Episcopal Church Women, Author at National Episcopal Church Women

About Episcopal Church Women

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Episcopal Church Women has created 648 blog entries.

A Young Voice for Climate Change

adrienne elliott By Lisa Bortner

Adrienne Elliott, pictured right, works for the Diocese of Olympia in Western Washington as the Program Coordinator for Multicultural Ministries & Community Transformation, which also includes Creation Care. In 2022 she finished her Master’s in Climate Science and Policy at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Beyond the work she does for Olympia, she is also involved with the Diocese of San Diego’s Creation Care Community. Adrienne is passionate about intersections of environmental justice, grassroots organizing and activating the church for partnership with the wider community.

Adrienne addressed the attendees of the “It’s All About Love” Festival as a participant of the Tuesday morning plenary that focused on Creation Care. Adrienne was one of three “Young Voices for Climate,” and the recording of their session can be found at: episcopalchurch.org/its-all-about-love/. During her presentation she focused on the importance of vocation, as reflected in this adaptation:

To start with her own vocational journey, she recalled her first feeling of climate anxiety in a high school environmental class as the severity of the climate emergency and its devastating impacts truly sank in. Unfortunately, her passion and despair were met with no resources or onramps for faithful engagement at her nondenominational church.

Reflection #1: What are you doing in your life and in your parish to welcome and support young people (and folks of all ages!) who feel the weight of this crisis? What does listening, pastoral care and communal invitations to lament and action look like?

Thankfully, since high school, Adrienne has found that her faith not only has a lot to offer this conversation—she believes our movement on Creation Care and all the relationships it invites us to reorient are crucial to healing our church and our communities and accounts for much of the harm that Christianity has wrought—write large!

In her first year of university, Adrienne learned the term vocation, which can be thought of as “the place God calls you…where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger” as taken from Frederick Beuchner. This intersection transformed her understanding of who she was in relation to the collective and became a tool to discern where her energy and time should go, even beyond what she did for work. Adrienne’s love for the Episcopal Church also grew when she learned how vital vocational discernment is in our formation as the ministry of the baptized. “In listening to my life, I’ve found that my “vocational lane” is somewhere in the realm of racial, economic and climate justice and care for our communities enacting such justice,” explains Adrienne. Here are a few quick snapshots of what that’s looked like for her:

studying eco-theology at university
growing food for redistribution in urban gardens with her church and at the Presbyterian church she worked for
co-founding an upcycled scrunchie company

Adrienne emphasized the importance of faith communities supporting young people’s interests and talents by providing access to decision making and onramps for involvement but doing this intentionally. After college, she was over-involved in church and totally burnt out.

Reflection #2: How can we support enthusiastic young people (and especially our young folks of color) to grow in the life of the church without taking on too much?

Adrienne thinks it starts with modeling healthy boundaries and the Sabbath, creating a culture of teamwork and identifying power dynamics present in the responsibilities of life and ministry together. We can’t afford to burn young people out by overburdening them with responsibility and unpaid labor while leaving them without spiritual care or support from folks with more free time and wealth. Regardless, after spending time in a mutual discernment group (which we all should do), she moved back to San Diego to be closer to her family and to pursue a graduate program to see the climate science, solutions and political realities for herself and to communicate it with her community (that’s us!). And well, it’s not looking great, folks. She was privileged to study Climate Science and Policy, and while it was amazing and horrifying to hear from renowned experts at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as many of you have smartly figured out, you don’t need to go to graduate school to know that all we have to lose is, well, everything.

Currently, we are on track globally to experience 2-3 centigrade of warming (or 3.6-5.4 Fahrenheit) by 2100 without massive change in every sector. These impacts will not be felt equally, as our most vulnerable frontline communities can already attest to. As her program director shared after listing the cascading effects of climate breakdown and chaos, “It’s not the impact that’s going to get us, it’s the fall.” How will we as a world, as a human family, deal with the global and local fallout that comes with “unprecedented” surges in sea levels, storms and droughts; geopolitical competition over collaboration; and a climate refugee population of 1.2 billion by 2050? The record-breaking heat waves of late and the disparity in media coverage are not super hopeful indicators.

So, without getting too doom and gloom, let’s talk about how we can faithfully show up and act. Caring for God’s good Creation means loving all of it. Creation care and climate justice encompasses: food systems; energy transitions; ecosystem and habitat protection; compost and waste; equitable access to education; public investment in green jobs and industry; environmental health; Indigenous/First Nations sovereignty; racial justice and reparations; curbing corporate power; protecting voting rights; and so much more. It effectively asks us to reimagine a world that is more loving, liberating and life-giving. With so many things that need doing, Adrienne believes vocation is a great place to start, or to come back to if you are already active in this space.

ven diagram voice of climate change Some of us may know the brilliant oceanographer and policy enthusiast, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, who launched a first-of-its-kind urban ocean policy lab and co-created the podcast “How To Save A Planet.” One of Adrienne’s favorite resources from Dr. Johnson is the Climate Action Venn exercise.

So, let’s take a look. And remember, you can reframe the “you” to “your parish”:

“What are you good at? Think about your skills, resources and networks. What are your areas of expertise? Who and what do you have access to? What can you bring to the table?
What is the work that needs doing? Think about system-level change. Are there particular climate and justice solutions that interest you? Maybe it’s starting a composting program, protecting forests, or getting climate candidates elected.
What brings you joy and satisfaction? What gets you out of bed in the morning? Don’t pick things that make you miserable and will burn you out! This is the long haul – find things that enliven and energize you.”

Dr. Johnson says, “The goal is to be in the heart of your Venn diagram, where these three circles overlap, for as many minutes of your life as you can. That will create way more progress on climate solutions than if each of us gets sucked into obsessing about our individual carbon footprints.” Getting to the heart of your Venn…sounds almost exactly like the place where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet, right? Using this tool in our personal lives and with our parishes can help us discern where God may be calling us. Adrienne invites us to take this exercise home to our churches and to listen deeply to your neighbors’ needs and assets.

Here are a few examples to illustrate. Maybe your church has a space with AC or a pre-existing ministry and network related to Creation Care, homelessness, or seniors. Your parish might find great joy in partnering with your community to fill tangible needs and building climate resilience. And, there is a very real and increasing need to provide respite from severe heat as we continue to break local and global temperature records, shocking even climate scientists recently amidst an El Nino period of increased temperatures and drought (and still increased fossil fuel use and investment). With all that in mind, cooling centers might be at the heart of your Venn as they offer folks (and sometimes pets) the space to get relief from the heat during the day and hopefully into the evenings. For our friends over 60 who hold the majority of wealth, maybe your climate action is to partner with organizations like 3rd Act to move your money, your church’s money, your diocese’s money and the Episcopal Church’s money out of banks that invest in fossil fuels and into banks that invest in pro-climate, not just carbon-neutral. Or, maybe your climate action is tending to your parishioners, neighbors and friends’ climate grief, anxiety, lament…and hope. This is especially important for young people who increasingly calculate climate chaos into big decisions like where they live and work, and if they’ll have kids. We can offer a safe space and even liturgy or other spiritual accompaniment to process these feelings and transform them into communal care and action.

In conclusion, Adrienne encourages us to move our book clubs into climate action and advocacy. Get out of our heads and into our hearts, into our bodies…and into our communities! Again, this climate emergency is going to take every one of us discerning which waves to make in the sectors and web of community that we inhabit. As young people and the rest of the world ask some really tough and existential questions about our shared future and what needs to be re-imagined, Adrienne hopes we can be in the conversation and meet the moment. Hope is a precarious word in this space and often, all we can do as people of faith is show up and embody it.

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-08T15:22:15+00:00December 8th, 2023|

Parlamento de las Religiones del Mundo

Weaving our story Escrito por Evita Krislock

Yo pensé, como podría nuestro equipo, ¿tratar de capturar la maravilla y espíritu de tal evento?

Bien, como todo en la vida, se lleva a cabo poco a poco. Nosotros solemos no saber a dónde nos dirigimos o que yace en el futuro. A pesar de ello, con fe y confianza seguimos avante. Nuestro trio-Christine Budzowski, Winifrod Follet, y Evita Krislock-se embarcaron en un viaje de tres años. Queríamos adentrarnos en los círculos de liderazgo de las mujeres, usando al Grupo de las Mujeres de Visión como nuestra fundación. Construyendo sobre esta fundación nos adentramos con mayor profundidad en el Arte Sagrado de Escuchar, y El Circulo de Milliontoth, explorando retos, oportunidades y necesidades. En dicho viaje hemos presenciado tal gracia en el desarrollo del liderazgo desde el corazón, una práctica de liderazgo circular, levantando las voces de todos dentro del círculo. Este no es acerca de un solo circulo, pero de millones de círculos que pueden de hecho cambiar el mundo. La clave está en que cada miembro, creando un espacio seguro y sagrado mientras honran nuestros ancestros, crea en el valor que juntos podemos hacer la diferencia.

Heading to registration Trabajando con un equipo de mujeres fantásticas a lo largo del país- Ann Smith, Lisa Towle, Edna Brown, Kay Lindahl, Barbara Schafer y Rachel Tabor Hamilton- Nosotros seguimos “convirtiéndonos”. Durante este viaje, nosotros presentamos en la Comisión de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Estado de las Mujeres en el 2022, abordando los problemas mentales, y más recientemente sirvieron en tres paneles el Parlamento de las Religiones del Mundo en Chicago, presentando un taller acerca de la Comunicación no Violenta y apoyando a los otros Círculos a lo largo del Parlamento. El número de los Momentos divinos sin innumerables, ocurriendo en las líneas de registro, encuentros en los pasillos, encuentros meditativos en las caminatas, reuniones de Quakers, coincidencias mientras nos sentábamos en el piso siendo alimentados por la comunidad Sikh todos los días, oradores motivacionales aupando a la gente a que se conviertan en activistas del Cambio Climático, festivales de música. Estos simplemente son solo algunos de los momentos que son parte de nuestra historia y nuestro ser.

Daily Sihk lunch Una foto vale más que mil palabras, y por consiguiente incluí algunas fotos que palidecen a la hora de capturar estos momentos divinos. Miembros de diversas Fe Religiosas de alrededor del mundo para atender la necesidad de reconciliación con la madre tierra, problemas de justicia social para con todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas y así poder atender la necesidad de reconciliación en tal manera que proveen luz y esperanza para el mundo entero. Nosotros solo éramos parte de un grupo pequeño que continuara a esparcir amor, compasión, y conciencia de que todos estamos interconectados, y somos valorados y amados por Dios.

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-08T15:15:44+00:00December 8th, 2023|

Parliament of World Religions

Weaving our story By Evita Krislock

I thought how can we, our team, try to capture the wonder and spirit of such an event?

Well, as with life, it is done little bit by little bit. We often don’t know where we are heading or what lies ahead, yet with faith and trust we move forward. Our trio – Christine Budzowski, Winifrid Follett and Evita Krislock – set forth on a journey three years ago. We wanted to delve into women’s leadership circles, using Women of Vision as our foundation.

Heading to registration Building upon this foundation we were led deeper into the Sacred Art of Listening, and The Millionth Circle, exploring challenges, possibilities and needs. While on this journey we’ve witnessed such Grace in the development of Leading with Heart, a circular leadership practice, lifting up the voices of all within the circle. This is not about one circle, rather millions of circles that can in fact change the world. The key is respect for each member, creating a safe and sacred space while honoring our ancestors, and believing in the value that together we do in fact make a difference.

Working with a team of awesome women from across the country – Ann Smith, Lisa Towle, Edna Brown, Kay Lindahl, Barbara Schafer and Rachel Tabor Hamilton – we continue to “become.” During this journey, we presented at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2022, addressing environmental issues, and most recently served on three panels at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, presenting a workshop on Nonviolent Communication and supporting other Circles throughout the Parliament.

Daily Sihk lunch The number of God moments are too numerous to count, occurring in registration lines, collisions in hallways, tender meditative labyrinth walks, Quaker meetings, chance encounters while sitting on the floor being fed by the Sikh community each day, music washings and inspirational speakers addressing the need to become activists as we address the Climate Crisis. These are just a few moments that are now forever a part of our story and our being.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and so included are a few photos that fall short of capturing this God-filled event. Members of various faith traditions from all across the globe came together once again to address the need for reconciliation with Mother Earth, and social justice issues with all of our sisters and brothers were addressed in such a way that provides hope and light for the entire world. We were just one small part of a tapestry that will continue to spread love, compassion and awareness that we are all inter-connected, all valued and loved by God.

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-08T15:12:35+00:00December 8th, 2023|

Fue un momento Divino

Mary-Hansen-Wolfe Escrito por Samar Fay

Casi no ocurrió. Un minuto o dos, tarde o temprano, y las dos mujeres nunca hubiesen reconectados sus lazos que tenían más de 50 años de data.

Mary Hansen Wolfe y su sobrina viajaban en el otoño de 2016, regresando a la casa de Mary en Salida, Colorado, después de un viaje de pintura a Vermilion Cliffs en Arizona. Caprichosamente, Mary sugirió que se desviaran un poco hacia Navajoland, en el extremo noreste del estado, para visitar la escuela donde ella había sido consejera y directora del dormitorio en 1967-68. Nazlini sigue siendo una pequeña comunidad de unas 500 personas, que alberga un internado de la Oficina de Educación India. El dormitorio albergaba a unos 140 niños en la época de Mary, niños que vivían demasiado lejos para viajar de ida y vuelta todos los días.

Les tomó un tiempo encontrar la escuela porque los caminos y los puntos de referencia habían cambiado. El edificio de la escuela y los dormitorios fueron reemplazados en la década de 1980. Caminaron alrededor de los edificios, conscientes de que inmediatamente serían vistos como forasteros y esperando no ser intrusos. Cuando se abrió una puerta y salió una mujer, Mary se identificó como la que había dirigido la residencia de dormitorios hace 50 años.

“Llevabas una pulsera de cuero”, dijo la mujer. “Tocaste la guitarra y cantaste ‘The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night’ (El Zorro salió en una noche friolenta” y nos llevaste a caminatas maravillosas. Usted es la señorita Hansen.

Esta mujer era Lorraine Nells, que estaba en segundo grado cuando Mary estaba en la escuela Nazlini.

“Fue un momento divino”, dijo Mary más tarde en una entrevista. “Un minuto, tarde o temprano, y no nos habríamos conocido”

God-Moment-Boy Lorraine, que trabaja en el dormitorio, y Mary conversaron un rato sobre los cambios en la escuela primaria (K-6), que matriculo a unos cinco estudiantes el año pasado, ahora que el distrito tiene autobuses escolares. Más tarde, Mary recibió una carta de Lorraine pidiendo plegarias por la escuela.

Mary relató esta experiencia en un servicio de sanación a mitad de semana en su iglesia local en Salida, la Iglesia Episcopal de la Ascensión. La rectora de Ascension, la reverenda Melissa George, cuestiono si la iglesia podía ayudar, y así se inició una campaña. Durante el invierno de 2022 y hasta la primavera, la iglesia recaudó donaciones de ropa, zapatos, libros, juguetes, juegos y materiales de arte para niños, además de ropa de cama y alimentos no perecederos. Las donaciones y la ayuda también vinieron de la iglesia misionera de Ascension, Little Shepherd in the Hills (El Pequeño Pastor en las Colinas) ubicada en Crestone, Colorado. Los voluntarios clasificaron y empaquetaron las donaciones en el sótano de la iglesia.

A principios de abril, las cajas fueron bendecidas y cargadas en tres vehículos, y la caravana realizó el viaje de ida y vuelta de tres días de duración a Nazlini

Las donaciones ayudarán no sólo a los niños de la residencia universitaria, sino también a sus compañeros de clase en la escuela. Quizás cuando se pongan un abrigo de invierno o lean un libro de cuentos, recordaran que su maestra tiene un amigo de hace mucho tiempo y los hilos de amistad duran mucho tiempo. También pueden crecer y rodear a nuevas personas en una iglesia donde aprendieron sobre los niños navajos y se preocuparon por ellos. La iglesia espera mantener una relación con la escuela.

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-08T15:04:40+00:00December 8th, 2023|

It Was a God Moment

Mary-Hansen-Wolfe By Samar Fay

It almost didn’t happen. A minute or two either way and two women would never have reconnected threads that were about 50 years old.

Mary Hansen Wolfe, pictured right, and her niece were traveling in the fall of 2016, heading back to Mary’s home in Salida, Colorado, after a painting trip to the Vermilion Cliffs in Arizona. On a whim, Mary suggested they detour a bit to Navajoland in the northeastern corner of the state to visit the school where she had been a guidance counselor and head of the dormitory back in 1967-68. Nazlini is still a tiny community of about 500 people, home to a Bureau of Indian Education boarding school. The dormitory housed about 140 children in Mary’s time, kids who lived too far away to travel back and forth every day.

It took them a while to find the school because the roads and landmarks had changed. The school building and dormitories were replaced in the 1980s. They walked around the buildings, aware that they would immediately be seen as strangers and hoping not to be intruders. When a door opened and a woman stepped out, Mary identified herself as the one who had run the dorm 50 years ago.

“You wore a leather bracelet,” the woman said. “You played the guitar and sang ‘The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night’ and you took us on wonderful hikes. You’re Miss Hansen.”

This woman was Lorraine Nells, who was a second-grader when Mary was at Nazlini School.

“It was a God moment,” Mary said later in an interview. “One minute sooner or later and we wouldn’t have met.”

Lorraine, who works at the dormitory, and Mary chatted for a while about the changes in the K-6 school, which boarded about five students last school year, now that the district has school buses. Mary later received a letter from Lorraine, asking for prayers for the school.

God-Moment-Boy Mary related this experience at a mid-week healing service at her home church in Salida, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension. Ascension’s rector, The Rev. Melissa George, asked if the church could help – and so a campaign began. During the winter of 2022 and into the spring, the church collected donations of children’s clothing, shoes, books, toys, games and art supplies, plus bedding and shelf-stable food. Donations and help also came from Ascension’s mission church, Little Shepherd in the Hills, in Crestone, Colorado. Volunteers sorted and boxed the donations in the church undercroft.

In early April, the boxes were blessed and loaded into three vehicles, and the caravan made the three-day round-trip to Nazlini.

The donations will help not only the children in the dormitory, but also their classmates in school. Perhaps when they put on a warm winter coat or read a story book, they will remember that their teacher has a friend from a long time ago, and threads of friendship last a long time. They can grow, too, and encircle new people in a church who learned about Navajo children and care about them. The church hopes to maintain a relationship with the school.

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-08T14:59:37+00:00December 8th, 2023|

Desigualdades en la Salud de Mujeres de Raza Negra

Recientemente, ha habido mucha desinformación sobre el estatus de la salud reproductiva de las mujeres en los Estados Unidos. Poca atención se ha prestado a la falta de equidad para las mujeres de raza negra. En la Publicación de la Salud de las Mujeres, Volumen 30, No. 2, los escritores Juanita. J. Chin, Imán K. Martin, y Nicole Redmond no solo discutieron las bases históricas de esta falta de equidad, sino que también enfatizaron la necesidad de la equidad en la salud.

Históricamente, las investigaciones concluyen que las mujeres de raza negra han sido subyugadas a una opresión sistemática, y a un tratamiento inadecuado. Evidencia posterior muestra que las mujeres de raza negra en los Estados Unidos han experimentado un tratamiento racial distinto. La Discriminación y la Segregación, y las leyes han suprimido a las mujeres de raza negra y a las mujeres en general en los Estados Unidos.

Los autores también creen que tú no puedes discutir el problema sin considerar el impacto en la salud física. La salud mental y física están interconectadas. A continuación, uno de los problemas presentados en la publicación:

Desorden de estrés Obesidad Enfermedad Cardiovascular Desorden de sangramiento

Mortalidad Materna Salud mental Salud de la maternidad mental

Desde 1995, El Centro epidemiológico de Piedra de la Universidad de Boston, el estudio de la salud de mujeres han estado investigando por que las mujeres de raza negra tienen un mayor índice de padecimiento en lo atinente a ciertas enfermedades. Estas enfermedades incluyen lupus, hipertensión, diabetes, enfermedades cardiovasculares, y cáncer desde una edad temprana.

Si nosotros como Sociedad estamos enseriados en la mejoría de las disparidades en la salud de mujeres de raza negra, entonces tenemos que remover las obstrucciones que previenen la salud igualitaria. Racismo y estrés son ejemplos de obstáculos que interfieren en la consecución de una salud óptima para con las mujeres de raza negra. Nosotros también que lidiar con el problema racial y de género. Además, tenemos que explorar maneras de intervención y prevención. Una seria atención debe ser dad a la creación de equidad en la justicia reproductiva que se alinean con derechos humanos.

by Annie Kate Jacobs – Social Justice Member at Large

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-07T16:34:47+00:00December 7th, 2023|

Inequalities in Black Women’s Health

Recently, there has been a lot of information on the status of women’s reproductive health in the United States. Little attention has been paid to the lack of health equity for Black women. In the Journal of Women’s Health, Vol. 30, No. 2, writers Juanita J. Chin, Iman K. Martin, and Nicole Redmond not only discuss the historical basis of this inequity but they also stress the need for health equity.

Historically, research shows that Black women have been subjugated to systematic oppression, bias, and inadequate treatment. Further evidence shows that Black women in the United States have experienced a racial difference in treatment. Discrimination, segregation, and laws have suppressed Blacks and women in the United States.

The authors also believe that you cannot discuss this issue without considering the impact on physical health. Mental and physical health are intertwined. Here are some of the physical issues presented in the article:

Weathering Obesity
Cardiovascular disease
Bleeding and blood disorder
Maternal morbidity and mortality
Mental Health
Maternal mental health

Since 1995, Boston University Stone Epidemiology Center Black Women’s Health Study has been investigating why Black women have higher rates of certain illnesses. These illnesses include lupus, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke as well as breast cancer at a young age. If we as a society are serious about improving disparities in the health of Black women, then we need to remove the obstructions to equal health care.

Racism and stress are examples of obstacles that interfere in the pursuit of optimum health care for Black women. We must also look at and deal with race and gender. In addition, we need to explore ways of intervention and prevention. Serious attention should be given to creating equity and reproductive justice that are more in line with human rights.

by Annie Kate Jacobs – Social Justice Member at Large

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-07T16:27:07+00:00December 7th, 2023|

La Colaboración Renacentista

El segundo piso del edificio “La Colaboración Renacentista” en Chicago, IL. tiene un portal al pasado. El antiguo edificio de la YMCA ha renacido como servicio de apoyo y lugar de vivienda asistida para los habitantes de Chicago que lo necesitan. Como ocurre con todos los edificios antiguos, algunas cosas funcionan y otras no. El ascensor de entrada no es una excepción y forma parte de los aspectos que no funcionan en los proyectos de renovación de edificios antiguos. Sin embargo, cuando la Junta Nacional visitó el lugar en la primavera de 2023, erigieron alegremente las antiguas escaleras de mármol y, al hacerlo, se sumergieron en un edificio que irradiaba historia y un legado imperecedero.

En 1913 se inauguró la YMCA de Wabash y, por diseño, pasó a desempeñarse como la primera YMCA en la región central del Oeste del país en atender a personas de color. El edificio histórico fue el corazón del progreso cultural y económico de los afroamericanos en la región de Bronzeville en Chicago durante más de medio siglo, y es aclamado como el lugar de nacimiento del Mes de la Historia Afroamericana.

A lo largo de los años, las instalaciones han albergado eventos deportivos, educativos y culturales que apoyaron a la comunidad local mediante el uso de su cancha de baloncesto, piscina, salones comunitarios y apartamentos. En el gimnasio actuaron artistas de renombre como los Trotamundos de Harlem en la década de 1940. El mural de la “Mente, Cuerpo y Espíritu” de William Edouard Scott, pintado en 1936, fue resguardado de la demolición por la Colaboración Renacentista (The Renaissance Collaborative) durante sus renovaciones en curso. Hoy en día, el mural sirve como foco de esperanza e inspiración para los residentes que antes estaban sin hogar mientras trabajan por ser autosuficientes.

Hablar del edificio como una entidad singular ilustra la dedicación de la comunidad por la estructura, pero aún así, los cambios culturales provocados después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial cambiaron la sociedad de muchas maneras. En la década de 1960 se sintieron tiempos difíciles y en 1969, la entidad del YMCA fue cerrada. En 1982, Wabash YMCA se vendió a la iglesia episcopal vecina de Santo Tomas por un dólar.

En 1992, Las Iglesias de Santo Tomas (Episcopal) ubicada en Quinn Chapel AME y la de Santa Elizabeth (católica) formaron una asociación ecuménica para auxiliar a Wabash YMCA de la demolición, nombrando a su asociación la Corporacion Renacentista “The Renaissance Corporation”. Liderados por Patricia Abrams, esta sociedad recaudo casi $11 millones para restaurar el edificio.

La propia Sra. Abrams proporcionó a las miembros del Grupo de Mujeres de La Iglesia Episcopal (ECW) coloridas historias sobre la renovación del edificio junto con un recorrido a pie por los terrenos. Durante la visita de la Junta de Directores, la representante de la Provincia V, la Señora Jan Goossens, y la presidenta de NECW, la Señora. Karen Patterson, entregaron a la Señora Abrams un cheque de subvención por valor de $000 dólares. Los fondos se destinarán a ayudar a la organización sin fines de lucro a continuar con su legado de viviendas de apoyo, desarrollo de la fuerza laboral, preservación de la historia de las personas de raza negra, sostenibilidad ambiental y desarrollo comunitario.

El Renacimiento utiliza un enfoque de desarrollo comunitario basado en activos, centrándose en identificar y aprovechar las fortalezas de una persona en lugar de centrarse en sus debilidades. Tras afianzar un sentido de autoestima y promoción del bienestar integral, su objetivo es el de restaurar vidas. En el lugar se encuentran 101 apartamentos de ocupación individual para adultos que anteriormente estaban sin hogar. Los residentes reciben medios rentables para pagar el alquiler, además de educación y formación profesional para garantizar su éxito en la sociedad. Aunque los residentes pueden quedarse el tiempo que sea necesario, los servicios tienen como objetivo aumentar los ingresos y la independencia de los residentes para que puedan reingresar exitosamente a la comunidad.

La Villa para las Personas de Tercera Edad 1 (Senior Village 1) es un centro de vida independiente de 71 unidades para personas de la tercera edad con bajos ingresos. La misión de la Villa para las Personas de Tercera Edad es la de fomentar un entorno donde las personas mayores sean participantes activos y saludables dentro de la comunidad, alcanzando así su máximo potencial y calidad de vida. Ubicado dentro la Villa para las Personas de Tercera Edad también hay un centro geriátrico de salud y bienestar abierto a todos los residentes y personas mayores que viven en derredor de la comunidad misma.

La Villa de Personas de la Tercera Edad de la Colaboración Renacentista es socia fundadora de La Red de Expertos de Envejecimiento Saludable en el lado Sur (Siglas en Ingles SHARE) de la Universidad de Chicago, la cual es una red sólida y comprometida con adultos mayores, cuidadores, proveedores de atención primaria y especialistas en envejecimiento que comparten recursos y educación para mejorar la salud de adultos mayores en el lado sur de Chicago. Gracias a esta asociación, variopintos especialistas en envejecimiento visitaron recientemente La Villa de personas de La Tercera Edad TRC, y ofrecieron charlas de salud sobre el manejo de medicamentos, artritis, salud cardíaca y actividad física.

En Julio de este año, La Señora Abrams se jubiló de la Colaboración Renacentista. Su Transición de líder a observadora no estuvo exenta del como ella vislumbraba a las futuras generaciones pasando a través del viejo edificio de Wabash YMCA. Durante su anuncio de jubilación ella paso a decir, “La antorcha es ahora de ustedes para empoderar a los hombres y dejar un impacto duradero en nuestra amada comunidad de Bronzeville.”

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-07T14:58:07+00:00December 7th, 2023|

The Renaissance Collaborative

The second floor of The Renaissance Collaborative building in Chicago, IL. holds a portal to the past. The former YMCA building has seen a rebirth as a support service and assisted housing location for Chicagoans in need. As with all old buildings, some things work and some things don’t. The entryway elevator is no exception and falls to the not working aspects of old building renovation projects. However, when the National Board visited the location back in Spring of 2023, they gleefully climbed the ancient-marble stairs and in so doing were immersed in the embrace of a building that shared her history and ongoing legacy.

In 1913 the Wabash YMCA opened and by design went on to act as the first YMCA in the Midwest to serve people of color. The historic building was the heart of cultural and economic progress for African Americans in the Bronzeville region of Chicago for over half a century and is hailed as the birthplace of Black History Month.

Over the years, the facility has hosted sports, educational, and cultural events that supported the local community through the use of its basketball court, swimming pool, community rooms, and apartments. Big name acts such as the Harlem Globetrotters performed in the gymnasium in the 1940’s. The mural Mind, Body, and Spirit by William Edouard Scott, painted in 1936, (pictured on next page), was saved from demolition by The Renaissance Collaborative during their ongoing renovations. Today the mural serves as hope and inspiration for the formerly homeless residents as they work toward obtaining self-sufficiency.

To speak of the building as a singular entity illustrates the community’s dedication for the structure but still, the cultural changes brought on after World War II changed society in many ways. Hard times were felt in the 1960’s and in 1969, the YMCA was closed and shuttered. In 1982 the Wabash YMCA was sold to neighboring St. Thomas Episcopal Church for one dollar.

In 1992, St. Thomas Episcopal, Apostolic Faith Church, Quinn Chapel AME, and St. Elizabeth Catholic Church formed an ecumenical partnership to save the Wabash Y from demolition, naming their partnership “The Renaissance Corporation.” Led by Patricia Abrams, these partners raised nearly $11 million to restore the building.

Ms. Abrams herself provided the ECW women with colorful stories of the renovation of the building along with a walking tour of the grounds. During the Board’s visit Province V representative Ms. Jan Goossens and NECW president Ms. Karen Patterson presented Ms. Abrams with a grant check for $1000. The funding will go to helping the nonprofit continue its legacy of supportive housing, workforce development, black history preservation, environmental sustainability, and community development. The Renaissance uses an asset-based approach to community development, focusing on identifying and building upon a person’s strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses. By instilling a sense of self-worth and promoting holistic wellness, their ultimate goal is to restore lives. Located onsite are 101 single-resident-occupancy apartments for formerly homeless adults. Residents are provided with a cost-effective means to afford their rent along with education and skills training to ensure their success in society. Although residents are able to stay as long as needed, services are intended to increase a resident’s income and independence so they can successfully re-enter the community.

Senior Village 1 is a 71-unit independent living facility for low-income seniors. The mission of Senior Village is to foster an empowering environment where seniors are active, healthy participants in the community, achieving their full potential and maximizing their quality of life. Located in Senior Village is a geriatric Health & Wellness Center open to all residents and local seniors.

The Renaissance Collaborative Senior Village is a founding partner of the University of Chicago’s Southside Healthy Aging Resource Experts (SHARE) Network—a robust, engaged network of older adults, caregivers, primary care providers and aging specialists who share resources and education to improve health for older adults on Chicago’s South side. Due to this partnership, numerous aging specialists have recently visited TRC Senior Village, offering health presentations on medication management, arthritis, heart health, and physical activity.

In July of this year, Ms. Abrams retired from The Renaissance Collaborative. Her transition from leader to observer is not without a glimpse into how she sees future generations passing though the old Wabash YMCA building. In her announcement she went on to say, “The torch is now yours to empower folks and make a continued and lasting impact on our beloved Bronzeville community.”

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-04T17:07:41+00:00December 4th, 2023|

El Proyecto de Hacienda de la Escuela Primaria Santiago

La Junta Nacional recientemente aprobó una subvención para las vacas. Las Vacas Lecheras para niños en el Sur de Sudan. La Señora Kate Jacobs, encargada de la Justicia Social para la Junta, anunció la subvención vía correo electrónico:

Querida Elizabeth Nyirou Thuc:

Gracias por su más reciente pedido para la Junta Nacional del Grupo de Mujeres de la Iglesia Episcopal (ECW) en lo atinente a la subvención del CUEED y el proyecto de hacienda de la Escuela Primaria Santiago.

Estamos honrados de ayudarte con este proyecto al hacer una donación de $1,300.00 para poder comprar dos vacas por el precio de $650.00 cada una.

De nuevo, felicitaciones y anhelamos escuchar de ustedes pronto.

Dios los bendiga,

Annie Kate Jacobs, Encargada de la Junta Directiva

Justicia Social (NECW)

Cristianos Unidos por el Evangelismo, Educación y Desarrollo (Siglas en ingles CUEED) es una organización sin fines de lucro, y apolítica fundada en el año 2010 y actualmente operada en el condado de Rual en Awan Pajok, diócesis de Gogrial en el Sur de Sudan.

CUEED y el comité gerencial de la escuela primaria de San Santiago luchan por el desarrollo. Los niños de la escuela primaria de San Santiago están aprendiendo a la intemperie bajo los árboles y las aulas de clases requieren más fondos para ser construidas, y por esta razón, CUEED está preparada para aplicar por fondos y enviarlos para su consideración durante la reunión.

CUEED está planeando el comprar 50 novillas preñadas para la expansión de las pocas vacas de la escuela primaria de San Santiago por las que CUEED está tratando de solicitar donaciones para contribuir con cualquier monto que se pueda para este proyecto donde una novilla preñada vale $650.00 y las donaciones pequeñas, medianas, y grandes son también bienvenidos.

CUEED ha establecido una granja lechera en la escuela primaria Rual y la escuela primaria San Pablo, y la gerencia de las dos escuelas tiene fondos necesarios. CUEED cree que en la generación de capital el proyecto per se es una manera de mirar al futuro para que los comités gerenciales obtengan dicho capital el cual les permitirá la construcción de edificios a través de los fondos del proyecto.

Respetuosamente le envió el proyecto de la granja lechera para la Escuela Primaria San Santiago para su apoyo. Las siglas CUEED en ingles significan en español “Cristianos Unidos por el Evangelismo, Educación, y Desarrollo. Fundado por miembros de la Iglesia Episcopal, trabajando en dos Diócesis Episcopales, Gogrial y Nyamalel en el Sur de Sudan. Dios los bendiga, tuya en Cristo.

Eliabeth Nyirou Thuc – Directora de Proyectos

cueedss.org

Episcopal Church Women2023-12-04T15:54:51+00:00December 4th, 2023|

Previous 91011 Next