Presently, as Shelter Manager of Lamoille Community House/LCH, I have two patron saints. Both patron saints are landlords, because shelter is the message.
One is Howard Manosh, who I have never met. He is the landowner of the Plaza Hotel, who I bet most of you know. Mr. Manosh’s former hotel is the location where LCH is temporarily stationed. The Community House use of this space is on the heels of other recipients in limbo: The Plaza Hotel was the temporary county courthouse during their renovation, as well as the temporary Hyde Park Elementary School. At the Plaza we have corded off a corner of the old hotel. One room is a men’s bunkroom, a second room is a women’s bunkroom, and a third room is a staff/common room. The space is ample: warm, dry, carpeted and communal. Our other patron saint is Roger Marcoux. Sheriff Marcoux has gone to bat for the shelter numerous times. He is the landowner of our fondly named yellow house sight where we hope to open one day. He has undertaken a respectful pick me up renovation of this home. Both landowners receive quite little in material return, motivated, their actions tell us, by community need. There are many, many of us who, whether we are silent or vocal, are grateful. Shelter, is not merely a roof overhead, it is a medium for the message of safety, warmth, and nurturing playfulness. A shelter is a place for people to gather, to celebrate and heal. The Community House wishes to thank all of you who donate and volunteer, serving our community with a vision of the whole, of all people equally. And we wish to thank our patron saints. May you all be filled with love and kindness. -by Jacquie Mauer 12/16/18
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Elijah’s Cup and the Warming Shelter
By Jacquie Mauer The warming shelter opened its doors at St Johns Episcopal Church on December 27th 2017 during the deep freeze under the direction of Father Rick Swanson. Quickly, our own Rabbi David joined in supporting this mission, as did the 2nd Congregational Church in Hyde Park, and United Church of Johnson. Each congregation has mobilized numerous volunteers, many of you who have been open to this grassroots all-volunteer opening of hearts and home, delivering food, blankets, toys and collaborating regarding operational services or leading a shelter shift. This has truly been an inspiring movement for me to witness. I joined in on shelter business in mid January as a member of JCOGS and as a Tikkun Olam committee member. Tikkun Olam means to repair the world: an impossible job. Yet, it is my belief that if each one of us tries to heal oneself and is generous towards others our world will be continuously better off than the opposite possibility: to become blind to need, and to stop being open to trying. Tikkun Olam – to repair the world - holds an open palm at the heart of its mission that as Jewish people, a celebratory people, an inquiring people, we can hold space to support others, we can lend a hand for the greater good of humanity, and help resolve conflict in a healing manner regardless of the recipients denomination or cultural history. Imagine this: Being homeless. At the end of the day as the sun begins to set there is no door to walk through, no hook upon which to hang your hat, no calling out to a loved one ‘I am home’, no couch to lean in, no kitchen for warming one’s belly. No drawer full of dry clothes. This could happen to any of us. This doesn’t happen to more of us in times of need because many of us have nets to catch us: families or friends who temporarily step in to catch us; either with money, kind friendship, or a roof and warm meals to set us up right again. When there is no net: Poof! A bad decision spoils years of your life. The floor drops beneath you; can you even see that far down? It is deep indeed to the bottom, to the cardboard box. And from there, where is the ladder to climb back up? The bottom can be dark. The shelter is an extended hand. We extend a hand so our guests can climb the first few rungs of the ladder on their journey towards reclaiming autonomy. We offer a doorway to a temporary home. Come in, warm up, take a seat, enjoy a warm meal, rest. Then begins the work with our collaborators, social services: Lamoille Mental Health and Capstone, to name just two active non-interfaith community members. We welcome our guests in to the shelter, and we want them to receive the services they need to reclaim autonomy, and to move on. A shelter is critically needed in our Lamoille Valley. This paradise in the old green mountains holds secrets in its alleys and along its lesser-traveled dirt roads. A 2017 study identified 64 known/reported homeless people in Lamoille Valley – individuals, some of whom are children, living outside during winter months, and this year similarly, living in tents, in cars, or under cardboard. It seems the least we can do is to welcome: open our doors, cook, set up Red Cross cots, and volunteer a few hours. A little like Elijah’s cup? We offer with all our heart and hope that Elijah will join us each Passover, or perhaps all year round for some. But if we do not open the door, to our hearts and our homes, how will Elijah find his way to our table? If we close our eyes how will we see? Beginning on March 1 our shelter has been located in a yellow house, located behind the Lamoille County Players, in Hyde Park. The consistency offered of a single location, rather than moving services from congregation to congregation every couple of nights as was the schedule prior to March 1, has benefited our guests who in the complexity of their day-to-day lives need simplicity and grounding where they can find it, and for our volunteers who come in for overnight shifts, as evening or morning helpers, cleanup crew or laundry brigade or meal providers, are supportive in maintaining the life of our shelter. On April 15 our shelter will close for the season, though our work is just beginning. In order to re-open next winter we have much to organize to evolve into a more sustainable version of ourselves after our first year of instruction. I think the model of starting a shelter from the bigness of one’s heart – from the depths of compassion – is a fascinating way to begin a project. The (com)passion lights the way. From the depths beneath the net, a ladder, a hand, a cup, and a light reveal a path to try for the doorway of tikkun olam. |
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