Tag: Harrisburg

A Day in the Life

Corps member Madi Keaton shares a day in the life at the Sycamore House!
A Day in the Life of a Sycamorean
7:30—Time to get up! If the honking and screeching brakes of the cars on Front Street trying to get to work don’t wake me up, then my alarm certainly will.
7:45—Bed made? Check. Teeth brushed? Check. Face washed? Check. I quickly pick out and outfit and then head upstairs to pack a lunch. Generally, my lunch is made up of a lot of little snacks that we happen to keep around the house, like string cheese, hard boiled eggs, baby carrots, and a piece of fruit. On mornings where I feel especially groggy, I boil some water in our electric kettle to make coffee from our French press. I pour it into my trusty Mason jar, gather my things, and head to my placement!
8:30—Thankfully, my commute to the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project is only a few minutes’ walk from the house. I sign in and head upstairs to my office, where I start my computer and begin checking my email. The rest of the day varies according to the projects I’m working on. I’m either doing research or writing or attending meetings—or a mix of all three! Today, I’m working on a document detailing how to bring diversity and racial equity into the workplace. Many of this year’s trainings have been focused on creating an inclusive and equitable workplace, so I am compiling all of the notes as well as outside research into a comprehensive report that can be referred to for years to come. I am also doing other miscellaneous tasks, like writing emails, printing rebuttals for cases, and having check-ins with my supervisors.
4:30—I leave work and head back home. For now, I’m taking a break from the mental labor of work and watching Netflix until I get ready for dinner.
5:30—I begin to prepare dinner. One of my favorite things to make is tacos. I grab corn tortillas from the fridge. Then, I heat up some black beans over the stove with salt, lime juice, and chili powder. I heat up the tortillas too, melting shredded cheese between them to keep each pair together. Then, I place the black beans and a dollop of salsa on each pair. Simple, but delicious! If some of my other housemates happen to be grabbing dinner at the same time, I’ll generally sit and eat with them.
6:00—I clean up the dishes from dinner and decide what to do with the rest of the evening. Usually, I spend it doing chores like laundry or sweeping a room and then relax for the remainder of the night. Sometimes, I go out to an event, like a book talk at Midtown Scholar or a performance. Occasionally, my housemates will all want to go out and hit our favorite spot—Arooga’s! We collect the coupons off of the back of Giant receipts. They allow for one free drink or a buy one, get one free appetizer. It’s a great way to drink and eat food that is bad for you when you’re on a budget!
10:00—Time for bed! I brush my teeth, wash my face, and set my alarm for the next morning.

Above image provided by Elisabeth Ivey.

Advertisement

Caring in Community

Read below as Ben shares about a community outreach event! 

Just a couple weeks ago, I had to pleasure of helping Beacon Clinic run and organize their community outreach event. It was an outdoor event right outside our clinic that we partnered with other health organizations. We had organizations from Penn State Health, UPMC Pinnacle, Contact to Care, and a whole host of other organizations that were able to show up. All organizations had one goal in mind: to look after those living within the community and to spread word about the types of services offered around the Harrisburg community.

Specifically, Beacon Clinic was able to provide health screenings for the community. People were able to receive diabetes checkups and have their blood pressure checked as well. Furthermore, those who were interested were able to schedule future appointments. Reflecting back on this experience, I realize now the true importance of looking out for fellow community members. On a Saturday morning, a great number of organizations all showed up with the mindset of putting the community members first. Being a part of the Beacon Clinic team that day solidified in me the true power not only about the provision that medical care can have, but also the willingness to serve and give back to the community.

Above image provided by Ben Shao.

Social Justice Session: Place and Space

During our Friday sessions, some of our time has been set aside to discuss issues of social justice. Each of us will have the opportunity to lead the conversation on a matter that’s important to us, and Chloe continued the series by sharing about Place and Space.  

Place and Space

“How could our hearts be large enough for heaven if they are not large enough for earth?” – Scott Russell Sanders

Close your eyes and think of your favorite place besides your home in a town, city, or village that you’ve spent a lot of time in.

Open your eyes and reflect on the place you chose. Why did you choose it? Do you have a memory or memories associated with that place? What makes that place comforting, exciting, or necessary to you?

When geographers talk about “place,” they aren’t just talking about a physical location. In fact, there are three fundamental aspects that create a “place.” First, there is the fixed, objective aspect of place: it is a location that can be found on a map. Second, there is the “locale” of place. Locale refers to both the materials that make up the place whether that be bricks and mortar or grass and swing-sets as well as the history of the place.  And finally there is the “sense” of place: the subjective, emotional, and personal attachment that individuals have for that place. Place is a meaningful location formed through ritual and routine. It is the local library down the road or the grassy public park behind the school. Space, on the other hand, is an undefined area without these layers of personal and shared meaning.

When we think about “environmental issues,” sometimes our minds go straight to Nature, or the idea of wild animals living in far-away lands untouched by humans.  When we think about Creation Care, we might think about protecting endangered species or national parks. It isn’t about people.

In his essay “Buckeye,” Scott Russell Sanders describes his childhood home in rural Ohio, now scarred and polluted. Grieving for the destruction of this place he loves, Sanders says:

“We had no shared lore, no literature, no art to root us there, to give us courage, to help us stand our ground. The only maps we had were those issued by the state, showing a maze of numbered lines stretched over emptiness. The Ohio landscape never showed up on postcards or posters, never unfurled like tapestry in films, rarely filled even a paragraph in books.”

This destruction of places is deeply connected to our nation’s racist history. White settlers, for example, saw this land as empty space, while the Native Americans that already lived here saw the land as a place, full of memory and meaning. What might be empty space for us, might be a sacred place for someone else.

The way that we see place and space has everything to do with the racism and ecological devastation built into our system. The theologian and pastor, Dr. Willie Jennings describes in his lecture “The Origin of Race,” the relationship between race and place, and he reveals the Church’s involvement in creating the current system of injustice. Sanctioned by the Church, White settlers forcibly displaced both Native Americans and the Africans that were brought to the Americas as slaves, violently separating them from the places that were steeped in generations of meaning and cultural identity. Jennings says this trauma has become a part of the land itself as well as generational trauma of those peoples. And he reveals what our role can be in addressing this injustice and generational trauma.

First, he tells us to both learn the history of our places and the spaces and to tell their stories. We must start asking questions like, who lived here before I did? What was this building before it was a library or a church? And who are my neighbors, past and present? Through her placement at Messiah College’s Center for Public Humanities, corps member Elisabeth connects with students who work on a project called Digital Harrisburg, an online curation of the social history of Harrisburg, which includes interactive historical maps of the city as well as a series of place-based oral histories called the “Finding Home Collection.” You can learn more about the history of Harrisburg as a place and the ongoing efforts to tell those stories here: https://digitalharrisburg.com/

Second, Jennings urges us to involve ourselves in what he calls the geographic shaping of our cities, towns, and villages. The fact that poverty can lie across train tracks, or a river, or sometimes just a few streets over from wealth is no accident. It is all based on human-made decisions that become policy through city planning and zoning. And because they are human-made, we can speak out and change them. You can learn more about racially-discriminating practices like redlining here: https://smartasset.com/mortgage/what-is-redlining, or find a City of Harrisburg planning commission or zoning hearing board meeting here: https://cityofharrisburg.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002346628-2019-HARB-ZHB-and-Planning-Commission-Schedule

And finally, Jennings says that we must reframe our theological and cultural ideas around Christian discipleship to focus on the here and now of place. He asserts that the Church’s historical emphasis on time and God’s kingdom as a future reality in a “New Heaven and Earth” is a heresy, declaring that space and place are just as important to God as time. Because of this, we need to develop a vision for the redemption of our spaces and places, of cities like Harrisburg. For Episcopalians, we have spiritual disciplines and practices, like prayer in the Daily Office or the liturgical calendar, that focus on the temporal aspect of our incarnate faith. But what about the spatial? How do we embrace our local places and spaces? What can you do now in the season of Lent to learn, confess, or fight the injustice within your city, town, or village?

If you have any comments or questions, be sure to start the discussion below. We will be continuing our social justice session next week with a discussion led by Katie about mental health.

Dr. Willie Jenning’s lecture “The Origin of Race” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZGwuwcHV0&t=2542s

Scott Russell Sanders, “Buckeye,” https://www.terrain.org/essays/29/sanders.htm

Tim Cresswell, Place: an Introduction

Above image by Manchester Archives+ in the public domain.

Behind the Placement: Elisabeth

It can be difficult to know exactly what a service year looks like. In addition to the communal interactions we have as a house, each member of the Sycamore House engages in the community through a full-time service placement. For the next several weeks, you will get a peek into the world of each Sycamore House member, highlighting the unique contributions they make to their organizations. In Behind the Placement, you’ll be able to read about the projects Sycamore House Members work on, the reflections they’ve been having, and how it all ties into their year of service! 

Although my journey with the Sycamore House began in August, my relationship with the Center for Public Humanities started all the way back in March of 2017. While studying abroad in Thailand, I snuck away to a quiet corner of the house and made a call for an interview. On the other end was Dr. Corey and the then Program Coordinator and former Episcopal Service Corps member, Jonathan Barry Wolf. As we chatted, they explained the various facets of the Center for Public Humanities, and how, as a fellow, I would get the chance to work with young students through poetry and participate in the humanities symposium that provides a venue for many brilliant minds. I served a year as a student fellow when I returned to campus, and I’ve now had the wonderful opportunity to continue my work with the Center for Public Humanities as Program Coordinator!

My role involves many moving pieces. One of my favorite programs, Poetry in Place, invites middle school students from the Harrisburg school district to explore different aspects of the city. Whether we’re walking through the State Museum of Pennsylvania or riding on the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat, I’m constantly learning new details about Harrisburg’s past. Perhaps one of the most sobering discoveries for me was about the Old 8th Ward in Harrisburg. Because of the efforts to make Harrisburg a more beautiful city, that entire community was uprooted and displaced from their homes. Now, the Capitol complex stands there. Thanks to the research conducted by Digital Harrisburg (another branch of the Center), students got to hear the names and learn about the lives of people who lived there all those years ago, and they wrote poetry to reflect on that experience. They blow me away every time as they connect deeply with issues like social inequality and also dream boldly to envision a better future.

In addition to Poetry in Place, I also work on campus at Messiah College, helping to coordinate the student fellows who work with the Center. During the fall and spring semesters, 8-10 students from various humanities backgrounds come together to have discussions, work on projects, and further our commitment to making our studies beneficial to and in partnership with the public beyond our campus. Last semester, several students coordinated interviews with elderly community members who shared their perspectives on education in Harrisburg. A couple of fellows have worked diligently on the Digital Harrisburg initiative, documenting the past of this city. Another team worked on cultivating a curriculum that could serve as a resource for Harrisburg school teachers, and yet another team documents this work to keep people updated on what we’re doing. I’m honored to be a part of the group, assisting where I can and learning from the students who have so much to offer.

Both as a fellow and program coordinator, I’ve been able to experience the challenges and rewards of collaboration. As we tread further into February, we prepare for the Humanities Symposium for which every member of our team has worked hard to prepare. This year’s theme is The Common Good, and we’ve been inspired by the Key Note speaker Marian Wright Edelman to learn more about education and how we must continue pushing for equity for children.  

I truly love what I do because it allows me to pursue meaningful work in a creative way. I’m thankful for the people that I work with, like Dr. Jean Corey, who has taught me so much about humility and dignity and hard work, and though I don’t know what step I’ll take next, I hope that I’ll find myself in a similar environment where creativity, social consciousness, and collaboration thrive.

– Elisabeth

Above image provided by the Center for Public Humanities.

Behind the Placement: Shannon

It can be difficult to know exactly what a service year looks like. In addition to the communal interactions we have as a house, each member of the Sycamore House engages in the community through a full-time service placement. For the next several weeks, you will get a peek into the world of each Sycamore House member, highlighting the unique contributions they make to their organizations. In Behind the Placement, you’ll be able to read about the projects Sycamore House Members work on, the reflections they’ve been having, and how it all ties into their year of service! 

Hello everyone!

We are now five months in to the Episcopal Service Corps year, and so much has been going on around the Sycamore House. As we started the New Year, a lot of us spent time thinking about 2018 and changes or growth we want to achieve in 2019.

I am currently placed at the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Bishop’s office in downtown Harrisburg. My role has me doing many things around Central PA and has given me the opportunity to meet amazing clergy and lay people.

As an events coordinator, every week and month can look different, depending on what events we have coming up on the horizon. For instance, every month we do a “Bishop Out of the Box,” where Bishop Audrey Scanlan and Canon Dan Morrow plan ways to get out into our communities, meet people, and have meaningful conversations with those who may not want to go to church.  So far we have done things such as a Live Nativity, a walk around Lancaster central market asking people what they are grateful for and what they hope for, and an Agape Love Feast.

Occasionally, I have bigger events on my docket that take longer to plan and require a lot of conversations. For instance, currently we are in the throes of putting everything together for the June 2019 Appalachian Camino and the Bishop’s Open Golf Tournament in May 2019.

Besides making phone calls, researching information, and answering emails, I get to take part in more coworker community time. Every week we have a staff meeting where we discuss what’s on all our plates, have a Bible study together that we take turns leading, and then take communion together.

Of course, we can’t forget one of the best perks of the job at the Diocese – Lily Grace and Rey. Our office has two adorable barn cats turned spoiled office cats that keep us all on our toes. With their playfulness, cat naps, and need for attention, we always have entertainment and kitty cuddles on hand for breaks.

Overall, working at the Diocese has taught me how to push the good boundaries, reach out to people in faith, and allow spirituality and church (meaning the community of believers) mingle outside of Sunday settings.

– Shannon

Above image provided by Shannon.

Social Justice Session: School to Prison Pipeline

During our Friday sessions, some of our time has been set aside to discuss issues of social justice. Each of us will have the opportunity to lead the conversation on a matter that’s important to us, and Ben started us out by providing insight into the School to Prison Pipeline cycle. 

School To Prison Pipeline

What is the School to Prison Pipeline?

  • A national trend where children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
  • Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect, and students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the discriminatory application of discipline

Disparities this Creates:

  • One report found that black children constitute 18 percent of students, but they account for 46 percent of those suspended more than once
  • Another report found that while 8.6 percent of public school children have been identified as having disabilities that affect their ability to learn, these students make up 32 percent of youth in juvenile detention centers.

What is Causing This Epidemic?

  • Inadequate resources in public schools
  • Zero-tolerance policies that automatically impose severe punishment regardless of circumstances
  • School resource officers patrolling school hallways, often with little or no training in working with youth

Ways to Avoid the Pipeline:

  • Create supportive, healthy environments in schools
  • Provide flexible ways of intervention that account for the unique backgrounds that these children come from
  • Train teachers on the use of positive behavior support for at-risk student

Have Any Questions or Comments? Join the discussion in our comments section! 

Ben Shao, Sycamore House MemberBen Shao is a Corps Member with the Sycamore House for the 2018-19 year. His placements are at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area and Beacon Clinic. Read more about him here: Meet Ben.

 

Above image by Ken Teegardin, used with permission under a Creative Commons License.

Meet the Members: Elisabeth

Hello to all!

I’m Elisabeth Ivey, a writer and coffee enthusiast (I’d like to personally thank the generous members of the St. Stephen’s community for keeping me well-supplied).

I’m also a recent graduate of Messiah College, where I studied English and Sociology & Anthropology. Those two areas of study intersect in my desire to study the people and the world through story. I’ve personally experienced the powerful influence of story to stretch me beyond my own experience. As an author-in-training, I hope the stories I portray will similarly challenge and affirm readers.

I haven’t strayed far from where I spent the last four years. As Program Coordinator with the Center for Public Humanities at Messiah College, I have the honor of working on the very same campus that’s been home for some time. I cherish my work. In my position, I’ve had the opportunity to work with brilliant students who dedicate themselves to research and the community in their roles as fellows. Through a program called Poetry in Place, I get to tour and learn about Harrisburg alongside middle school students before they compose poetry to reflect on those experiences. In whatever work I pursue next, I hope it allows for the same creative and thoughtful work I’ve been able to engage with at the Center.

Before college, I lived in seven different states, so I grew accustomed to the idea that a transition meant a geographical change. When I learned I would get to stay in the area for another year, I realized I would get to practice presence and learn how to grow deeper into the community here. I’m thankful for this chance to experience the city in new ways. Living in the Sycamore House, attending St. Stephen’s, working at Messiah College, and exploring Harrisburg, I anticipate a year of growth as I learn from those around me and engage in intentional relationships. Thank you for being a part of that!

Photography by Owen McCullum

Meet the Members: Chloe

Hi, my name is Chloe! Last May, I graduated from Calvin College in Michigan with a degree in English Literature and Environmental Studies. I’ve spent my life thus far split equally between three places: Beijing, China; Birmingham, Alabama; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Because of this, I’m not entirely sure where to call home, but this year I’m excited to explore a new place.

Since I spent the first chunk of my life in China as a missionary kid in a small Reformed denomination, I’ve grown up appreciating the role of culture and the importance of community. When I studied in England for a semester during college, I was drawn to the liturgical and ecumenical aspects of the Anglican tradition. Through my time living in the Sycamore House, I hope to learn more about the Episcopal Church as well as how to live intentionally with others.

This year, my service placement is with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club. As a national grassroots environmental advocacy group, the Sierra Club is largely volunteer-run. My position as an Organizing Fellow primarily involves supporting these volunteer leaders across the state, creating resources for local groups and coordinating statewide strategies for their environmental justice campaigns.

The majority of my work supports the state’s “Ready for 100” campaign, a national movement that advocates for clean and equitable energy, urging local legislators and decision-makers to make commitments to renewable energy and offering action plans to back these resolutions. In light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report, this work feels more critical than ever.

Although it’s been just over a month, I’ve already been challenged and stretched by my time here. And I’ve been incredibly grateful for walks along the Susquehanna River, the goodwill and humor of my housemates, the kindness of my coworkers, and the generosity of the members of St Stephen’s.

Here’s to a good year and to good things to come.

– Chloe

Meet the Members: Katie

Hi, y’all!

My name is Katie Lamp, and I came to Sycamore House by way of small town Alabama. I graduated from the University of South Alabama in December 2016 with my Bachelor’s in Social Work. Before arriving in Harrisburg, I worked in community mental health as a case manager. This year, I will be serving with Capital Area Head Start. I am excited about this opportunity because I have always loved working with children and I am looking forward to being a part of early interventions that will benefit these students for years to come.

Whenever someone finds out where I’m from, the first question is always, “Why Pennsylvania?” The answer is that Pennsylvania is home, too! I was born here along with my mother and three of my grandparents. I fondly remember many summer vacations here and always told my parents growing up that I was going to live here one day, even if just for a year. I’m happy that my statement was correct!

In my free time, I love exploring my new surroundings, reading, and listening to music and sports radio. I love watching football (NOT an Alabama fan!), baseball, and hockey. I am also very interested in genealogy and have composed a substantial family tree archive. When I’m back home in Alabama, I spend a lot of time with my Godson who is almost 4.

Serving with Sycamore House is a dream come true, and I cannot wait to see how being a part of the house, St. Stephen’s, and the Harrisburg community over the next year will impact my life for years to come!

Meet the Members: Ben

Hello! My name is Ben Shao, and I am a recent UConn graduate majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology. My career goal is to practice medicine, and I wanted to take this year after recently graduating from college to serve others and practice the humanity side of medicine that I think is so vital to becoming a great physician.

This year, I will be serving at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area and Beacon Clinic. My role at Habitat for Humanity is to identify grants that best fit our organization and help write them so that our organization can continue in serving the families of Harrisburg. At Beacon Clinic, my role is to help low-income individuals navigate through the complex world of healthcare insurance and help in any way possible. These two placements have been a blessing for me, as they both involve my passions towards healthcare and homelessness. As someone who wishes to become a physician in the near future, I know that the lessons that I will learn between the two placements will help me gain a broader idea of how healthcare relates to other various aspects of life.

I have lived the past 16 years in a small, seaside town just on the outskirts of New Haven, CT. Growing up in the same community for a long time has helped develop a strong connection with the place I grew up in, and it strengthened my passion and belief of giving back to the community. What drew me to the Episcopal Service Corps, and specifically Sycamore House, was the idea of being a part of the Harrisburg community and serving those that I would be sharing this community with. While it has only been a little over one month since moving into Harrisburg, I feel welcomed here in the city of Harrisburg, and I am eager in exploring and growing in this wonderful city.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time outside and staying active. I enjoy playing most sports, but my favorites to play are basketball and tennis. I also love to stay indoors as well sometimes and watch movies, TV shows, or read autobiographies or memoirs. Here in the city, I have noticed the plethora of activities and organizations that I can get involved in, and I am excited to explore my hobbies and passions within the city of Harrisburg.

I am very thankful to be a member of the Sycamore House this year, and I am looking forward to both serving at my placements and also getting to know both my wonderful housemates and the St. Stephen’s community!