Urban Plunge 2009

Photo Credit: photo from Mrs. Richardson

Presentation Sisters and Urban Plunge participants pose at the Lantern in San Francisco

October 8, 2009

Mary Clare Bernal, Senior Features Editor  

Filed under Top Stories

Before leaving on Urban Plunge on Sept. 24, each of the eight participating Pres students was given a reading packet.  On the front, it said, “I was hungry and you gave me food; thirsty and you gave me drink; a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; sick and you cared for me; in prison and you visited me.”  This passage from the gospel of Matthew now holds new meaning for each of us.  After attending this homelessness immersion program, we were able to gain new insights and experiences about poverty in our own backyard.  But even more special was the opportunity we were given to encounter God in each of the people we met.

Thursday:

On Sept. 24, we drove to the Presentation Sisters Motherhouse in San Francisco.  This is where we made our home for the next few days, enjoying the hospitality of the sisters.  As we made our way to the bus stop, excited to begin our “urban plunge,” we glimpsed a sign on the way out the door.  “Not Words But Deeds” would reappear several times on our trip.

We took public transportation to the Tenderloin, where we headed to St. Anthony’s Foundation.  It was almost impossible to believe that we were still in San Francisco; it seemed like we were a whole world away.

Waiting in line for a meal alongside the homeless people was a new and unique experience.  We ate lunch in the dining hall, meeting new people and visiting with the homeless.  It was different encountering poverty but not serving a meal; we were truly in solidarity with the others.

After lunch, we walked over to the Presentation Senior Community to sing karaoke with members of the Adult Day Health Program.  Although our singing skills were, well, less than professional, we all enjoyed performing together and bringing joy to some of the seniors.

Visiting the Tenderloin Children’s Playground was also a special experience for each of us.  This playground provides a place for children in the Tenderloin to come after school or during the day and just be kids.  In addition to a playground, there was also a garden, guitar lessons and arts and crafts.  We were all touched when the woman who supervises the playground told us about finding what God has planned for each of us and using our gifts and opportunities in a way that makes the world a better place.

That night, we served dinner at Glide Memorial Church.  Like St. Anthony’s, we were able to interact with the homeless, this time as volunteers.  Serving meals to the homeless had a new meaning for us, because we had seen what it’s like to receive these meals.

Friday:

One of the conveniences of driving a car is being able to sleep in and not worry about bus schedules.  This was one convenience that we had to go without, so we woke up at 4:45 a.m. to take the bus to serve breakfast to day laborers in the Mission area.  In the process, we couldn’t find our connecting bus and wandered for blocks consulting a decidedly non-Urban Plunge iPhone GPS for directions.  And it was still dark out.  Once we finally arrived to serve breakfast, we got the opportunity to practice our Spanish and brush up on our kitchen skills.  It was great being able to have this experience; everyone was appreciative and very welcoming.

Afterwards, we visited The Lantern and ate breakfast with Sr. Maire.  She told us about the program, and we all pitched in with dishes as the ESL students started to arrive.  After walking through the Mission area, we returned to The Lantern and took part in the ESL classes and babysitting some of the young children.  I was in Sr. Maire’s group with the intermediate students, and I was surprised and pleased when we were asked to tell the class about Nano Nagle.  We tried to remember everything we had heard in Religion 9, and together we pieced together the highlight’s of Nano’s life.

Turning around, we saw her picture on the wall.  I also noticed the same picture that hangs in our main office—Nano Nagle with the children of Ireland.  That night, we found the same picture at the Motherhouse.  If anything, this made me realize that Presentation High School is not just our school, but it is a part of something bigger, something that is making a real difference in the lives of people all over the world.

After the Lantern, we walked to the SAGE project, which stands for Standing Against Global Exploitation.  This program helps people leaving prostitution and human trafficking.  We were given a tour and learned more about the program.  I was shocked by what I learned about human trafficking right here in the Bay Area, but SAGE definitely provides hope.

We walked a few more blocks, and we found ourselves in front of city hall.  Once again, I was shocked that we could be so close to something so familiar, and yet seem so far away from everything we knew.  After some journaling and reflecting, and almost missing our bus, we returned to the Motherhouse once again.

Saturday:

After morning mass with the sisters, it was almost time to say our goodbyes.  But first, we ran into Sr. Judy, a former Presentation religion teacher.  We talked for a while, and she showed us a smaller, perhaps more detailed, version of the Nano Nagle banner that hangs in our gym during school masses.  If we could be reminded so much of our school throughout our time on Urban Plunge, I thought we could also be reminded of our experiences over the past days upon our return to Presentation.

The last stop we made before returning to San Jose, and our first shower in three days, was brunch at the Delancey Street Foundation Restaurant.  All of the workers at Delancey Street are ex-convicts, people who had been addicted to drugs or others who are turning their lives around.  If I hadn’t known about the restaurant, I would have assumed it was like any other.  Instead, we were fortunate to hear from some of the workers and enjoy a delicious last meal.

It’s almost impossible to articulate the experience I had on Urban Plunge.  These are the things we did and some of the lessons learned, but it goes beyond all of this.  Urban Plunge changed my awareness of homelessness and poverty, and it changed my attitude towards what we can do to cause change.  These people are just like me, and it was easier to connect with the people I encountered than I had imagined.  At Presentation, we have so many opportunities available to us, and we have the power to cause positive change in the world and to create awareness.  I truly experienced God in the people and experiences I encountered, and I hope that this awareness continues forth and creates positive change in our world.

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Tags: community involvement, urban plunge