ALTERNATE FALL BREAK (with support from the Diversity Fund)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
October 12-15, 2007

The whole crew at Our Daily Bread

Diversity Fund Report

The University of Pennsylvania's Fall Break of 2007 was highlighted by ASB's inaugural Alternate Fall Break weekend trip to Baltimore, Maryland. Over the course of four days, thirteen Penn students from diverse backgrounds worked at several sites run by the umbrella organization, the
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Through service, we hoped to gain a more in depth and hands-on perspective of urban poverty and homelessness in Baltimore, draw comparisons to the situation in Philadelphia, and explore the diversity within our group and our surroundings.

We were provided housing in central Baltimore by the non-profit organization Project SERVE. Immediately, we were struck by the dichotomy of neighborhoods in close proximity to our house. Such a view presented a striking perspective on the different levels of economic prosperity within the city. Each workday lasted from 9AM until 2PM followed by a group service project in the afternoon. Between 9AM and 2PM, we divided ourselves into groups of three or four and went to one of three locations: Our Daily Bread, Christopher's Place, and My Sister's Place.

The first site, Our Daily Bread, is a soup kitchen with the capacity to serve anywhere between 500 to 900 meals a day. While they only provide lunch, the servings are large and paper bags are available for individuals to take food home for themselves or their children. The regular volunteers often describe the organization as a "well-oiled machine". It draws upon the charity of many churches and community groups within Baltimore to collect the food it needs to feed many individuals on a regular basis. Our Daily Bread has not missed a day in over 20 years.

The floor above the soup kitchen houses the facilities of Christopher's Place, an organization that provides temporary housing for formerly incarcerated or drug-addicted men. Members of the program are provided daily meals, training and other resources on how to find jobs and write resumes, and counseling on re-entering society. Our participants were struck by the challenges facing many of the individuals at Christopher's Place. We met men under twenty as well as those who had been in prison for over 10 years with no family or friends to provide assistance or support.

The third site, My Sister's Place, is a day shelter for homeless or battered women. They are provided a place to rest during the day, bathe, do laundry, and eat breakfast/dinner. Other resources include a playroom for children, mail services, and clothing for children and adults. The staff organizes daily workshops that cover topics ranging from health to preparing for job interviews. During our stay, a group of participants were asked to hold an impromptu health workshop on diabetes and hypertension. To the delight of our participants, most of the women in the shelter participated in the discussion.

We also volunteered at Sarah's House and the Hispanic Apostolate. The former is a shelter and transition home for families and single women. In addition to providing food and housing, Sarah's House assigns caseworkers to each family. At this particular site, our group cooked and served dinner for the residents. The Hispanic Apostolate is an organization that serves the growing Hispanic community in Baltimore. They offer a variety of services including ESL classes and legal advice. The participants who volunteered at this site taught English to Hispanic men and women at varying levels of fluency.

At the end of each workday, our group sat down to discuss our experiences at the respective service sites and reflect upon the trip's larger themes of diversity and poverty. As site leaders, we initiated the discussion by pointing out personal observations and recalling the diversity fund; however, it was not long before the participants began to initiate discussions of their own.

Among the many topics discussed was the issue of diversity in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and within our group. With regards to our work in Baltimore, one participant said that he was "struck by the disproportionate presence of African Americans at the soup kitchen, in the shelters, and homeless on the streets." While racial economic disparity is evident in Philadelphia, our participants thought that problem was even more troubling in Baltimore. With regards to the service activities themselves, comparisons were drawn between the soup kitchen in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and even Japan. Through our conversations, it became evident that our diverse backgrounds and individual insights made for a unique experience in Baltimore.

Overall, the participants enjoyed the reflection sessions and considered them to be an important aspect of the trip. One participant in particular said, "I think people brought up really interesting and insightful points ... we were all able to learn from each other, and enhance our own experiences through each others personal perspectives." Many of the overarching goals of the trip - to increase understanding of urban poverty and to encourage observation of the role of diversity in relation to that problem - were accomplished through these discussions. In the future, we suggest that site leaders initiate their reflections by exploring the differences within their own group. Participants must keep an open mind and be encouraged to observe as much as possible before discussions are held regarding the population being served. Pre-arranged materials with specific questions or topics can assist to draw particularly reticent individuals into the conversation.

Urban poverty is a complex issue, but our understanding of the situation was enhanced by our experiences in Baltimore. It was troubling to see such a large number of men and women struggle to make ends meet for themselves and their children. It was uplifting, however, to witness the dedication and enthusiasm of so many volunteers and the site coordinators at each service location. At the end of our trip, we not only developed a deeper understanding of poverty in Baltimore, but we were also able to recognize and celebrate the diversity and individuality of our group.

Written by Nate Sokol and Riya Rajan

Participants

Andrew Weinhold
Ami Patel
Ching-Yin Chen
Jasmine Saxton-Mariah
Jessica Bruno
Sean O'Keeffe
Shawn Wang
Michael Beecham
Tony Van
Vera Goldberg
Rachel Wong

Baltimore 2007 Site Leaders

Nate Sokol
Riya Rajan

Photographs

At Our Daily Bread with Ben, one of the Project SERVE volunteers.

Serving food at Sarah's Place.

Preparing dessert for the residents at Christopher's Place.

At the Project SERVE house, resting and studying during our down time.

Serve others, find yourself