Food for Thought

‘Twas a dark and stormy night in Detroit which preceded a long-awaited dawn, a dawn that brought with it the promise of fruitful work and profound enlightenment. With hunger allayed by an expertly prepared breakfast comprising delicious oatmeal alongside satisfying fruits and yogurts, the Gannon Detroiters departed once more to work the earth and move the world one more millionth of an inch towards a greater degree of food equity.

Upon arrival, our happy group was greeted by the welcome prospect of a concerted effort to reclaim an overgrown greenhouse by diligently scouring it of all things green, living, dead, and otherwise. Our cheerful company of volunteers proceeded to patiently and studiously undergo a brief training which familiarized us with the finer points of handling agricultural instruments both simple and complex alike. What followed can only be described as a dutiful application of a newly absorbed skill set illustrated by a refulgent enthusiasm to see overrun planter beds renewed as fertile ground for future seedlings.

            The hinge upon which the events of the day turned was a second immersion into solidarity with our less fortunate brothers and sisters through a common meal at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. For the greater part, we all found this return to a relatively unfamiliar territory progressed with far greater ease this time around. The discussions were largely amiable and edifying; they involved encounters with people from all over the continental United States, all of whom had ended up in Detroit for one reason or another, reasons which they gladly shared.

            Following this pleasant midday meal, our merry band carried on to what would be the conclusion of the day’s undertakings at Earthworks. We happily and thoughtfully entered into a facilitated conversation with Shane that deepened our collective understanding of complex and multifaceted issues and concepts such as food justice and food security. Together we delved into questions regarding power and its relationship to food sovereignty. We all felt that we took away from this experience something of value, whether it was a fresh nugget of wisdom or a newfound definition of a complicated term.

            We decompressed from the day’s labors with an insightful reflection centered around the remarkable disparity between different grocery vendors accompanied by jocund camaraderie which together wrapped our experiences in a satisfyingly constructive bow. And so as we yet again find ourselves preparing for another day full of adventure, know of our continued thoughts and prayers.

With love from Detroit,

Detroit ABST 2016

Apples and Pears - Pictures!

Apples and Pears

Hello Family and Friends!

Today was a special day: our first day at Earthworks. We took a tour. We ate some food. We trimmed some trees. But it was much more than that. Entering into this new experience with open minds and open hearts, we first gave our undivided attention to Shane, our Earthworks community partner. After some quick introductions, he gave us a tour of the grounds supplemented by historical information. 

Some Q&A and relevant issue discussion followed, which led into lunch at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. We shared the meal with guests from the local area, joining with them through silence, conversation, and solidarity. As we discovered in our reflection later in the day, this was a touching and enriching experience for all of us. Whether we were out of our comfort zones or returning to a familiar experience, we entered into an important element of service; presence.

Once the lunch hour was over, we took a crash course in pruning fruit trees and tackled the unkempt growth of the orchard. Artful snipping, trimming, and sawing ensued. Although Patrick, our pruning instructor, didn't exactly follow up on our work, we left Earthworks relatively confident that our work was at least satisfactory (We hope). 

Our adventures did not end there; Kaustav, one of our accompaniers, had a delightful dish in store for us. After hours of his careful preparation, we indulged in a true culinary masterpiece that satiated not only our hunger, but our quest for the diverse tastes of the world. Sharing his Indian culture and cuisine with us proved to be a true blessing. 

As this "Leap Day" comes to a close, know that we keep you all in our thoughts as we prepare for tomorrow's adventures.

With love from Detroit,

Detroit ABST 2016

Welcome to Our ABST!

Hello friends and family!

We're excited to report that we are officially in Detroit! It's been a crazy couple of days, and we anticipate the next few days to be even better!

One of our themes for the week is experiencing different faiths, or "interfaith" relations, and we began to live that out this morning. We attended a Gospel-infused mass at Sacred Heart Parish. This was a new experience for most of us, and we found that we collectively really enjoyed the music.

This afternoon, we had the opportunity to explore the history of the city through the Detroit Historical Museum. This interactive experience let us learn more about the diverse past that Detroit has experienced, and will be valuable information for us as we continue our week.

Check back later to hear more about our adventures!

Love from Detroit,

Detroit ABST 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks for stopping by the Detroit, Michigan ABST blog! The 2016 group is still getting to know each other but we'll start sharing our journey together soon. In the mean time, please take some time to read previous trips' blogs to get an idea of what we'll be doing.

Looking back and ahead

Hello dear reader! As unbelievable as it sounds, a week has passed since our time in Detroit. (At least, I can't believe it!) After something extraordinary like this recent trip happens in your life, there may be difficulties adjusting back to the 'normalcy' of the life that you had. In ways, it's been easy, but there are still perspectives and experiences that echo with me as I think back on the time I spent in Detroit.

First of all, I was changed by the city of Detroit. My recurring thought has been: How can a city that gets such a bad rap with its crime rate, unemployment statistics and imbalance of resources still have a positive (even life-changing!) impact on my life? Sure enough, I saw buildings with signs on them that said, "Say something nice about Detroit" and "Support Detroit" painted on trash cans and on vacant store windows. There was resilience, pride and hope.

I was also changed by the people of Detroit. They exemplified the spirit of a city that refuses to break. For the most part, everyone we met showed compassion, zeal, and hope in their city. They formed communities with each other to help the marginalized that they call their neighbors.

Lastly, I was changed by the companions that I shared this adventure with. They helped me and everyone grow and feel part of our team. We experienced joy, heartache, and love; and we became our own family. I'm proud and blessed to call them my friends, and brothers and sisters. I miss you guys already.

It's sad to think that this experience has come and gone, and will never happen again, even if we try to replicate it. But memories and relationships were formed; strong, secure and full of love. I will continue to carry them with me for as long as I am here. The best part of my trip to Detroit? I was hoping to create change in my own way, but along the way, what I created changed me.

For that, I am grateful.

- Nathan 😄

vicTORI 😄

This week has been truly life-changing. It was a great learning experience for myself. With any experiences, there are some good things and bad things. Unfortunately, I was not able to be physically present as much as I wanted to be. Early in the trip I got sick and was not feeling well. I did not want this to affect the quality of my trip though. I tried to ride it out and decided on Wednesday afternoon it would be best to go to an urgent care. That was quite an interesting experience. I was put on quite a few medications,  and started to fell better over the next couple days.  The support from the group was so comforting and amazing, everyone started to seem like second family to me. 

As I mentioned previously, this trip was made of highs and lows, well, one of my highs was getting the opportunity to sit and meet great new people at Earthworks over lunch. Meeting new people is one of my favorite things because you can learn so much, the possibilities are endless.

 

When we visited the Detroit Institute of Arts I found a quote there and it really stuck with me and I would like to share it with you: "What's The Best Way to Explore Detroit? You could pay attention to the many stories in the national media. You could peruse  thousands of photographs of abandoned buildings. Go to a Tigers game. Take a bike ride. Or, you could talk to the people who know the city firsthand.... People who live, work, play, protest, create, and grow in this city."

My experiences in Detroit were so educational and life-changing it was such a blessing to be able to have such an amazing opportunity like this. 

Peace,

Tori