Julia Whitaker's Blog
November / 11.14.09, 04:04 PM
November 2009 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
This month, like all the ones before it, has been a busy one. Since settling in, I have been volunteering consistently with several organizations in Atlanta. I realize that I haven’t yet written to “y’all” about what a “normal” day looks like for me here, so here is an overview of daily life.
To begin, every morning my team meets together for devotions and prayer for the day before we depart for our various service sites.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons and evenings my team volunteers at an afterschool program, ‘S.A.Y. yes!’ (Save America’s Youth), through our church. The program provides a positive environment for our kids to do homework, eat, learn from the Bible, and play. We also do homework, eat, learn from the Bible, and play. In addition to these things, we provide crowd control, challenges and encouragement to our young neighbors and future leaders.
On Monday and Tuesday mornings I volunteer at New Horizons Senior center. Here I often do paper work, help with meal charts, walk with seniors, call bingo numbers and enjoy listening to the seniors belt out old African American spirituals together.
On Wednesday and Thursday mornings I am grateful to work with a community called “The Open Door Community”. (I encourage you to check out their site at www.theopendoorcommunity.org). This group of people, coming from a Catholic Worker’s Union tradition, strives together in advocacy, justice and life. On Wednesdays I usually help to serve a brunch of hot grits, turkey sausage, sliced oranges, coffee and boiled eggs to our homeless friends. On Thursdays I’ve done laundry, paper work, typed sermons and other odd tasks around the house.
There are days of sadness. On the evening of October 21, I attended a candlelight vigil on the steps of the capital building. Mark McClain, a close friend of The Open Door, was killed by lethal injection by the state of Georgia that night. This was very painful for the community.
Others days are ones of joy. Everywhere that I work people greet me with hugs; Little runny-nosed-friends who call me, “Miss Lulu”, old ladies who call me, “Baby” and those who call me, “Friend” provide me with affection and encouragement. (I have also gained the nickname as team “mom”). Along with the hugs, I am also fed food at my sites. I am blessed by the gifts of sandwiches, grits, apples, and some home cooked food (chicken, mashed potatoes, corn-casserole, lasagna) brought to our after school program by a sponsoring church.
One of my teammates, Curtis, described our life together well when he said, “Our weeks are short and our days are long.” Every week when Friday, (our Sabbath), rolls around we are surprised and relieved for a break.
Thank you all for your support, interest and prayers while my team, our neighbors and I learn and love together.
Love,
Lulu, (with Kate, Amanda, Nadine, Josh and Curtis)
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