Thursday, August 28, 2014

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?




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