Someone cares enough……………

I had the pleasure of working the street ministry on Wednesday with a parishioner from St Aloysius our Neighborhood Services Director Mike Carsten, SFO. Mike was the Director of the Outreach Center before it closed and has been very helpful in redirecting our efforts at St Al’s. He was missing some of the folks from the Center so we went out on the streets to see what was happening. It was great seeing all the guys calling his name and walking over to see him. So many hugs and solid handshakes were given. Laughter and smiles filled many faces when they talked. At one point, we met a young man in Grand Circus Park. Mike called him and he smiled a wide smile when he saw Mike. Mike introduced me and another volunteer to the man. He asked Mike, “What are you doing out here?” Mike responded, “We are out looking for you to see how you are?” The man said, “No, really why are you out here?” Mike talked about the center closing and our new approach to ministry on the streets. The young man smiled and said, “It is good to know that someone cares enough to look for me!” Mike asked him if he needed anything to eat. The man turned down his offer and said he wasn’t hungry. The Salvation Army food truck had just been in the area. Mike asked if he wanted a sandwich for later. The young man said no that he was fine. He could however use a pair of new socks. Mike handed over the socks. As we were walking away, the man said to us, “Have a blessed day. Thanks for thinking of me.”

That exchange for me was the epitome of what we are trying to do in the Neighborhood Services ministries. We are looking out for people in the neighborhood. Mostly, we are present. The ministry has really very little to do with the stuff we have to offer—the greatest gift is ourselves.

New Program at St Aloysius

October 26, 2011

From the Health & Wholeness Ministry

As your Parish Nurse, I am excited to share with the St. Aloysius Parish and Community health initiatives which are and will continue to assist those who are uninsured or underinsured, especially our homeless brothers and sisters. The Downtown Detroit Circle of Care (DDCC) is a collaboration of The Interfaith Health & Hope Coalition and four faith based communities in Downtown Detroit, namely, St. Aloysius, Central United Methodist, Fort Street Presbyterian, and Second Baptist. The DDCC, of which Michael Carsten, S.F.O. and I are working members, over the past two years, has worked together to “build upon” existing outreach programs in Downtown Detroit through a form of “medication intervention.” Through a grant from Metro Health Foundation and in collaboration with Griswold Pharmacy, over this past year, a client who has come to the health professional at one of the faith communities mentioned above with a prescription and has no health insurance can have the prescription filled at Griswold Pharmacy. In addition, as of this October 2011, DDCC has received a grant from Metro Solutions to expand our efforts in assisting our brothers and sisters with basic eye exams and eye glasses. Distribution of those funds will begin in 2012. If you are in need of health assistance or you know someone who is, please ask them to call me. My phone number is 313.309.1265.

God’s continued peace,

Kathleen Ruth, MSN, RN

Parish Nurse

My Daughters are in the house and please pray for Harriet!

Dear Don! Allow me to inform you that your daughters entered their new home on 14th October 2011 and they were so much excited for this unexpected experience in their lives. They have much regard for your wonderful kindness! I have been with them this morning in a meeting and they are all doing fine, except for one girl (Harriet) who disappeared to an unknown location. We had to buy a number of items for their new home, including mattresses, blankets, cooking pots, etc..... for they had almost nothing on them, which proved a challange to us all. I shall forward to you a detailed accountability soon. Fr Gerald Yiga

The Value of Ministry out in the Community

September 30, 2011

It takes a village…

In these past two weeks the downtown Detroit Seniors took care of one of their own. Simon’s life (name changed) has been turned upside down. Schizophrenia’s grip has tightened and he is experiencing unrelenting voices, eviction from his apartment, and homelessness. He roams Capitol Park where he thinks no one can see him and where he believes if he runs away, no one cares enough to follow. He didn't realize that the watchful eye of Sara (name changed) and several other seniors who live in his “village” were upon him. “He is my friend and neighbor” Sara said. “I have been following him around the park; staying up late at night making sure he is safe; he needs our help.”

Sara came to St. Aloysius to seek help for Simon. “He’s hard to talk to; he runs away.” said Sara. She and the parish nurse went to the park; Simon said, “Go away—you’re not real.” With that, Simon fled across the street, unaware of the passing cars. Sara and the parish nurse came back to the offices and contacted the Wayne County Adult Protective Services. Through that contact, Sara learned that it would be best for Simon to have a temporary guardian. The next day, Sara selflessly went to Probate Court and filed. Quickly the court wheels moved. Sara and several other seniors attended the court session—a guardian was assigned to Simon.

For the next week, the Seniors followed, watched, and cared for Simon—waiting for his guardian to come. But even all of this care didn’t prevent him from being physically assaulted. His face bore the bruises and cuts from the violence. It is so hard on the streets. Fortunately, the next day his guardian found him, but he ran. Thankfully, watchful eyes of the seniors saw him—they got on the bus that he took to escape. Using their cell phones, they communicated with Sara. So when he returned from his ride on Gratiot, he was given the help he needed—the police met him at the bus stop and gently took him, at the guardian’s court order request, to the crisis center at Receiving Hospital. There he would be safe, warm, and given the medical and psychiatric care that he so desperately needed.

To Sara and the seniors: thank you so much for your love and care. It truly takes a village to stand up for those who cannot help themselves.

This story was told to me by the St Aloysius parish nurse. I believe it exemplifies the kind of ministry we are able to have as we step out on to the local streets in our community. The parish has a natural nexus to life on the streets and we are in the process of trying to strengthen it.

News from Uganda on the Daughters of the House of Jjajja Don

Dear Don!

Allow me to report to with delight to you that at last we have come across a house to rent for your God Daughters and we paid the landlord 12 months of their residence in this house. It has taken us a long time to find one, and it needed some renovations as indicated in the expences above; but it is well fenced for the girls' security. I pray that it will be ready for use for the girls in some two weeks time. I have met the girls and they are so happy for it and some think that it is a dream!

I talked to the girls and it seems that none of them has a bed, mattresses and other needs that are to be used in their house, should we use some of the remaining money to do the needful, please?

I am eager to hear from you soon!

God bless!

Your,

Gerald.

News from the House of Jjajja Don

As you may know from my trip to Uganda in April of this year, my wife and I adopted 13 young girls from the streets of Kampala who were engaged in the commercial sex trade. We offered to rent a home for them if they agreed to live together and take care of one another. I recently heard from the social worker at St Kizito that a young women who's home we had visited was located and identified. The other girls unanimously agreed to invite her to our family so we have grown to 14 girls.

This weekend I received the following email from the social worker,. "The house has been found and we are waiting for the owner to come back and we will negotiate the terms of payments" What great news!

Fr Gerald wrote me a few weeks ago with news of the girls health status, "

Dear Don!

Greetings

from your God-daughters after meeting them on 12 July 2011 in my little office. All of them had gone for a medical check up and tests for HIV/Aids and Syphilis were taken. Only one girl reported to me that she was tested and found to be HIV/AIDS positive. She has started taking ARVs, but with no syphilis. Eight girls reported to me that they did neither have HIV/AIDS nor Syphilis. Three girls needed some medical attention or treatment, but have not yet reported to me to go for the treatment." The parish is also working on developing a school for tailoring and computer sills development in the Youth Centre OLGC helped to construct. They plan to have 30 commercial sex workers trained in the next two years so that they can have productive skills to earn a living. My daughters wrote me and said they had all left the streets and the work they were doing. They now carry water pails, clean houses, babysit during the day for working parents and all kind of small jobs to earn a living. It will be so good to have them all together in the same place soon.. God is good---all the time!

Gordon Food Service FunFunds account for St Aloysius

If you make purchases at Gordon Food Service locations please follow the link below and obtain an account card for St Aloysius. The Neighborhood Services ministries of the parish will receive a percentage of all the funds spend each quarter. Additionally, when you sign up you will receive a coupon worth a $10.00 donation to St Aloysious on a purchase over $50.00. Please take a few moments to get your card and remember to use it all the time you shop and GFS!

http://www.gfs.com/funfunds/home.page?OrgNumber=2477086