Moreau Center Social Justice Programs

Tyler

Heritage University

By

              One of the most memorable destinations we visited today was Heritage University, the only non-tribal college built on tribal land in the Yakama Nation. The statistics presented by Melissa Hill, the Vice President of Students Affairs at Heritage University, shows that 65% of their students are Hispanic, of whom the majority are women. Yet, while 90% of the Washington population has a high school diploma, the percentage drops dramatically when it comes down to the Yakama Nation and nearby towns. This makes college impractical and somewhat unreachable to many kids, since their parents, as Melissa Hill suggests, might know the value of love, hard work, and community, but not the power of education. Thus, the goals of Heritage University are not only to enrich students’ knowledge and help them pursue their dreams, but also to educate students about their rights and their potential of changing the future. We had great discussions on food insecurity and ethnicity, as well as on the “then what?” that addresses responsibilities and actions that we might take to bring positive changes to rural communities. One quote I really liked from Melissa Hill is that none of us have the choice to choose our identities, and we should be proud of who we are, of who our parents are, and of the land in which we were born and raised. We had a tour around Heritage University campus, and it was amazing to see how the university, started as an idea proposed by three women, has become a place where knowledge is valued and all identities are respected.

-Anh Nguyen

Wisdom from Farmer Dave

By

Bright and early, after having breakfast we headed to a farm which is not far from where we are staying but is far from what we expected, Just Living Farm. Before having a tour around the farm, we sit down and had a good conversation with the owner of the farm and a white man, Dave.

“What does justice have to do with your major?” he asked. This question seems simple but it got stuck in my head and made me keep questioning myself “what can I do with my major to make the society become more just?”, which is something I have never thought of before.

Having the discourse with Dave about theology and the history behind that had led to white supremacy, the system that has been a benefit to the White and neglect the Black and indigenous, I started to realize that there are unjust systems and policies that should have done better. I have learnt so much from Dave, the wise man, that I could not put into certain words.

After a meaningful conversation, Dave gave a walk around the farm and explained to us how his farm works. It is so interesting to me that we, humans, are made of just water and minerals. We should take care of the animals and plants as we want to be treated because we are nothing better than them. I am so fascinated by how a full land of grasses can grow from soil that seemed like nothing.

The last key takeaway before we left the farm was that instead of blaming and complain the systems that already existed, we, the younger generation, should do something to make it better and that is what we are going to keep asking ourselves throughout the immersion and after that.

-Sahas Sok

Final Reflections – Alessandra Coro

By

            Throughout my time in the L’Arche community, I built and nourished many relationships with the core members as well as the assistants and volunteers I was working with. One of the relationships I cherish is with one of the core members, Robbie. During my first couple weeks in the community, I did not think that we would get as close as we did. He often seemed distant and I assumed he liked being alone. As my time in the community progressed, I learned that he was the opposite. I often found myself working in the kitchen alongside him. We bonded over music, chopping fruits and vegetables, and cleaning. Robbie became one of my best friends in the community. Just sitting next to him while chopping bell peppers and eggplants made him content and satisfied. He would always hold my hand or hold my face in the cup of his hands. I think that Robbie and I bonded a lot through helping others because he and I were always helping the assistants and volunteers together.

            There were a lot of things that brought me joy during my experience in the L’Arche community. It made me really happy to sit around a big table and eat dinner with everyone. It was especially joyful when we sang songs before and after every meal. I realized that being at the table became a place where everyone would come together and just socialize and talk about their days and their plans. It was frustrating at times because I could not fully understand what all they were saying because everyone spoke very little English, but I learned to pick up some Italian here and there to somewhat understand what they were all talking about.

            One of the hardest things I had to overcome was the language. Some days were better than others, but on the days that were bad, I truly felt like I was failing on the communication part of the experience. On these days, I would go back to my room and study a little bit of Italian on my phone and learn/ memorize some phrases that I knew I would use later on.

-Alessandra Coro

Final Reflections

By

Walking in to Manna house every afternoon, I would already hear the old CD player blasting Gianni Morandi. It was an everyday event for me and Tiziana (a community member) to bond over old Italian music. At one point, we would sing loud and proud together when I started picking up the Italian lyrics. We always sat by the window listening to old Italian music while chatting away about our day and weekend. I would position her wheelchair in front of the green couch where I would sit and we’d talk until dinner was served. The relationship I’ve made with Tiziana was one that I can’t compare with anyone. We were polar opposites, I, the extroverted positive girl, while she was more introverted and tended to complain about many things (it was quite humorous though). But our love for Gianni Morandi, Gramigna pasta, and art proved how close we’ve become. I will always remember how she’d always whisper in my ear when she wanted to tell me one of her many secrets or how she’d laugh after one beer during dinner. Her presence in a room creates such a positive energy despite her being quite introverted. I’m so lucky to have formed such a strong bond with someone like her.

Besides Tiziana, other things that brought me joy in my experience was the strong bond among the whole community. Yes, L’arche was work for some people but they all treated each other like a family rather than just “work mates”. And I’m so thankful that I was treated and acknowledged as a part of their family. I’d learn so many recipes from my Sicilian “mammas”, Italian slang, and overall just absorb their “Dolce Farniente” lifestyle. The community members, assistants, volunteers, and head people all contributed to this strong familial feeling in the community. I can now gladly say that I have a second family in Italy.

Aside all the positive things, there were a few challenges I overcame throughout my experience. I believe the most major one was the Italian language barrier. Going into L’arche I only knew the names of pasta and the basic “Ciao”. I instantly regretted my decision of not going on Duolingo during my first day in the community. Thankfully, it was easy for me to pick up Italian because it was quite similar to Spanish (I studied Spanish for four years). Also, I persevered to learn Italian by getting a book and taking notes of words I heard a lot in the community and translating them right after. Now, I can say that I’m actually pretty decent in Italian. I’m continuing my study of the language but I can understand and actually get by. I’m extremely grateful that in the beginning, the assistants who spoke English helped us with the translation. They knew it was a challenging time for us and they didn’t hesitate to help us out by translating and even teaching us. I can’t thank the L’arche community enough for this amazing experience. Two months in Italy definitely flew by but the memories and lessons will always stay with me. Per l’ultima volta, arrivederci a tutti!

Ciao tutti – Goodbye everybody

By

Goodbyes are always difficult…

As I’m writing this, my friend and co-volunteer, Alessandra, is on her way back to the United States. I, on the other hand, am still in the confines of Quarto Inferiore at the L’arche community trying to figure out how to fit everything in my suitcase. Thanks to a delayed flight, I still have three more days in Italy and with the community. With so much time in hand, I’d like to reflect on this amazing and life-changing experience since I think it’s the best possible way to close our chapter as Summer 2019 volunteers for the community.

On our last day, July 26, the members of the community threw us a party to say their final goodbyes. Throughout the party, I couldn’t help but remember the memories as I looked at each community member, volunteer, and assistant. It was such a fun and wholesome way to end our experience as we were able to take pictures with everyone, talk to them for the last time, and recall our favorite memories with each person. Alessandra and I each received a gift, a handmade frame with a picture. My picture was the one taken during one of my favorite days I spent with the community members I became really close with. It was the day where we had our field trip to Vergato, an Italian mountain village, where we had the best Tagliatelle Alla Ragu. Opening our gifts and knowing that we were saying our last “ciao’s” to everyone was such a heartfelt and emotional moment for me and Alessandra because we’ve grown so close to everyone here. I consider the community as my home away from home now. I can’t thank them enough for helping me grow spiritually and teaching me how to live a life filled with passion and purpose.

Not even going to lie, a few tears were shed as Alessandra and I reflected and looked back at our wonderful time in the community and in Bologna. Our little walks to get gelato with the members, our songs before we eat any meal, our “Buongiorno” greetings every day, and even our dreaded kitchen duty. Words can’t express how thankful I am to experience life in L’arche and life in Italy. I definitely feel that I’ve grown and become more open-minded as a person in the last two months as so many lessons were taught and learned. Working in a community such as L’arche, traveling all over Italy, and meeting new people from different countries (shoutout to my German girl Paula and my Brazilian girl Giuliana) made me see life in a different light and perspective. 

One thing I will say is that I will definitely back. The relationships I’ve made in the community are so close to my heart and will be with me forever. Even just stopping by to say a “ciao” when I come back to Italy will make me the happiest person because seeing the community members smile makes me smile as well. Thank you to Daniela, Michael, and Tyler for helping us organize our time here in Italy. Thank you to all the community members who I’ve gotten to know all their stories and unique personality traits. A big thanks to all the assistants and other volunteers who translated for us in the first few weeks. Thank you to Alessandra for being my sister throughout our time here and now my life-long friend. Every little memory and moment in the past two months will stay forever close to my heart. And for the last time… “Ciao tutti!”

One Week Left in L’Arca!

By

Our time in L’Arca Bologna is coming to an end. Amanda and I leave this coming Saturday, July 27. I am starting to think about the things I want to do and make time for as I reach the end of my volunteering experience here. I am also reflecting on the challenges I overcame during these past 2 months like the language barrier, learning how to communicate via body language to the core members, and even what/how to help around the house. I definitely think that I have learned a good portion of the Italian language. I am very basic when it comes to speaking it, but I can understand directions and instructions given to me. Unlike when I first came here, I was completely lost in both aspects of speaking and understanding. Living in the community with the people I work with and the core members was honestly hard at first. I lost my privacy and I had to get comfortable with becoming a family with people I barely knew but grew to know. With this, I learned to embrace the importance of togetherness. L’Arca has really taught me how to enjoy the company of others without having to do anything in particular. I have learned to enjoy sitting down with core members and just resting and relaxing. Some days, the core members and I (specifically Alessandro, who loves to sleep) would take a nap on the couch. I have made really deep connections with the assistants and the core members here and it makes me really sad to have to start preparing my goodbyes.

For my last week here, I would really like to treasure my time and the activities we do here. Over the course of the two months, I feel that the daily tasks I did started to become tedious and I overlooked them. Sometimes I feel like I wasn’t really living in the present while other times I felt like I was living too much in the present. I want to be able to spend time with the core members without focusing on things I need to do to help around the house. Although that is important as a volunteer, I would really like to spend my last days here with the core members and make more memories with them, whether that be making bracelets, dancing, or singing. During my first weeks here, I didn’t think that I could be so attached to people I would only spend 2 months with, but here I am really attached to them. I am really going to miss everyone here. They have all taught so many valuable life lessons and I am really glad to have spent my summer here learning about how to be present with others as well as with myself.

-Alessandra Coro

Asante Sana

By

Faith’s reflection: 

A year ago Katie and I started working on this immersion and since then it has been nothing but beautiful chaos. Communication with our partners in Tanzania was a little difficult due to the distance but the lack of knowing what to fully expect and the trust that we placed in what was “meant to be” served us well. When we met our Holy Cross partners in Moshi, Kitete, and Arusha, we were greeted with nothing but genuine hospitality and boundless generosity. We had language lessons, were immersed into their kind culture, spent time with native families, were welcomed with a traditional dance from the Masai people, saw majestic animals in their natural homes, and went to masses that lasted well over an hour (6 hours to be exact!). Our group formed a lasting bond that taught us how to be open and provided us a space of comfort in the most challenging times. There were tears caused by difficult realizations and laughters caused by priests dancing in the rain. Asante sana forever to all those that helped make this trip happen and for those that this trip would have not been the same without. 

 

Katie’s reflection: 

May 2019 was a beautiful and transforming experience for us as immersion coordinators, as well as for our staff and students! 

We centered ourself in the local culture, language and cuisine. We embraced ceremonies celebrating various sacraments of the Catholic Church. We encountered women leaders who are transforming the rights of women in Tanzania and the world. Our days were filled with joy, laughter, tears, sadness, tiredness, inspiration and blessings. We experienced so much kindness and inclusion in one place! We are beyond grateful for the opportunities the University of Portland had to connect with our brothers and sisters in East Africa. Our hearts are forever touched by our encounters with the people of Tanzania. Here is to many more years celebrating and cherishing our time in Tanzania.

 

Poem (written collectively as part of a closing reflection by the Tanzania Immersion participants): 

I will always remember the sight of rolling hills of green full of life
The rushing wind hitting my face on our long journeys to faraway places
Exploring a new place and learning new things while creating memories
Awe, wonder, surprise
Surrounds me as I look at the countryside through my window
Feeling the vast landscape, so lush and green, I can hear mother nature’s heartbeat
Feeling the mighty presence of the mountain even though we couldn’t see it
Mud that is like caramel color paste
Which makes houses that are simple yet livable
The people are what make them a home
No matter how much they own, they got each other
Because it takes a village
But it also takes one
And if you are that one, anything is possible

Slowness

By

It’s the end of our 5th week as I’m writing this and I can’t believe our time at L’arche Bologna is almost done! In just one month I’ve learned how to speak Italian (kinda?), how to cook pasta (the right Italian way), memorized an abundance of recipes that deal with zucchini, and how to use the bus and train lines around Italy without getting lost (well, almost). 

Life in L’arche for me has been slow. But, I don’t want you to connotate the word “slow” as something boring or tedious because the “slow” pace of life here has actually been quite relaxing and different in a good way from my busy life in Portland. I’ve learned to appreciate and eventually like the “slow” pace of work and life in the community. I work in Manna, one of the three houses where the community members live. Manna houses the older people in the community so the activities, work, and overall vibe in the house are more open, relaxed, and calm. In Manna, we like to listen to music together, read books, and do many group activities. On Fridays, we love to watch films while we munch on salami and relax together as a house.

I’ve gotten really close with two members of Manna house because we share the same love for music and art. As my Italian is limited, it doesn’t hurt to pull out Google Translate to interact with them. It may seem scary at first to talk in straight Italian to a local, but trust me, they appreciate and love the effort. When I make mistakes with my Italian or my pronunciation is not understandable at all, we manage to communicate by hand gestures or acting.

It was scary at first that Alessandra and I were placed in different houses because how could I survive without my only American friend in all of Italy by my side? As the days and weeks went on, we started to feel more comfortable in our respective houses despite the somewhat impossible language barrier. I love talking to Alessandra about what she does in Grano because it’s different from my assigned job in Manna. We like sharing stories about the community members and our favorite aspects and characteristics of each person.

It’s a Friday night here as I’m editing this post and I can’t wait for this weekend (we are definitely lucky to have the weekend as our break days). We have three more weeks left and we are trying to make the most out of it. I will use these next three weeks to strengthen my bond with the community members and practice my subpar Italian. I’ll see y’all in my next blog post. Ciao ragazzi!

 

Embracing the Pause, Building Relationships

By

Throughout my time here in L’Arca, I have learned what it is like to live as a part of a community. Working together and knowing how to communicate with others is vital. In L’Arca, there are so many activities happening at once that it can get overwhelming at times and knowing how the community works as well as understanding the schedule helps a lot. During my first weeks here, I found myself frustrated at times because I felt like I was out of place and there would be times where I wouldn’t know what I should be doing. I have learned that I don’t always need to be doing something. Being in the moment, sitting, and spending time with the core members is just as important. At first, being a new volunteer to the community, I wanted to be able to help out as much as I could. For me, that meant always keeping my hands busy, running errands, or helping clean. I think this is because in the US we are so used to doing something all the time. Our schedules are busy with things to do all throughout the day that we lack to embrace the importance in stopping and appreciating the life we live now. In L’Arca, I have definitely learned how to appreciate time more. I have learned to take the time to pause, admire the present and the people I am with. 

This past week, some of the core members and assistants left for a week-long vacation to Piobbico, a city by the mountains. I came to realize how close I have gotten with the core members and the assistants because throughout the week I found myself missing them and thinking about what we would be doing during a certain time of the day. One of the core members I missed was Robbie. He and I have gotten close during my time here. I think it is because we both find happiness in helping others. Robbie and I always work together in the kitchen, helping cut vegetables and fruit for merenda (snack time). He helps me clean the dishes after and puts them away in the dishwasher. Further, we also usually attend mass together during the weekdays. I didn’t realize how close I have gotten to several of the members until they left for a week and my work schedule felt different without them. I am also getting close to one of the assistants here, Katia. She speaks English very well and I think we have been getting close because she wants to practice her English and I want to practice my Italian, therefore we help each other. She invited me to her home last weekend where she showed me the river and parks she lives close to. Because I have been spending my days off usually in the city, it was nice to have a change of scenery because it reminded me of Oregon! She showed me around her town, Casalecchio di Reno. We went shopping and she took me to one of her favorite Italian restaurants (did you know that Spaghetti with Meatballs isn’t actually Italian?!). It was truly a nice day spent with her. I am finally finding my place in the community and am getting close to everyone here! 

-Alessandra Coro

 

First Weeks in the L’Arche Bologna Community

By

We made it to L’Arca! It has been about 4 weeks now since we arrived, and Amanda and I have learned so much. I remember being so nervous to meet everyone and start heading to the community because I still wasn’t entirely sure on how I was supposed to approach the community. When we reached the community, about a 25-minute drive from the airport, Alessandro showed us to the house, Cedro, where we were going to be staying for the two months we were volunteering. We met several of the other volunteers and we started to unpack our things and settle in. We had some time to rest and collect ourselves, but soon Daniela, the woman in charge of the volunteers in the community, called us in and gave us a tour of the community. It was all a little bit overwhelming because there was so much to remember, and the language made it even harder to understand and follow. At this time, she also gave us and explained our schedules. Since there are three different houses in the community, Amanda was assigned to work in Mana while I was placed in Grano. The first two weeks were difficult for me because it was hard to adjust to the community’s flow and learn a new language. Italian is still difficult for me and I am nowhere near being fluent, but I am able to understand when given instructions. I have also learned some phrases and words along the way which have really helped to communicate with the people with disabilities as well. 

Now that we have had about a month in the community, I feel like I have the flow of things around here. Every morning after breakfast, everyone goes to a large room in Mana to greet other community members good morning. That was extremely helpful in learning everyone’s names. I have learned that on Mondays, Amanda and I help out with physical therapy. On Tuesdays, we form groups and we go on a day trip outside of the community before lunch. Wednesdays can be very busy for me because it is usually cleaning the house and takes up all the time before lunch time. On Thursdays and Fridays, I usually help in the kitchen. That means either helping to chop fruits and vegetables or cleaning the kitchen. Getting the hang of the schedule makes it easier to work and allows for a smoother transition because then we don’t end up wasting time. Overall, my experience here has been eye-opening, and I can’t wait to learn more Italian and be able to communicate better with others. Being with the disabled members of the community has also allowed me to treasure the small things and appreciate time spent just being present in life.

-Alessandra Coro