I'll Be There

Hey folks!

The first order of business this fine Detroit morning was to attend a mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church whose mission statement describes it as "a diverse parish rooted primarily in the Gospel of Jesus and in the heart of the community of Detroit." It was a gospel style service to which our group members all reacted differently. Some table-sharers were moved by the music while others found the nature of the church challenging.

After the service, we traveled through a neighborhood that gave us a better picture of Detroit. Our destination was On the Rise Bakery (check out the website to learn more here: http://www.cskdetroit.org/bakery/) which in contrast to the neighborhood filled us with hope and a unique perspective on some of the citizens of Detroit.





We had the privilege of meeting two men involved with the ROPE (Reaching Our Potential Everyday) program: Taiwon, who graduated from the program, and Brandon, who is currently enrolled in the program. The bakery which employs members of the program explains that the ROPE program "focuses on helping men who have been recently released from prison or completed substance abuse treatment."  Upon being asked to describe the food, Taiwon expressed that all the baked goods are 'dangerously' delicious. The general feeling among the group was that it was more dangerous being tempted by the pastries than it was entering the community. The other customers willingly expressed their support of the bakery and kindly took a moment out of their day to speak to us. Brandon worked diligently and spoke comfortably with us. Taiwon generously donated the small tip we were able to give him back to the bakery which has given him so much. 

A grocery trip later in the day demonstrated the malleability of the relationship between consumer and producer. Although the store was run by a family of Middle Eastern descent, the grocery team found items less derivative of Middle Eastern culture and more suited towards the needs of the community. 

For the evening's reflection, the group gathered around our table and drew suns whose rays were labeled with people, places, or events which have inspired who we are today. As we discussed these meaningful aspects of our lives, we became a more unified group, open and accepting of each other and our backgrounds. While we, the table-sharers, broke the bread from On the Rise Bakery, we broke out of our comfort zones. 

I'll Be There, and we'll be here all week!
-The Table Sharers

P.S. Happy Birthday to Vernadette!!