Poverty is not only a lack of money, it’s a lack of sense of meaning.

Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Today the volunteers spent the day helping to get everything set up at The Way and ready for the summer. While this isn’t probably the most exciting service to do, they did it with enthusiasm and love. Because of all their hard work, the rest of the PVs summer will run that much smoother. Thank you to each and everyone of them!

A large part of the PV experience is community and what better way to celebrate community than to share a Thanksgiving meal together. We had turkey and all the fixings. What a nice meal!

Tonight’s reflection we were asked to think about a struggle we have had this last year, as well as a joy. As people shared very personal struggles you could feel the groups acceptance of all and the comfort everyone felt with each other.

We are off and running in Wyoming County…Volunteers arrived on Saturday and yesterday was spent getting to know each other and getting set for the week ahead. It looks to be a great week weather-wise, so we should be able to get quite a bit done.

We are once again staying at The Way in Mullens and besides staying there this summer, we will be providing a drop-in center for the kids Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. We look forward to getting to know the kids who use The Way during the year. We will be trying to up date daily, but please be patient as our internet access is a bit limited this year.

The PV Summer Program in West Virginia kicks off on Saturday. We are expecting close to 100 volunteers to come to the mountain state to join in community, service and reflection. We will be posting daily on the blog, so if you can’t join us, please follow along with us on the blog and website, and know you will be with us in spirit!

Send prayers for a good, safe summer filled with lots of great moments and memories, and while your at it… not too hot and not too much rain : )

This past week was a wonderful week of service, community and reflection for the PVs in Seattle. The days were full, the weather was great, and by the end of the week I think we all were a good tired. Thank you to the organizations we worked with, for your hospitality and inspiring work. Below is a list of the organizations and links to their sites so you can read about the amazing work they do all year. If you are in Seattle and interested in helping out, please let me know and I can link you up. And finally, thank you to the volunteers who joined us and for all those who have supported us. You are the best!

Community Meal – The community meal is a monthly, free sit-down meal held at OLG (Our Lady of Guadalupe) in the Walmesley Center/Gymnasium. Everyone in the community is invited to attend. It is conducted ‘restaurant style’ where the guests are served at their tables. The goal is to provide a hot meal once a month for those in our community, in particular for those who may not regularly have a hot meal. Inviting the whole community provides a way for all of us to share a meal and conversation together. OLG receives additional volunteers from other West Seattle churches and service groups (youth and adult).

St. Francis House – St. Francis House is established in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi to be a presence in Seattle to serve those in need and to inspire simplicity and charity in its volunteers and those they serve.

Nature Consortium – Nature Consortium is a grassroots, community-based organization whose mission is to connect people, arts and nature. We produce a Youth Art Program, an Urban Forest Restoration Program and the Arts in Nature Festival.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Peace Garden –  It is a place to grow produce for Lettuce Pray, a local program that donates fresh produce to the White Center and West Seattle Food Banks during the growing season. In addition, a labyrinth has been constructed to provide a place of prayer and reflection for not only our parish but for the larger community.

Operation Sack Lunch – Sack Lunch is a meal and basic necessities provider serving the un-housed, no and low income, food insecure children, women, and men, who call Seattle their home. We are a grassroots project that began in 1989 with 30 lunches in the kitchen of founder, Singer / Song Writer, Beverly Graham.

Union Gospel Mission – Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission provides emergency care and long-term recovery services to hurting and homeless people in the greater Seattle area.

Low Income Housing Institute – The Low Income Housing Institute develops, owns and operates housing for the benefit of low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington state; advocates for just housing policies at the local and national levels; and administers a range of supportive service programs to assist those we serve in maintaining stable housing and increasing their self-sufficiency.

Westside Baby – We are the only social service agency in West King county area that collects, inspects and distributes free diapers, clothing, cribs and safety gear for babies and children. More than 120 local social service agencies, including shelters and food banks, rely upon us to provide critical necessities for low-income families.

Today was a busy day. We spent the day working at Westside Baby in White Center. Originally the plan was to help to dismantle car seats for recycling, but after a small electrical fire at their facility last week, they moved locations across the street. While everything was moved by the time we arrived yesterday, they needed help sorting the baby and clothes. It was nice to see so many great clothes donated. We each took a picture with our favorite outfits. Midway through our sorting an expected semi-truck full of diapers arrived. The staff came from high and low to help unload and we joined in. 45 minutes later we had moved 2,400 boxes of donated diapers.

When we finished at WS Baby we headed north for the PV Potluck. It was a wonderful night celebrating the PVs and friendships. Thank you to the more than 30 people who came to “be a part of it!” Your generosity and kindness is much appreciated.

The 2015 PV Seattle week was a wonderful experience with new sites and continuing to build relationships which we worked with in past year. Each year the PVs become more and more a part of the Seattle Community.

Today was an early day for us, as we had to be at the Union Gospel Mission in downtown by 7am to help with breakfast service as well as help to prep for a special graduation dinner that they would be having this evening. I was great to work alongside several of the men that are currently in the program and to hear their stories. After we finished at the gospel mission we headed over to the Pike Place Market to grab some breakfast before going on our afternoon site.

In the afternoon we worked with Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) an organization that works with housing issues across the board from homelessness, shelters, transitional housing and affordable housing. Today we helped do some yard work at a transitional housing complex for families with children. We did a little mowing and raking to get the complex ready for the spring and summer seasons. Several of the children who live in the complex were trying to lend a hand wherever they could.

This evening we took advantage of a sunny, warm evening and had a beach fire down on Alki Beach, complete with a hot dog roast and smores. We were even serenaded by some young folks at the fire next to us, playing Amazing Grace for us.

What another great day. Today we worked with Operation Sack Lunch, an organization feeding Seattle’s hungry for over 25 years. Their mission is “to provide dignity, care and compassion through action with the example the each person can make a difference. To education and advocate acceptance and understanding of each other’s differences. To ultimately bring about the realization that we are all a vital part of this world and with extended effort put an end to homelessness, hunger and hatred.” They carry out their mission by providing healthy, organic meals to the hungry of Seattle. Today we helped to prepare and serve meals to the people at the Compass Center and then took the meals on the road to site where anyone can come and get a good meal. We saw probably over 150 people come to get a meal. It was a wonderful and fulfilling day.

After we finished up with our service site we took advantage of being in downtown and went to the Seattle Center, Pike Place Market and everywhere in between. We closed day with a nice meal and reflection, and another beautiful sunset.

Today’s theme was connecting to the earth! The day began at Pigeon point Park, part of the West Duwamish greenbelt, the largest urban forest in Seattle. We joined 30 other volunteers to work with the Nature Consortium, a grassroots, community based organization whose mission is to connect people, arts, and nature. Specifically the work we did was part of the Urban Forest Restoration program. We cleared a large patch of invasive Himalayan blackberry, while being careful to leave the native blackberry.  In time these areas will be replanted with native trees and bushes. Very difficult work, but a great team effort! Two local musicians played music to keep us motivated and entertained.

Afterwards we headed to Our Lady of Guadalupe church where the PV’s have worked the past 2 years in building a garden, called Lettuce Pray, that helps feed local food banks. Today we spread cedar chips to keep weed growth down.

Dinner consisted of soup made with sweet potato, spinach, and veggie sausage – hearty and delicious – just what we needed after a challenging day of physical labor!  For reflection we listened to a song about letting mystery be, and pondered where mystery was found in our day…