Details trickle in...

Just a short little update tonight:

I continue to gather more specifics about my job placement in Natick. The more I learn about it, the more I get excited!

This placement seems to be tailored to my learning goals and skill/knowledge set.


Placement with Hartford Street Presbyterian Chuch: Natick, MA

• The garden project at the moment is being coordinated through the city's "Open Space Committee" 
• Church is currently trying to get a group together to clear some land and at least create some gardens for the spring.
• A good portion of the congregation is from Cameroon in West Africa- the church is interested in some of these members having plots with gardens where they could grow some of their native crops. There are projects in the area that have immigrants growing native crops from their country and selling them through local markets and making a good living.

In the land of subrban shopping, there appeared a farm...

I come bearing fantastic news!

I have learned that I will be serving in my first choice job placement! Hooray!

My job placement is for someone with a very specific knowledge and skill set. Luckily I have been working with the wonderful folks at Broadfork Farm this summer and what I've learned there is exactly what I need to fulfill the needs of this particular placement. Isn't it amazing how things work out!?

Just west of Boston lies the town of Natick, MA which is known for its malls and shopping (I had to laugh at the fact that I will be working in a town known for shopping and my tolerance for shopping is about 3 hours, if you're lucky). Within this small, suburban community is a church named Hartford Street Presbyterian Church and they have a long standing emergency food pantry on the church's property. I am charged with zoning and developing a community garden, on church grounds, that will supply the food pantry with fresh produce. The pantry is stocked with canned and boxed goods but the church would like to offer fresh produce to those who use the pantry. I have also mentioned that I would like to start educational work days for youth and school groups in the area. My hopes are to host groups of youth for a few hours a day and teach them about plants from seeding to harvesting. In return for their time in the dirt I hope to send them home with some produce to share with their families. By teaching youth about urban agriculture and supplying the pantry with healthy produce, I will attempt to combat hunger from two sides- education and assistance.

These are goals for just 1 year but I think I can accomplish them or at least get the ball rolling.
*Please hold me accountable if I'm 6-8 months in and haven't written a post about starting or hosting a youth event.

Thoughts, prayers, good vibes are always appreciated.

With a thankful heart,
~Kathleen

I Got Bread

I attended Bread for the World's National Gathering a few weeks ago and had a fantastic time. One of the performances was by a spoken word artists and this is something he performed. It really hit home and made me even more excited for my time in Boston.

I Got Bread:

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

I’m thanking the Lord I got bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Yea, it’s like everyday I wake up

Everybody around me is trying to get their cake up

Everybody trying to survive and stay alive

People be like ‘where is the God in a 9 to 5?’

What you gon’ do?

In the hood they be shooting

Drugs a problem too –

in the ‘burbs they be shooting up.

And we battling upstream

And I be looking crazy when I begin to sing

Tell them ‘bout the joy

Enough with all the sorrow

Tears falling tonight

but you can smile tomorrow

I ain’t telling stories but I pray you catch the moral

On my shoulders you can lean and my ears you can borrow

Where the hope at? Put it in the air

We getting too comfortable with the hunger in the air

Yea we gotta respond with something

And it’s about time that I come with the triumphant

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Eyes straight, head tilted down

Looking at an angle

Staring at their phones,

but I’m lookin up towards the angels

Pleading ‘Lord please will you show me the way

I can show the people you so they can get through the day?’

I ain’t selling miracles no money making schemes

But necessity, I hear it though, for tummy aches and screams

People looking for love in jewelry and salaries

Hustlers move weight like Jared moved calories

Dudes mugging, no Folgers involved

People trying to survive only see the smoke and the fog

Go from doing all right to where hope is dissolved

And they’re something like August ‘cause they’re close to a fall.

Yea aww man how I wish I could take away their pangs

Now I’m feeling childish:

I gotta ask my Daddy

(I don’t possess His type of splendor)

I’m all grown up now I know when I should surrender

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord, I give bread

Thanking the Lord, I give bread

I’m thanking the Lord, I give bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

© 2013 Rodney “J Prophet” Reynolds for Peace and Power Media

YAV Boston

Welcome!

For those who don't know, I will soon be moving to Boston!
The Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Agency created an outreach called the Young Adult Volunteer program. The program is for 18-30 year old young adults who want to serve God as well as a community. YAVs (Young Adult Volunteers) can serve in domestic or international communities- locations vary from Boston and Miami to Kenya and the Philippines.

Each location has a focused mission that tries to fill a hole in the community. For example, if a city has a large homeless population than the YAVs in that locale try to serve that population. Missions vary as much as the locations themselves. There are a few locations that focus on urban ministry and homeless populations whereas the mission in Montana is to serve a small town with a significant Native American roots.

Boston's mission is to reach out to those in food desserts, neighborhoods that have poor or no access to healthy produce and affordable grocery stores, and help them find and even grow healthy food. Some of the Boston YAVs will work with churches and schools to educate kids on healthy food choices while others will plant community gardens or work with an organizations that give recently released prisoners 2 meals a day.

Here is the link to the Boston program description:YAV Boston

I will be in Boston before I know it! Orientation is in Stony Point, NY (1 hour north of NYC) from August 19-25. On August 26 I will travel to Boston from orientation. I will be there until July 2014.

I can't wait for this new adventure! I will keep updating this blog from time to time; once a week minimum is my goal.

Eat Local. Think Global... Justice.