Food Justice in Virginia

The Sunday after I returned from Boston to my home in Millboro, VA I gave two presentations about my time in Boston.  One at 2:30pm in Goshen with my home parish, and one after a potluck dinner at 5:30pm in Harrisonburg for Trinity Presbyterian where I attended during college.

I talked about YAV in general being like the Church's version of the Peace Corps for one year. life with mostly females, Lazarus at the Gate bible study, Farmer Dave's CSA distribution at my church, teaching people what kholrabi and other weird vegetables are, showing how leftovers go to the food pantry, etc.

I talked a little about Manna Mondays, but then the audience had some excellent discussion about how these themes could apply to my home community in the Shenandoah Valley and Appalachian Mountains where poverty, geography, agriculture, and local food all looks different.  Here are a few pictures I showed.

First of all I asked the refreshments be locally sourced.  In Goshen we got eggs from Chicken Lawhorn's Chickens, lemonade made with water from the mud puddle out back.  There were some delicous cakes and snacks as well.

Justine and Ray Tilghman, the forman couple of the Craigsville Food Pantry were there. The Craigsville pantry serves Bath, Augusta, Rockbridge, and parts of Highland Counties.  Mostly rural mountain communities.  They serve a much larger area than Burlington, but similar numbers.  Justine gets fresh produce from WalMart once a month the week before they open for distribution.  Usually it's close to going bad and needs to be tossed or sent to feed someone's livestock before distribution.  Things have been better since they got a walk-in refrigerator, but Justine is still concerned about the food waste.  She's been considering opening up once a month for a few hours just to give out produce so it wont get thrown away.  (If any of those links ask you to pay to read the full article send me an E-mail and I'll get it to you for free haneyja314@gmail.com)

Refrigeration and opening just a day for produce were two things Jane has been exploring in Burlington to manage the abundance of fresh produce from Farmer Dave's and the area grocery stores.  It was a good conversation of the two of us sharing ideas while other church members learned of ways they can help her.  Those interested near Craigsville should contact Justine at the pantry (540-997-5827) about volunteering for the vegetable only distribution, or helping deliver produce to those in need.

In Harrisonburg a few college buddies came which was awesome!  Mary, Rebekah, Tim, Mike, and Hannah you should all really think about YAV!  The discussion in Harrisonburg involved a lot about school lunches, hunger in schools, the new regulations, and the weekend backpack program.  It got a lot of church members talking about that with some of the college students who are still packing backpacks a few times a month.  We heard from some teachers the real problems hungry kids have in schools and how they hate to see them going for chips to curb hunger pangs.

Both discussions felt a lot like my time in Boston.  There was a lot of raising awareness of the issues, a lot of defining the problems and blaming others.  I walked away thinking that we all knew the problems better but lacked solutions.  But at the core of the discussion we shared ideas and options for real solutions in the respective communities.  That was my truest job as a YAV- stirring up conversation and empowering folks to make changes in their communities.  When it's all said and done, that's quite an impact for a year's time.

I was in Boston for a year, Virginia for a week, and Goshen/Harrisonburg for just a day.  My hope is that the pictures, the silly jokes, and the discussions can all stir up some spirit within folks to take an action, large or small to make something better.  Heck, if we all do something together, we all do something toward the same goal we are working as one body in Christ and what can stop us then?

What did I Learn as a Food Justice YAV Living with 3 Girls?

I wrapped up my term in Boston faster than I wanted to.  I felt like I had just figured out what I was doing, and then it all went away.  When I drove back on the 15th with Kathleen I was missing a lot of people, thinking about how much I've grown this year.  I want to share a few last reflections before I close out this blog.

People have asked me many questions about the year, so here are my top three answers to each of my top three questions:

What did you learn in Boston?  

1.  As a YAV in Boston I was in the top 5% of the world in terms of income.  Yes. On my approx $20,000 annual income ($470 per month plus $120 in food stamps plus everything YAV paid in car insurance, rent, utilities, and my dad's health insurance)  I had more money than 95% of the world.  That is right at poverty line in Massachusetts and I was in the top 5% of wealth in the world.  Every little bit we can give can make a big difference to so many people in the world.  Boston Faith & Justice Network's Lazarus at the Gate class helps us each individually become more generous with this abundant wealth we have.  I promoted that message all year.  It gave me a faith context and real life ways I could do something about the large gap between wealth and poverty in our world.

2. God cares about food and the church should be leading the food movement.  I came into the year thinking the Boston churches were bringing organic, local, fresh produce into their meals programs to be hip and trendy.  I felt like my scientific interest in saving the planet had no place in the church.  But around December I got smacked in the face with biblical definitions of Justice from the old testament prophets, the Manna stories, and the gospels, and then it was clear.  God wants us to take care of the widow, orphan, traveler, hungry, naked, sick, and those in need. We've all heard love your neighbor, and share your toys since childhood. The problems in our food system and environment are leaving people hungry, orphaned, traveling, and in need.  The church should be actively working for alternatives, and better systems so that we can effectively do these things the God asks (and sometimes pretty sternly commands) us to do.

What good does it do to feed the hungry with vegetables picked by migrant labor if the laborers cannot afford to buy the food they pick?  These are issues of justice that God has been concerned about before "Organic" and "Local" became trendy so God's people absolutely should be part of this conversation and deeply involved.  So let's get to it, we've work to do!

3.  Transition happens.  People die, people retire, people move away.  This year, I've lost people close to me to taking new jobs, new property, retirement, suicide, sudden heart attacks, and even my own moving back home.  So many I know have lost family members, classmates, friends, and family this year.  It happens, you can't avoid it, and it sucks.  When working with such big problems it's key to consider ways to sustain the solutions throughout the transitions.  Keep in mind how to invite others in to take your place, or to make tasks accessible for others to fill in as needed so that it doesn't depend on any one or two individuals.

What kitchen skills/ lessons will you bring with you?

1.  Save every last bone that comes through my kitchen, and every stem, peel and veggie scrap for soup stock.  I will never buy soup stock again.  (Also sorry to new Boston YAVs for all the duck fat I forgot to get out of the freezer)
2.  Buy root veggies with the greens on them, and eat the greens and the roots.  It's a two-for-one deal
3.  Gus was right when he told me making acorn flour was too much trouble and I shouldn't fool with it.

What is it like living with 3 girls?

1.  Not going to lie it was fun.  I got to share a tent, bathroom, and several nights out with just me and three ladies.
2.  The girls individually paid way more than I did on shower supplies and haircuts.  But really-a lot more, and they had to take trips to CVS without me to buy those bathroom things I don't have to buy.  So tell me why do men get paid more?
3.  Women (some more than others) like to talk about what's going on at certian times of the month and they speak every chance they can about men making political decisions about their reproductive organs.  This doesn't have to do with my fellow Boston YAV's specifically but birth control treats important things down there and some women take it because they need it, not because they are having sex.   Why does the supreme court allow companies to opt out of having insurance cover birth control, but still cover viagra?  How does this relate to my religion?

I will be posting a few more thoughts in the next few days.

What other questions do you have?  What are some things you learned about God, life, the universe and everything this year?

Busted Watermelon

Tonight I said goodbye to Jane McIninch.  She has been an exceptional mentor, one of the coolest and amazing people I've been blessed to work with.  I didn't realize until about a week ago how much I'm going to miss her.  If you come to Boston, look her up first, ok.

Food Pantry Co-coordinators Jane (left) and Cristina (right)
with the Farmer Dave's produce donations last fall.

 She doesn't know I've called her Wonder Woman to my housemates. She has her hands involved in Farmer Dave's CSA, the food pantry, the community garden, the chamber of commerce, the church, the YAV program, the schools, the soccer teams, the Walk for Hunger....  Just to follow her around is an insight into food justice work.  Jane is from Denmark.  She used to work in a corporate Biotech company. She used to own her own chocolate-making business!   Her husband James is a wizard, fixes anything, knows everything, and gives the children sermons at church.  Thomas their son loves to read, he's tall, quiet, pretty funny when he speaks and great at basketball. Their younger son Kasper plays the recorder, plays soccer, and mindcraft and is pretty good at frisbe.  Both kids always wear their red soccer uniforms (the Danish color) and they are all soooo intelligent.  We "youth's" hadn't been the closest of friends but I've felt like one of the family when I'd ask Jane for help on my projects at her kitchen table in between Thomas and Kasper asking for help on their homework.  They were the first family from my church I ever met, and the last one I saw.  They've given me lots of support this year, I'll never forget them.

Jane (right) helping Barbara, Seabrite
and Skyra roll out pasta dough at the

first Manna Monday.

Boy did they get some long noodles!!

I started really thinking about them hard on Tuesday morning and here is a pretty crazy story about Jane's family.

I said Jane does so much for the town of Burlington.   Monday she put an end to a high speed police chase.  For real! You may have seen it in the news.  It's crazy she and her kids are who they're talking about in this news report.  This guy was being chased from the Burlington Mall when he fled after being approached about idling in a handicap space.  Police chased him northward on Cambridge Street as Jane and I were driving south in separate cars. It was minutes after we closed the church from the Farmer Dave's distribution. Two police cruisers flew past me.  Reports said an officer (probably the one that flew past me) fired two shots at the driver. He tried to hit the policeman, rear-ended a car in his lane, then swerved over and hit Jane head on. Totaling both cars.  The dummy then got out of the car and tried to run away when they got him.  A local news article about it is found here.

Jane's kids were in the backseat. They are fine, a few seatbelt bruises and a little shaken up.  Both back at camp the next day and playing frisbe with me today.  One of the officers on the scene was their neighbor whose kid played sports with her kids.  Jane is ok, "just beat  up and without a car" she told me Tuesday.  They all are fine. Don't panic.  Her four watermelons and two cantelopes didn't have such a fortunate outcome.

I was literally 2 stoplights behind her, I left the church about two minutes later because I went back in the kitchen to grab two watermelons we dropped and busted during Farmer Dave's distribution.  I heard the shots and didn't think twice about it.  I saw police swarming in from everywhere and decided to take a detour home.  The thought crossed my mind, "sometimes Jane comes this way to the grocery store, but she's probably going home the other way because the kids are with her." I almost went all the way around the block to snoop and see what was up but I was running late so I went home.

I had no idea she was in that crazy mess, or exactly what all the crazy mess was until they texted me after midnight that she wouldn't be meeting me at the pantry in the morning.

Then I heard the NPR report on the way to work and put all the pieces together.  I wanted to kill the guy.  He's an idiot and he could have killed Jane--my only work supervisor who hasn't left me yet.  I felt a crazy anger overtake me and had to pull over and calm myself down. (maybe I got my own mental problems I need to work on.)

If I hadn't gone back in the church for that busted watermelon I'd probably have been right in the middle of all that. Probably texting the roommates I was running late.  I had some angels watching me.  And lots of angels were watching her and the kids. Whew.

That particular spot on Cambridge Street where she was hit is where I picked up the older lady on the walker a few weeks ago from a previous post.  It's a particular spot that I often get flashbacks to either my first day of work, or the day Gus died when I drive through. It always has been and continues to be slightly spooky.

It just takes an instant to take it all away. I am so thankful everyone can walk away from that accident and thankful for the police and medics.  I pray for Jane and the kids. I pray for the idiot who I wanted to beat up Tuesday morning.  He has no easy path before him. I pray for the annoying reporters bothering Jane.  I pray for those I know, and those I don't know who didn't walk away from their accident.  I pray that God can show us some signs of hope.

God of grace, thank you for today and that I am still here.  Reveal yourself to us.  Thank you for putting Jane in my life and for protecting her this week.  Thank you for letting me drop and bust that watermelon--it was delicous when I ate it, but quickly forgotten when I realized what craziness was going on outside of my table. May our eyes be opened beyond the delicious watermelon in front of us. May we see your wonderful works and see how to support those in pain.  Protect your children and help us show compassion to those who hurt us and make us angry.  Amen

image from
http://gawker.com/drug-cartel-busted-using-fake-watermelons-to-smuggle-we-1594695148