News
Goodbye ARSP volunteer generation 2009-2010!!And Then There Was a Smile Written by Laurie Eytel, CVA A parent came with a burden to bear... They came looking for guidance... And perhaps a kind word You saw their challenge... And decided to help... Your caring voice opened a door A child came looking quite sad... And then another, with defiance... And you welcomed them all They all came with stories... Which were all unique... You offered your help – and you listened You may have provided a meal... You may have provided gifts... You may have provided guidance You may have worked behind the scenes... But slowly a change came about... The mood seemed lighter... And then there was a smile,... Maybe first from you... Then maybe from a child, a parent It made all the difference to those you touched, The child, the parent looked to you... And then there was a smile! Thank you for the smiles you provide!!! |
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Homelessness in Philadelphia - One Step Away
"One Step Away is Philadelphia's first newspaper produced by those without homes for those with homes. The monthly tabloid includes news about homelessness and affordable housing as well as creative writing, photographs, illustrations and other content produced by those in temporary shelters operated by RHD and other nonprofits."
To find out more about One Step Away, click here!
Also, read an article published in the newspaper and written by Wayne Smith, a resident with one of our project partners, Project H.O.M.E. |
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ARSP CongratulatesARSP congratulates Wolfgang Herz-Lane, former ARSP volunteer in Camden and board member of the American Friends of ARSP, who was elected as the new bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synode on June 12th. Read more here!
"I was in North Camden, the poorest neighborhood in the poorest city in America. I thought, 'Oh, my God, what have I gotten myself into?' " says Herz-Lane, 56. "But I fell in love with the people. They were incredibly accepting and welcoming of me, a white German guy. And I fell in love with Grace Lutheran Church." On Tues, July 29, The Philadelphia Inquirer also wrote about his experience in Camden.
Our current Projects in Camden are the New Visions Homeless Shelter and the Christus Lutheran Church and Academy |
Germans, Survivors Confront Shoah Together
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Photo by William Burgey |
On April 14th the Jewish Daily Forward ran an article about the work that ARSP does in Pittsburgh, Boston, New York and Camden.
"I couldn't believe that people could be so cruel to one another until I heard Mr. Weinreb's story," Dean Hogdon said. Bachmann then told the teenagers about how she was forced to confront her country's history when she visited Auschwitz and Buchenwald. She said that until she visited the camps, she did not have a German identity. "The Holocaust defined me as a German," she told the teenagers. "For the first time, I felt responsible for what my ancestors did."
Bachmann said she was especially struck by the horror of the lingering scent of human hair that had been removed from the Jews and was on exhibit at Auschwitz. "I felt connected to the victims," she said.
During an interview, Bachmann related that while she wants to know what her grandfather did in the Waffen SS during the war, she is afraid of what she might discover. "I struggle with what to think of him," said Bachmann, who was 4 when her grandfather died...Read more
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Spotlight on CamdenOn Sunday, April 11th, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story on our volunteers in Camden, focusing on the work with the New Visions Homeless Shelter, Frank's Place.
"He gave me a black eye last night," says one woman. The 30-year-old mother of eight, who has no home, removes big sunglasses to reveal a bruised eye socket.
Another refers to physical abuse as a girl and declares she has decided to live life with love, not violence.
With a faint German accent, a small voice pipes in: "I was told once that when people grow up seeing stuff like that, they either do the same thing or they do the complete opposite. It looks like you've done the opposite, which is really amazing."
The simple statement of affirmation - perhaps the only positive words the women have heard all week - comes from 20-year-old Lucia "Lucy" Mair, the latest link in an unlikely, unheralded, 31/2-decade connection between Germany and Camden... |
News from our project partners
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Interreligious TaskForce on Central America (IRTF)Volunteers needed for IRTF fair trade outreach/sales:
September 6 - Peace Show, downtown Cleveland
Saturday, October 9th, 2010 - Ohio Fair Trade ExpoJohn Carroll University
Last year, 200 fair trade advocates- students, consumers, people from faith congregations, and business people - gathered to learn, take action, and grow in their commitment to socially conscious consumerism. This year, the Expo will offer 18 workshops to choose from and an even larger Fair Trade Marketplace. For more information and to sign up, visit www.ohiofairtrade.com
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Jewish Council on Urban AffairsThursday, August 19th 2010 - "Know Thy Neighbor": Iftar in the Synagogue 2010Anshe Shalom Bnai Israel Congregation, 540 W. Melrose, Chicago 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
JCUA and Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation invite Muslim and Jewish community members to "Iftar in the Synagogue," a unique interfaith gathering during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish month of Elul.
To find out more and to RSVP, click here!
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