them go,

fishing and letting them go,

and everything at recess

he played hide and seek in the store with us

laughed with no filter

seemed to love every minute where his role

was to just be a child, enjoy all the fun, he certainly deserves it all

even the giant sugar cookie he decorated

with all of the five colors of frosting on it

and every kind of sprinkle.

—-

“the greatness of a community is most accurately measured

by the compassionate actions of its members.’

-coretta scott king

 

Oct25

connection.

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the courtship is on for pete and olive

‘the need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food.’

-dean ornish

Sep24

be nice. (the world is a small town.) -austin kleon

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townies and visitors

listen to the powerful sounds of u’neek

at the end of summer sol festival

in the charming small town of pentwater

where we were visiting friends

realizing just how small it was

when we kept crossing paths with people

who we’d seen or met in other places

doing other jobs or in different circumstances.

chad was the fill-in musician between sets and bands

also the bartender at the ‘yacht club’

also the second place trivia night champion in town.

next we saw the guy who was the host

at the cafe across the street where we had lunch

now a paying customer at the festival pub.

then we ran into the artist who was also a caretaker for his parents and his dog

who we encountered on the beach an hour before

now sharing stories with my friend and dog-bonding.

—

if i lived there and had multiple roles, i would like to work one day a week at the magical toy store as a storyteller, work one afternoon a week selling ice cream at the beach, be known as the pretty good crossword puzzle champion in town, and sit on a bench in the park watching the town go by and writing my homespun recipe column for the local paper, like how to make my baked potatoes.

—

‘one of the important things about being a small-town reporter is knowing what not to put in the paper.’

-terry pratchett

Sep15

market day.

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so many colors and aromas and tastes and sounds and things to touch

all senses engaged

a beautiful morning at the market. 

—

‘what makes the farmers market such a special place is that you’re actually creating a community around food.’

*bryant terry

*Bryant Terry is an African-American vegan chef, food justice activist, and author. He has written four vegan cookbooks and cowrote a book about organic eating. He won a 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award for his food justice work.

—
ann arbor, michigan, usa – september 2024
Aug5

to look forward and not back, to look out and not in, and to lend a hand. -edward e. hale

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wi,

this past weekend i took part in a ‘shop with a cop’ event

sponsored by

mott children’s hospital,

the  county sheriff department, local police departments, state troopers,

u.s. marines, and the university of michigan police department

everyone volunteered their time

to take underserved children and their families

 back to school shopping at a local meijer store.

it was beautifully organized

we all met in the morning at the stadium

set up food, games, drinks, tables

met our law enforcement partners for the day

families arrived

we shared a meal with our family and created our shopping team

loaded up on university busses

accompanied by motorcycle cops with lights flashing

the kids were really excited.

when we arrived

we descended upon the store

 masses of uniformed officers and children

must have caused some shoppers to wonder

but everyone got right to work

helping the kids find the things on their lists

along with lots of  extras

at checkout everything was covered

headed back to the stadium

for kona ice, more food, build-a-bear projects, face-painting

checking out the team locker room and playing on the field

by the end of the day

we had shared our stories with each other

learned so much

everyone had bonded

no matter their age, rank, or status.

people were tired and smiling

as they walked out the door

ready for school

headed for home

happy to know

people in the community support them

as a volunteer

this day

was also a gift to me from my community.

“there isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.”

-mary lou kownacki

 

 

 

 

Apr18

small cheer.

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a pop-up restaurant appeared in the cozy corner of our classroom
everyone was welcome and helped in the restaurant after their meal
so many delicious foods
made with care
no one left hungry 
people came and went and shared plates and talked and laughed
it was a feast for the senses.
—
“small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”
-william shakespeare
Aug15

mistaken orders.

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the restaurant of mistaken orders employs waitstaff with dementia

and you can never be exactly sure what you will be getting.

below is a statement from the restaurant to potential patrons and to the world.

—

you may think it’s crazy,

a restaurant that can’t even get your order right,

all of our servers are people living with dementia,

they may, or may not, get your order right.

however, rest assured,

that even if your order is mistaken

everything on our menu is delicious and one of a kind.

this we guarantee.

“it’s okay if my order was wrong, it tastes so good anyway.”

we hope this feeling of openness and understanding

will spread across japan, and through the world.

—

We ask for your continued support of The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders in Tokyo, Japan.

Our mission is to spread dementia awareness and to make society a little bit more open-minded and relaxed.

 

—

“gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”

-lionel hampton

 

—

source credits: https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2019/winter2019/restaurant_of_mistaken_orders.html

   the government of japan

 

Jun11

where does the rainbow end?

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After their LGBTQ pride flag was stolen twice in recent weeks, a pair of Ann Arbor churches are responding the only way they know how — giving away more flags.

St Aidan’s Episcopal Church and Northside Presbyterian Church, which share a building in Ann Arbor, are launching a “Need A Flag, Take A Flag” event today. The event will feature 300 LGBTQ pride flags and allow anyone in need of a flag  to take home their own handheld versions.

Although the event is in part a Pride Month celebration, the inspiration for it comes from the theft of the churches’ own flags. On April 3, church leadership received an email saying someone had removed the flag and thrown it into the bushes. On June 1, the churches reported the replaced flag had been stolen completely.

“I still haven’t found it,” said the Rev. Thomas Ferguson, vicar at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church. The Rev. Jenny Saperstein, pastor at Northside Presbyterian Church, told Ferguson, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that whoever took it must have needed a flag. “She said, let’s answer this with something positive,” Ferguson said.

The churches, which often partner on social justice issues, will have 300 flags available and plan to order more if they run out. Launching the event on a Sunday allows the entire congregation to get involved with the advocacy, Saperstein said. “It’s really this church community that stands for that,” Saperstein said. “Not just the pastors.”

Hearing affirming messaging from churches is especially important for marginalized communities. “We’ll hope to change hearts and minds with love,” Ferguson said. “We’re not going away, and we’re not changing our stance here with the oppressed.”

—

Donde termina el arco iris,
en tu alma o en el horizonte?

Where does the rainbow end,
in your soul or on the horizon?

― Pablo Neruda, The Book of Questions

 

—

source credit: jordyn pair, mlive, ann arbor news

Dec12

left behind.

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what a wonderfully kind gesture

for someone to leave a gallon of milk and bread behind

to be discovered by someone else who may need it more.

—

“let us temper our criticism with kindness. none of us comes fully equipped.”

-carl sagan