In times of uncertainly and confusion, a person desires nothing more than the calming kindness of a stranger or a neighbor, who generously offers assistance, support, and understanding. This is the ministry of hospitality. I experience this ministry every Friday when I spend my day at ICDI’s House of Hospitality, where I help the men living there with school assignments and learning English. The house, located in Cicero, IL, is for men who have been released from detention and have no other place to go upon their release. Upon hearing this process for the first time, I was awestruck by the unpredictability of it all. Dropped off on the corner of 101 West Congress, these men, uncertain of their surroundings but certainly confused on what to do next, are approached by a stranger who knows their name and nothing else. The stranger ask them to get in the car so they can take them to this mysterious house that their legal counsel has told them about. The men agree and the ministry of hospitality begins. Once they arrive, the new residents are given basic necessities: a small room to live in, clothes, hygiene products, and a small stipend for public transportation. Most, however, send a portion of this stipend to their families back home. I was more inspired by the hospitality extended to these men; yet, the residents also illustrate the ministry of hospitality in a miraculous manner.

The house is by far the most diverse place I have ever been. Fifteen men live in the home and more than 10 countries, spanning from China to Ethiopia and many places in between, are represented. All the men are bilingual and many are trilingual, yet levels of English vary the spectrum from minimal to superb. Communication, however, is not stifled by the barriers of language or culture because each man in the house extends hospitality to one another. It is as if the ministry of hospitality becomes a universal language they everyone is able to speak. All of them are separated from their families. All of them are living in an unfamiliar place. All of them are painstakingly waiting for some sort of status or permit to come from the immigration system. Many have been waiting for more than a year and a half, and the waiting will continue. The men deeply comprehend each other’s situation because they too are living the same reality. It is the shared experiences of restlessness in their waiting and anxiety about their futures that allow for the ministry of hospitality to be exercised freely. I will provide one example.

Headed to the house for the third Friday in a row, July 17^th was a steaming hot day with spectacular sunshine that Chicago had not seen all summer. As I walked in, a delicious scent of spices and smoke coming from the kitchen filled the house. I followed the smell to find a feast being prepared by Ray, who is from Rwanda and no stranger to the kitchen. I have seen Ray preparing something or cooking a meal each of the previous Fridays. Each time he offers me something to eat or drink as soon as I arrive. I asked Ray what this feast was for. With sweat gleaming from his brow he told me that today was the beginning of Eid, which is the celebration that occurs at the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer for Muslims. Ray said the Muslims in the house were downtown praying and they would be hungry when they returned. So I asked Ray how I could help and the only thing he wanted me to do was test the food. The food was almost complete when the Muslims came back drenched in sweat and in obvious need of water and food. To their surprise, Ray had prepared a feast fit for the whole house so that all could join in their celebration. The table was set, the food cooked, and hospitality was served.

The most endearing aspect of this story was knowing that Ray is a Christian. Most Christians I neither know what Eid is, nor have they ever sat down for a meal with a Muslim. Yet, Ray understood the significance of the day, he understood his fellow residents of the house would be hungry, and he understood they needed food. And so he cooked for them. The Muslims did not ask Ray to prepare a feast full of chicken, beef, rice, salad, and soup. Instead, Ray used the ministry of hospitality to invite his neighbors to the table and join in a celebratory feast of both Eid and brotherhood. As ten men, some Christian and some Muslim, from numerous countries sat around the table, I was able to witness and experience the ministry of hospitality in a way that most people never will.

Opened two years ago, the Marie Joseph House of Hospitality for Men is home to 15 men representing more than 12 countries.

Interning with the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants is unlike any internship I could imagine. Most internships focus on the completion of a project or report that will be of some use for the organization and display the impressive new skills or information the intern has gathered. However, this is not the emphasis of my internship. My role at ICDI is to experience this ministry of hospitality and solidarity. I will not leave with a specific task done or a tangible goal achieved. I will leave, however, with stories, relationships, and experiences: stories of remarkable encounters such as this one, relationships with the unlikeliest of people, and experiences that will shape my thinking from now and forevermore.

In the opening introduction of the book Road to Character, author David Brooks makes an important distinction between two kinds of virtues, résumé and eulogy virtues. Résumé virtues are the list of items typically seen on your own personal résumé, the skills you bring to the job market, the ones that aid career success.

Eulogy virtues go deeper. They are those virtues that get talked about at your funeral. What relationships have you formed, whether you are brave, honest, kind, faithful, or patient. They exist at the core of your being.

Most of us would agree that these eulogy virtues are of greater importance and worth than the résumé virtues. Yet, I know that I focus more time on my résumé virtues and developing those than my eulogy virtues. I also believe our education system and society put a greater emphasis on those résumé virtues.

As my internship has come to a close with National Lutheran Communities and Services, I am grateful that I have become aware of this distinction between virtues. But better yet, I have been blessed to see examples of people who, while possessing these résumé virtues, have instead shown us time and time again that eulogy virtues are those that will have a lasting impact.

In the process of saying my goodbyes to those in the office that have made such an impression on me, I made the comment that I was grateful how everyone had gone above and beyond these past eight weeks to make our internship team feel so welcome. That person’s responded in a matter-of-fact tone, “No I don’t think so.”

As I thought about the exchange, the initial surprise of that comment, and the tone in which it was said, still resonated with me. Throughout our summer in Rockville we were treated to numerous meals, a Nationals baseball game, we were taken sailing on the Potomac River, the CFO took three hours out of his day to speak to us about accounting and finance, we witnessed a board meeting, and more importantly than all of those events, we worked everyday with people that were always ready and willing to humbly share their wisdom. Of course they went above and beyond.

In truth, National Lutheran Communities Services went above and beyond only my expectations. I had in my mind the average experience of an intern and came into the office thinking that was what was in store me. The people in the office had another idea of what it meant to host an intern. They believed it was more like welcoming someone into a family; in fact, our supervisor playfully called us his “kids.”

The eulogy virtue of generosity was apparent in my summer. Generosity is one core virtue of National Lutheran Communities and Services. In the future, as I look back on my experience, that virtue will stick with me. In turn, I hope to welcome people who do not expect it the same way that I was this summer. It is just one way I can try to develop my eulogy virtues.

Jose Lopez, LULAC of IL State Director, myself and Jesus Payan chatting about improving community outreach via social media and unified webpage for LULAC of IL.

Narratives and storytelling has been a long standing tradition in the Latina/o community. It is often in that way in which we learn; by hearing stories from the elders in our families or communities telling us of our long standing traditions from our ancestors before us, events that have occurred when the thought of us was not even conceived, still in our mother’s womb or too young to remember. I grew up with story telling and learned the importance of narratives. To my family and to our community, narratives gave a platform to the unheard. But throughout the existence of our community, we have been shamed and conditioned into believing that we should not speak up for what we believe in due to fear or retaliation of what the majority in the United States could do to us. I’ve slowly seen this fear stripped away by the courageous acts of many in the Latin@ community in the U.S. From Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta forming the United Farm Workers in California to protest the working conditions of the fruit and vegetable pickers in the fields, to young immigrants proclaiming that they are undocumented and unafraid and recently, to the undocumented trans activist Jennicet Gutierrez interrupting President Obama during a pride event at the White House, crying out: “President Obama, release all LGBTQ immigrants from detention and stop all deportations”, the Latin@ community has had enough. Even in the most difficult of times, I don’t believe we have ever been quiet. We simply have never been heard. And now, finally, people are listening.

Having the opportunity to attend the 86th Annual LULAC National Convention in Salt Lake City in early July, reminds me of the several facets of racism, discrimination, prejudice and systematic inequality my community has faced and continues to face to this day. It is always empowering for me to go into a room full of Latin@s that are fighting everyday, across the country, to help dispel the injustices that are occurring. It is in these spaces that we are allowed to come together, meet new people, formulate new strategies and ideas for the betterment of community at a local or national level.

Often times, in social justice work, it can feel lonely or that no matter what you do or how hard you work, it’s never going to end and it’s never going to be enough. During these times, I am reminded of a saying my mom always tells me: todo tiene solucion, menos la muerte. Everything has a solution, except for death. While at times, the work I am doing may seem insignificant to some or not enough, I know that I, along with so many other’s, are doing what we can with what we have. Attending the LULAC National Convention was a thrilling reminder for me that the work that I am doing in my community does matter. Although some days are not easy, better days will come. There’s a long road ahead and so much work to be done. It’s scary to think of what lays ahead, but I am ready to do whatever it takes to create a more just community for my people and our future generations.

I got this at the Eastern Market at the beginning of the summer. Everything did turn out to be amazing!

My roommates and I keep commenting on how quickly this summer has gone by. Two months seems like a lot at first, but now it feels like hardly any time at all. I’m entering my final week at Lutheran Services in America, which means I’m working on finishing up the projects that were assigned to me. A few of the projects I have been working on won’t be done by the time I leave, so I will be preparing those to be handed off to future LSA interns.

Outside of various smaller tasks, my two main projects at LSA have been donor analysis for the 2015 fiscal year and managing their social media platforms. The first project has involved a lot of compiling and organizing numbers in order to understand where the donations are coming from, evaluate donor trends, and formulate a new development strategy for the 2016 fiscal year. While sometimes spending hours on end working in Excel can be tedious, I’ve found myself to be quite interested by the results. This Thursday I will be giving a presentation to the entire LSA staff that will summarize the findings and help them understand a little more about where LSA’s funding is coming from.

Managing the LSA social media platforms is a different sort of project. I try to make sure that our postings are spread out evenly, so that we are maintaining a regular presence on social media. Sometimes these posts regard projects or events LSA is involved with, and sometimes they are highlighting one of our 300+ member organizations. I love posting about our member organizations because it means I get to spend time going through their Facebook pages and learning about all of the amazing projects and services they’re all providing. It fascinates me how vastly different our member organizations can be, yet they are all connected in their mission to serve others and by their Lutheran roots.

The LSA staff went to a Washington National’s game this week!

As a Lutheran, the network that LSA has created fascinates me. When I was growing up, I was always told that we are all one through Christ and that we are all connected.  That’s something I think about every day here at LSA. The work done by any one of our members is excellent and necessary, but when you take more than 300 of these organizations and find ways to connect them, that’s when truly incredible work can happen. And every single person involved in these organizations is doing service work – whether they are doing hands on work or office work. This is one of the best examples I’ve seen of the body of Christ in action. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” The members of LSA provide a variety of tasks, and LSA helps bring them together. We are all the body of Christ, serving in a multiplicity of ways, and touching the lives of millions of people every year. Every kind of service is a necessary part of the body of Christ and serving with LSA this summer has provided me with a unique example of the body of Christ serving God’s people.

My work at the Federation is all about details. From the exact responses to survey results and their connotations, to document formats, to the placement of questions in each email, each project forces attention to every miniscule detail. And every single detail has been important and critical to the success or outcome of each project. Working with an immense group of 56 councils around the country and in partnerships with organizations like the NEH and Pulitzer, the Federation’s effectiveness in these relationships relies on having each fact or detail correct.

However, our effectiveness is also measured in the work each council puts in to provide humanities programming to everyone in their state or territory. As the national branch, we are the promoters, advocators, and cheerleaders for the individual councils. For all of the work the Federation completes in Washington, DC, negotiating and advocating on Capital Hill, communities around the United States receive more chances to grow in the humanities. Knowing our national impact inspires me to continue to promote humanities education, to push for more literacy and reading discussion groups, and to always advocate for the value of history and literature.

I was lucky enough to experience firsthand the Board of Directors meeting last weekend in Chicago. A little bit awestruck, and a whole lot a bit nervous, I found myself in room with influential humanities scholars and nonprofit workers from both humanities councils and other humanities backgrounds. Sitting in the room during the meeting, I gained valuable insight into the underground workings of a nonprofit. Board members and Federation staff discussed items such as budget allocations, development issues, and strategic plans. Each topic was important to the inner workings of the council system, and again, all of the details were highlighted and reviewed. While the board members debated and discussed, I sat at my intern table, frantically taking notes and excitedly grasping at the pieces of information that hinted towards the Federation’s future.

As I begin the last week of my fellowship, I am filled with such a bizarre combination of sadness and excitement. The last nine weeks have been transformative, not only to my sense of self, but to my future and the place I see myself in this world. Working at the Federation has been more fulfilling and informative than I could have ever foreseen when I first learned of my placement all the way back in April. And now, I am so happy to be given the chance to continue my work here and stay I the amazing city of Washington DC. I will be working at the Federation full-time starting in the middle of August as I switch from CAPS fellow to a member of the nonprofit workforce. I am thrilled to have found a calling to promote the importance of the humanities during my time as a CAPS fellow, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities it has provided me. Now, I get to sit and look out at this beautiful view for the indeterminate future, as I continue to discover my purpose in this world.

The Region is as diverse in its problems as it is in its population. You do not have to wander too far to see the poverty that is plaguing some of the largest metropolitan areas in “the 219.” My placement is in one the cities that has been, by and large, forgotten by the rest of the Region and left to its own limited resources to rebuild itself. The progress that the city of Gary makes can seem slow but it is truly amazing to see the good that is coming from the organizations and citizens within the city that refuse to give up on each other. I’m proud to say that the Urban League of Northwest Indiana is one of those organizations.

During the second half of my internship, I noticed that many people began to call in for rental and/or utility assistance. Unfortunately, the ULNWI does not have the capacity to help with these specific problems, but we are able to refer people to other organizations that can. It is extremely sobering to realize that something as basic and necessary as shelter, electricity, and water are not readily available to so many people. Poverty is something that we all know exists, but until you meet the people that are living in the conditions or find yourself in that situation yourself, you don’t really “get it.” This is not to say that I completely or even half-way “get it”; there is no amount of schooling or volunteering could ever make me understand what it is like to live in abject poverty. I can only speak on things as I see and understand them through the lenses of privilege that I have.

In the midst of receiving phone calls about housing assistance, we had our monthly handing out of food vouchers. One of the local churches gives the ULNWI ten vouchers per month to give to people who sign up. To put into perspective as to how great the need is for food, if someone were to call in to receive a voucher, the earliest they would be able to receive one would be mid-September. This list is made up of just people who know that we have the capability to give out the vouchers. In June, I went to a grant writing workshop and one of the organizations that was also in attendance noted that they feed about 100 children every Sunday through the soup kitchen they run. Between the two churches, over 400 people are fed per month. And that is just in one city. I cannot imagine how much hunger there is in the other corners of the Region, in my own, more privileged but by no means upper-class, community of Merrillville. Do we really know what is going on with our neighbor?

For people that are in immediate need of food and cannot receive a voucher, we are able to refer them to other organizations throughout Lake and Porter counties. That makes the uncomfortableness of denying food to “The Eleventh” person somewhat less biting. But then you wonder if they have the means to get to the other organizations to receive the food that may be available to them. It is an overwhelming issue that people who are removed from the situation can sometimes diminish. If there was any doubt as to whether or not hunger is an issue in Northwest Indiana, here is the proof.

Even fours years later, the ULNWI is still working to rebuild the US and African American community through job prep services.

As mentioned in my other blog post, the ULNWI  provides career services on Wednesdays and Thursdays and I have been able to help people look for and prepare for work. This has been one of the best things I was assigned to do, hands down. I love having the opportunity to filter my passion for helping impoverished communities and the African American community into a program that directly, positively, affects people. I love learning about people, their stories, their struggles, and their goals. The optimism they have for their future, despite the myriad of obstacles they are facing. The grit they have for being able to apply for job after job even if many of them do not result in unemployment. The amount of work and effort people put into their professional development, from making resumes, practicing interviewing, or simply learning how to use a computer, reaffirms my belief that no one wants to live in poverty and that people do desire to make themselves self-sufficient, but it takes the efforts of those who have been able to “make it” to rise out of impoverished conditions. If the ULNWI did not respond to the needs of the citizens of the Region and did not open an employment clinic, I am not sure what other resources our clients would have. If I find myself having career problems, I can fall back on my university’s career center and a couple professional connections. What other option does everyone else have?

I have been fortunate enough to learn many skills during my internship at the ULNWI. I have learned more minute things, like how to make Excel less annoying and practical things like using my training in academic writing for professional writing. I think the most important things I have learned this summer are the issues of my community. I am going to graduate school in the fall and my focus has always been on the needs of communities of color living in poverty and I hoped for a placement at the ULNWI because of the exposure to these problems I would receive. My hopes were met and exceeded. When I finish school, I want to spend some part of my career improving the conditions of people living within the Region and this summer affirmed that desire. I see so much potential in the natural resources and people of the Region. With proper care, we could be the envy of the Midwest. But in order for that to happen, we cannot ignore the problems of our neighbors. We cannot hope that things will one day change. There must be a conscious effort made to make the Region reach its full potential. Working at the ULNWI has shown me that those efforts have started. Those efforts are creating the progress this area so desperately needs. I am proud of the service that I have done this summer and I am very excited to see in what capacity I can help during and after graduate school.

Since first stepping foot onto Valpo’s campus as a freshman three years ago, the infamous “What are your plans after graduation?” question has always been daunting.  My typical response provides a semi-decent answer, as I mention my aspirations of a career in the nonprofit world. Yet, the follow up question—“What do you plan to do in that field?”—is more challenging. My 21-year-old (male) instincts tend to kick in at this point, and I reply with a simple, “Not sure. I still have to figure that out.”

I’m realizing, though, that things need to be figured out fairly soon.

Over the past month, my time at Legacy Foundation provided several opportunities for me to realize three key organizational characteristics that are essential for the nonprofit in which I will someday work. Whether observing a diverse group of area residents rally behind Legacy’s collective impact initiative known as “Neighborhood Spotlight”, conceptualizing hurtful charity practices set forth in Robert Lupton’s book Toxic Charity, or seeing grantees’ excitement as they report back on the progress of their grants, each offers unique glimpses into the criteria I will look for in a future organization.

1. Shares Christ’s love

I want to be inspired to work for a cause that fulfills deep, intrinsic calling to greater purpose on this planet. Every nonprofit organization claims to touch on this in some form through its mission: art, dogs, nature, education, poverty, etc. All are important. All are impactful. All are different. And it’s in this variety that opportunities—and pressure—arise.

As the community foundation serving Lake County, Indiana, Legacy Foundation provides grants to local nonprofit organizations that work to transform lives of Lake County residents. I’ve witnessed nonprofit diversity within the last month when traveling with Legacy staff to visit these organizations for progress checks. It’s very evident that each organization is comprised of passionate individuals that are fulfilling their purpose by wholeheartedly committing to their organization’s vision.

Reflecting upon my own purpose, I am reminded of the importance in connecting my faith and career together—something that I was called to do after taking a mission trip to Haiti several years ago. My heart’s deepest passion is to make a difference for Christ in the world; I am reminded of this again and again. Although I am still discerning the details of what this will look like (let’s save that for another post), I know that my calling and purpose is to work in a faith-based nonprofit organization that shares Christ’s love.

2. Empowers others

Sure, it may sound straightforward, maybe even redundant. But I believe that empowering others to proactively take initiative should be intertwined into every organization. This very notion is at the heart of Legacy Foundation’s “Neighborhood Spotlight” initiative, as the program fosters collaboration from all community sectors (citizens, nonprofits, corporations, government) to tackle community issues through collective impact. In other words, Legacy is empowering residents to catalyze community change. This intentional investment into residents’ lives is creating great momentum for this region.

3. Seeks opportunities

I believe that nonprofits must constantly pursue opportunities to advance their missions, for doing so fosters the discovery of ways to help more people. Many times these efforts produce partnerships that create new programs and projects that would otherwise be unattainable if attempted alone. Collaboration is highly important at Legacy and is seen in many of its programs, including Neighborhood Spotlight. Organizations that boldly seek opportunities make the greatest impact—and I want to be part of that.

As I hope to work for a faith-based nonprofit in the near future, I am encouraged by the insights learned through my time as a CAPS Fellow. The three aforementioned criteria serve as guides to my vocational pursuit and will undoubtedly help me the next time I am asked about post-graduation plans.

Site visit group photo at Taltree Arboretum & Gardens in Valparaiso.

As I come to the end of my fellowship with LULAC of IL in Cicero, I had a great opportunity to attend the National Convention that was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. WOW! This place was amazing. The view of green, breathtaking mountains behind the city really blew my mind. The weather was perfect. You know why? Because they were little to no flies and mosquitos, the sun set around 9:30pm, and low humidity. The city was like the ocean on a calm day with a nice breeze.

The convention catered to around 5-6,000 LULAC members during the week long convention. It was a nurturing weekend because I was able to spend time with LULAC State officials on the plane, over dinner, dance floor, workshops, and have intellectual conversations. I really bonded with the LULAC of Illinois State Director, Jose Lopez. I would ask questions and he would have answers, especially during elections. Elections were hectic and borderline madness. I asked Mr. Lopez, “I don’t see unity here at this election. People are yelling and being disrespectful. Is this how it usually is”? And he chuckled a bit, bowed his head a little closer to me and said, “This is expected. It happens every year in nearly all elections. It even happens within Democrats when they are voting because people may have strong, opposite opinions on certain topics. It’s the nature of elections, but LULAC always puts aside personal opinions and comes together for the larger issues”. As a biology major, I have no academic background in political science. However, Mr. Lopez really opened my eyes to the realm of politics in a coachable and effective way. And for that, I appreciate his patience in mentoring me and allowing me to challenge my preconceptions of politics.

After my fellowship, I plan to remain as an active member of LULAC and continue making myself of a resource for the community in whatever way that may be. I love my Latina/o community. But I recognize and understand the intersectionality between the entire spectrum of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. I would like to continue my work to fight against social injustices and institutions that support institutionalized discrimination to create an inclusive and transparent community.

It is up to us, as Valpo leaders, to voice the struggles of our community through ACTION and ACCOUNTABILITY!

Salt Lake City, Utah

LULAC National Convention in Salt Lake City with Rocio Pulido

LULAC of IL delegates ready to vote

Jose Lopez, LULAC of IL State Director, Rocio Pulido and myself chatting about improving community outreach via social media and unified webpage for the state of Illinois

In my last post, I talked about the exciting opportunities I was given right out of the gate at the United Way of LaPorte County, I have been able to dive deeper into the great work that this organization is behind. After my last post, I was able to aid local youth, of the Michigan City Police Youth Academy, in building cardboard boats for the Annual Boat races on Lake Michigan. The race was this past weekend, a beautiful Saturday for the community to gather to watch not only kids, but also adults put their cardboard creations on the water. (I have attached photos of both the building and the race day). It was fantastic to be able to work with some of the youth, just being able to watch them work together to get a task complete has made this experience worthwhile.

The community garden that I previously blogged about, is coming together nicely, with an ADA approved area for gardening to those with disabilities. Plants are planted, mulch has been laid to create paths, and the fencing is nearly complete. One neat occurrence around this garden is that someone anonymously delivered plants for the garden.

I have been spear heading a new way to raise funds through our campaigns. The United Way generally runs a campaign from August to February to raise funds for projects and other organizations that we sponsor. With that, our Executive Director suggested that we should use Network For Good, a non-profit that uses an online platform to raise funds for non-profits. Next week, I will be presenting this platform and how to use it to the Board of Directors. We are attempting to reach potential donors through Facebook and other social media platforms. It is a way to keep up with the adapting market while still keeping in touch with our prior donors.

Last Friday, a representative from the Indiana Association of United Ways, came and spoke with us and some other regional volunteer and staff personal to talk about ways to handle the new campaign season. It was nice to hear much of what he had said, was right in line with what we are trying to promote with this new platform to reach both previous and potential donors for this campaign season.

Being home has its perks. I have been able to utilize the contacts that I have made in the past, as well as creating new ones. Any social event that Kris or Dave (the Executive Director and the Manager of Community Engagement), I will tag along to learn as well as connect with leaders in the community.  I am getting near the end of my time with this organization but I have felt welcomed and that I was able to be a part of something bigger than myself. I am reminded of a phrase I heard at a very young age, “It takes a village…” meaning that it takes all of the people within a community to create change or promote societal well-being. Comment or questions, I will respond. Live United!

Crowds. Washington, DC is full of crowds trying to get to places. People rushing to work, people rushing home, people rushing to meetings. The metro is always shoulder to shoulder during rush hour. Everyone walks with a purpose because everyone does have a purpose. Even at the park, it’s more relaxed, but there are still crowds of people. Looking around, I realized that I am now a part of this bustling crowd.

The wonderful thing about these crowds of people is that no matter where I go in the city, people are making a difference. From making someone’s day with a delicious pizza to donating to a good cause, there’s always happiness amongst the hustle. Every now and then, everyone takes time to relax and enjoy each others’ company. Taking the time to get to hear people’s stories, it’s easy to see that everyone has a place in this city. At the office, I hear so many stories about the impact World Food Program is making, and each co-worker has their own contribution. I have studied nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in school, but to be a part of one is an incredible experience.

At the end of June, I wrote a blog post for my internship about an article called “30 Women Under 30 Changing Food”: http://wfpusa.org/blog/importance-women-food-and-agriculture. Women play a large part in food security; almost half of the world’s agriculture and fishery labor forces are women. Also, women work longer hours because they have less access to necessary resources. Along with the women that work directly in the fields, women are influential in the market, government, and all aspects of food security.

These women featured in this particular article were all young yet accomplished. Leanne Brown, age 29, is author of Good and Cheap, a cookbook with recipes for those with limited income, particularly those on food stamps. Yasmin Belo-Osagie is co-founder of She Leads Africa at the age of 26; She Leads Africa provides business advice to female entrepreneurs in Africa. All of these women have done incredible things already; it is an inspiration to me to read their stories. Access to resources and opportunities are a major obstacle for many women worldwide. I am blessed to have so many people in my life that are willing to help me. From my supportive family and friends to my university that offers programs such as the CAPS Fellowship, I am surrounded by support. Even here in DC, my CAPS mentor Carrie Parrott Monahan and coworkers are all eager to help me make my next step. By offering connections and suggesting possible career paths, everyone is very encouraging. This summer has been inspirational and eye-opening. I am still uncertain about where I will work after this summer, but I feel much more equipped to find a job I’ll love. I know some of what is out there and that everywhere, there are people that care and want to help. Even in a large city, the right support system can help you fit in anywhere. The extensive Valpo community is another wonderful resource. My roommates and my mentor Carrie all bring a piece of Valpo with them. We may be states away, but Valpo is always with you.

Although I have a long way to go, I am finally able to start to find my purpose. It’s a continual process that never really ends, and that’s invigorating. One’s purpose is as fluid as a crowd in the metro. In each place, every person has a purpose.

It amazes me how interconnected we are. We [the NLCS CAPS Fellows] have found ourselves saying “well you can’t do this without that” or “this is why we need that program” and “I understand how that mission overlaps with our mission”. My string of “ahh-ha” moments have been countless as I have realized the interconnectedness of the work I am doing, the work others are doing and the overwhelming amount of social injustices we are all confronting. This work can be compared to a puzzle, we all have a piece that has a part in a bigger picture. Each piece is unique, connected to another, and the puzzle’s completion is dependent on all the pieces coming together.  This idea lead me to the creation of the puzzle depicted below:

This summer I am working with the Philanthropy (Phil) Team at National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS). There are two components of the Phil Team; fundraising and community impact. NLCS started a grant program as a way to expand the impact they have on the older adult community. After conducting a community needs assessment, they defined five major areas of need and selected 15 ministries that were covering those areas. We are creating a video to showcase the 2014-2015 NLCS Community Impact Grant recipients and in an effort to materialize my thoughts I created the puzzle shown above. The red square lists the five areas most afflicting the seniors living in this area, each puzzle piece is one of the 15 ministries that was fully funded (totaling to $198,567) by the NLCS Community Impact Grant. The problems affecting seniors in these communities are beyond the capability of any one organization but together these organizations address each one of the five identified areas of need.

Kathryn and I at the Washington Nationals game on the 4th of July!

I have been fortunate enough to travel with my supervisor Kathryn Bearwald, the Chief Philanthropy Officer, to a variety of these sites. During our visits to Williamsburg, Washington D.C., and other surrounding areas we have been able to witness the overlap that exists among organizations, as well as the dependance these organizations have on one another. Each ministry has a niche market of services, but they complement their limited capabilities with a list of other ministries. Together these organizations provide a variety of opportunities, addressing a myriad of needs.

The beautiful and welcoming chapel located at The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, VA.

Additionally, the CAPS Program provides time for students to participate in a discussion together via Google Hangouts. During one of our “reflect-ins” we [some of the CAPS Fellows] gave a short debrief about the work we are doing this summer. The array of ministries and variety of experiences that everyone shared was truly remarkable. One fellow mentioned the difficulty of choosing just one area of social injustice to focus on. He/she continued to express the importance of knowing one area well, even if there are multiple areas of interest. This person’s difficulty resonated with my own struggle of discerning a specific sector to focus my efforts. As I ponder all of the possibilities, I am comforted knowing that we are all connected and humbled knowing my work is incomplete without the work of others. Similar to the ministries NLCS supports, as CAPS Fellows we are interdependent on each other’s work. My work with NLCS will not directly touch the lives of immigrants, confront the issues of discrimination, or address the challenges in NW Indiana. Therefore, I am obligated to rely on and support the mission of organizations that do provide these services. This does not lessen my responsibility to any one issue; rather it enhances my responsibility to other’s work, challenges me to get connected, and reminds me to be humble because of my dependence on others.

Pequeño mundo! (Small World)
We met Manuel and his mom at a church in DC this Sunday. They are from El Salvador and went to school with one of my professors and his wife. The really cool thing, my professor was one that I spent a lot of time with while studying aboard in Costa Rica.

As I enter the last few weeks of this fellowship I am excited to continue learning, discovering, and pondering. The lessons I have learned, the experiences I have had, and the opportunities this fellowship has provided are numerous! I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly. Affects all indirectly.” -MLK, Alabama, 1963

I attended church at The National Cathedral with my sister-in-law, Emma, when she came to visit.
“This is the nation’s most visible church” – Dean Hall

Here’s the Horton’s Kids office building. Located directly next to the United States Supreme Court and exactly across from the United States Capitol Building. Not bad, huh? This is where I’m lucky enough to spend my mornings- working with Horton’s Kids Youth Development team, researching best practices in older youth development, enrichment, and mentoring programs when I’m not crafting career prep lesson plans for high school students. The office is cute and welcoming- filled with bright colors and even brighter smiles of children on posters covering every empty wall. I loved it as soon as I walked in.

Here, on the other hand, is the Horton’s Kids Community Resource Center. Located directly next to an outdoor basketball court and a bus stop, and exactly inside of a Wellington Park housing project where nearly all of the children we service live. This is where I’m lucky enough to spend my afternoons- helping pass out diapers every other week, serving daily meals, sorting through donations for our food pantry and toiletry bank, when I’m not reading with, facilitating programs, and letting the youth tirelessly pull at and play with my hair. The center from the outside blends in with the housing project that it is located within, and when the large metal gate is pulled down to cover the windows and doors, barely looks livable. However, the inside is filled with bright colors and even brighter smiles of the actual children that come through. I loved it as soon as I walked in.

It seems impossible that these locations are barely a 15 minute drive from one another. One located right in the middle of beautiful Capitol Hill- where my commute consists of historic buildings and congressional staffers, interns, and sometimes actual representatives in tailored suits. The other located across the Anacostia River in DC’s Ward 8- where we drive as a team for safety reasons and the commute consists of boarded up shops and broken windows. It also seems impossible, to many, that I would even consider calling myself “lucky” for the time I spend at the Community Resource Center. The looks I’ve gotten from anyone once I mention the location of my work range from “I’m so sorry” to “are you crazy?”

My first Monday on the job I attended the weekly staff meeting in the office. The executive director sat down at the table, which was crowded with staff members who pulled up chairs and some who ate their lunch while others took notes. “Well,” Robin started, “one of our kids got shot last night outside of the center.” Everyone was, of course, filled with concern and sorrow, but not exactly shock. This was the fourth occurrence of its type in the past four months. Luckily, they have been majority foot wounds, and although several other kids got grazed by bullets in the drive-by, none were seriously injured. About an hour after that announcement, I was in a car on my way to that very spot.

Now, if you know me, this isn’t my first experience related to youth living in poverty, or “at-risk.” Coming from a suburb of Chicago, I was fortunate enough to tutor youth in the western neighborhood of Austin all through high school. Last fall, I spent my time in D.C. researching child poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness with the Children’s Defense Fund. I have always had a heart and calling to service those in need, particularly youth, and it is no coincidence that I ended up back in Washington doing just that. However, it is not hard to imagine the challenges that come with working hands-on with this particular population. There are youth who don’t seem to care about school, jobs, or their future in general- because the environment they’ve grown up in doesn’t encourage any of those things. There are children, as young as 4th or 5th grade, whose guardians don’t if they show up to school or not- some may even prefer if they stayed home to help around the house.

I would say I love what I’m doing despite all the challenges, but that implies that the challenges themselves aren’t blessings, and they are. I love what I’m doing because of and through each and every challenge. I feel a strong sense of responsibility and  connection to these kids and youth that I’m working with, and that motivates me and generously pushes me through even the days where I work until 8, or the Sunday’s that I work to take the kids on pool trips. You never even realize how much energy you have until you’re doing something you absolutely love and have a heart and passion for. Now, if this isn’t an indication of vocation, I’m not quite sure what is.
What I’ve learned thus far ranges from how to construct a lesson plan for high school students to most effective youth development programs to “street lingo” used by the kids in the neighborhood. (Yes, they actually created a glossary of terms to inform other staff and myself.) While I enjoy walking through Capitol Hill on the way to my office and having lunch breaks outside of the Library of Congress, I especially appreciate every minute spent in Wellington Park. The stark inequality is so blatantly obvious that I cannot help but feel responsible to help create and identify opportunities for the youth that live just 20 minutes from the President of our country, yet are seemingly forgotten by so many. I’m excited to see where this calling leads me through the rest of my time in DC as well as in the future.

The passage of time never ceases to amaze me. Moments long anticipated rapidly transform into present experiences and memories of the past. Short phrases can influence a lifetime, while hours of research can so quickly be forgotten. Time it seems, has no rules, no bounds, and though I was informed that my set time frame working with National Lutheran Communities & Services was to be for 8 weeks, the past few days have left me stunned in the question of, “how can it be that I only have three weeks left?”

I am incredibly thankful to the Institute for Leadership and Service, all those at Valparaiso University who support the CAPS Fellowship Program, the organizations that have provided internships for us this summer, and all those who have served as mentors, instructors, and guides for each fellow throughout his or her lifetime. In reflections with another CAPS

Summer concert at the foot of the Washington Monument.

fellow, it has become increasingly evident to me that all of our involvements and internships this summer are a culmination of past experiences, current passions, and the various walks of life that we have traveled in our short twenty-some years. While professionally, the internships that we are a part of continue to challenge us, educate us, and provide us with unbelievable opportunities, I believe that the greatest development can be found in the personal sphere, in the people that we meet and the life lessons that we accrue in these short months and are sure to take with us as we move forward in leadership and service.

I personally can attest to the life changing learning opportunities that I have found in the people and conversations at National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS). Before expounding upon the impact that those around me have already left, I suppose it best to provide a brief background about NLCS, their ministry and mission, and the work that I have been privileged to be a part of.

Waiting to cross the Potomac River by way of cable ferry.

National Lutheran Communities & Services is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. They are currently composed of three residential communities: The Village at Rockville, The Village at Orchard Ridge, and The Legacy at North Augusta, as well as a home care agency, myPotential at Home. Services provided through the communities and myPotential include independent living, assisted living, assistance with living, skilled nursing, memory care, and short-term physical, occupational and speech therapy. In my time at NLCS, I have had the opportunity to travel to all of these entities, and to experience the impact that the ministry of NLCS has in each location.

My internship is embedded within the strategic development side of NLCS, and is focused on the expansion of the mission and ministry of NLCS, and the ways in which NLCS can look to meet the continually changing needs of older adults and other constituencies of need. Specifically, I have had the opportunity to join a team of brilliant individuals working on the development of a new healthcare delivery model that seeks to keep the patient at the center of care, and focuses on health and wellness promotion and disease prevention. As my fellow interns at NLCS can attest, this project has left me incredibly encouraged and excited, as it has truly been an experience in which I have seen the active development and creation of the way I believe health care should be delivered. It has provided the opportunity to have a glimpse into the policy side of health care, to see the in-depth work that is required to enact change, and to be exposed to the dedication of others from a variety of fields all working towards a common goal. From the moment we arrived at NLCS, we have been considered a part of the team and given the respect and trust equal to those who have been working on this project for years. We have participated in team meetings, partnership development with acute care providers and universities in the area, and entrusted with research and contributions to the development of the program. The combination of all of these experiences surmount to professional development that is invaluable.

Walking through the streets of The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia.

None of these experiences would be possible were it not for the passion and character of all those who compose the NLCS team. Each day has proved to be an example of what can happen when servant leadership, empowerment, and respect are held at the core of an organization. Once, when driving through the rolling hills of Virginia to one of our communities, my supervisor, Dan, painted this atmosphere of dedication in words that I will never forget. “When you have the convergence of talent, time, and treasure, opportunity and need, you are obligated to act.”

Service is often presented as an option: an elected lifestyle for some, an occasional moment for others, and perhaps even as the sentiment of, “that’s nice, but not my thing”. We fall into a habit of allowing it to become a choice, a conscious act of beneficence, rather than a duty of humanity. But when endowed with the talent, time, treasure, and opportunity to meet a specific need it is evident that such service is not a choice, but a responsibility. To fail to act is to disregard that which has been entrusted to you. This is not to say that each person must take on every cause, or fight every battle. But it has instilled in me a call to awareness to the abilities that I have been given, the needs around me, and the opportunities in which the two may harmonize.

The weeks that have passed at National Lutheran Communities & Services have been filled with lessons such as these and with moments of conversation and events that have propelled deeper thought and exploration into what it truly means to lead and to serve. Five weeks have rapidly elapsed, a mere three remain. I cannot wait to see what each coming moment affords.

Moments of reflection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Throughout the week I participate in a different ministry of the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. Each ministry is an enriching experience that allows me to see a new perspective of immigration that, had it not been for this internship, I would not have witnessed otherwise. Yet before I begin to reflect on one of these ministries, there are a few things necessary to know about the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. ICDI formed under the leadership of Sister JoAnn Persch and Sister Pat Murphy, “whose names are synonymous with justice in Chicago” according to one of their volunteers. These Sisters are adamant about the holistic care of detainees throughout the entire process of detention, whether that means residency or deportation. The ministries of ICDI include pastoral care at detention centers, court watch at immigration court, post detention accompaniment programs at their houses of hospitality, and a prayer vigil every Friday as deportations are happening at the deportation center. In all ICDI has nearly 200 volunteers that enable these different ministries to provide care for detainees. For the sake of time, I cannot reflect on each of these ministries and summarize the experiences I have had thus far. However, I will reflect on one of my weekly experiences.

Every Tuesday I get in a car with three nuns as we make our way up to Woodstock, IL to do pastoral visits with detained immigrants. Quietly I sit in the back as the Sisters discuss how the other Sisters in their order are doing, what they had done over the weekend, and what exciting news they have about the other four ministries they operate. After my confusion has passed from the check-in on many of their Sisters and the happenings of their order, I am awestruck by how fast paced and dedicated the lives of these nuns are. Then I remember that they are triple and quadruple my age, which humbles any thought I have of how busy I think I am during the school year. Coming into my internship I prejudged this organization to be something that Sister JoAnn and Sister Pat did to stay busy in their maturing years; however, I was greatly mistaken.

Once we arrive at our destination, we are soon joined by a team of volunteers who come the same week of every month. Everyone greets one another with the warmest of welcomes as we make our way through security and into an empty pod where the detainees are held. Depending on the week, for the next two to four hours the volunteers and I will visit with a number of detainees. We wait at the entrance of the pod to greet their smiling faces, full of excitement from the opportunity to simply be with someone from “the outside” for a half hour. As they file in wearing the same orange jump suits as those incarcerated, we shake their hands and ask what languages they speak. Today I had the privilege to sit down and listen to six men tell me how they are feeling, which is usually a difficult task for any man. Yet, that difficulty fades away once someone has been held in detention, regardless of the length of time. I will share one experience from yesterday.

A younger man walked in and seemed surprised to be greeted by someone younger than fifty. He spoke English well. I asked him if he wanted to sit at my table. Eager to begin conversation, we introduced ourselves and then he immediately asked how I can got involved with doing this. What he really wanted to know was why I am doing this. So I explained how I got involved and he began to thank me for taking the time to come visit; we had not been sitting together for more than a minute.

For purposes of confidentiality, I will call my new friend Mark. Mark is 35 years old and hails from El Salvador. I asked him how he was doing, how are you feeling; a general but important question that I am sure he does not hear every day like many of us do. Mark responded first saying he was fine, next with a comment on the food, and finally that he was sad and worrisome. Attempting to explore the last comment more, I asked why so. At first he simply replied “because of my kids”. Then for the next thirty minutes, Mark expressed care and worry that only a parent can do. With his eyes illuminated from talking about his children, suddenly Mark’s face turned downtrodden with anxiety about possible deportation. I could see his hurt, yet in no way could I identify with his pain. The intensity of his worry is unlike anything I have had to worry about. Then Mark asked me how old I was, and I answered with 21 years old. He responded by saying that “we’ve been in this country for the same length of time”.

Mark wants nothing more but to be with his children and to be a good father. He does not want to be like his father, who left Mark, not because of deportation but voluntarily, when he was 7. That is the reason Mark explained to me that he will do everything he possibly can to be with his children, not matter the lot of his future: El Salvador or the United States. During our rich conversation, we formed a strong connection and a few things become abundantly clear to me. First, Mark will do everything within his power to be the father he desires to be and the father he knows his children need. Secondly, if Mark is deported from the U.S. it will be years before he can see them again. And lastly, I can do nothing to help Mark. I cannot fight his legal battle. I cannot help him with getting his family to El Salvador. I cannot help him see his kids again if they are separated.

The only way I can help is to sit and be present with Mark. Yet, for simply spending 45 minutes with him, for doing this small act of love, he expressed his deepest gratitude. I promised Mark that I would pray for him, his children, and hopefully for the future they will have together. He thanked me and quickly gave me a hug, both knowing we are not supposed to do that. Finally Mark said, “I want to do good things for my kids because God has blessed me with them, but also pray for yourself; that you keep doing good things”. All I had done was listen and ask the occasional question. I was simply present, but to him that was a good thing. Whether I think Mark should be deported or not is not the primary question. I have no say in that matter, nor can I help in one way or another. What matters is if Mark will have the opportunity to be a father to his children. All Mark wants to do is simply be present with his kids. That is not just a good thing, it is an essential thing.

But until his future is decided, I will continue to visit with Mark every Tuesday. I will come and listen to stories of his children, about the letters they write to him. I will come and be present, asking the occasional question that gives Mark the opportunity to relax his tightened shoulders and talk. Then after we part ways and in my feeling of helplessness, I will continue to pray that Mark will have the opportunity to be the father he longs to be; a father that is present with his children.

Above is one of the teams that goes to the detention center once a month. Sister JoAnn (front row in the dark green sweater) and Sister Pat (front row in the pink sweater) started the pastoral care ministry for detainees 5 years ago.