Flint Township - Site Visit

By Sister Mary Ellen Gondeck, CSJ

September 28, 2014

Flint finds itself in time of great poverty, unemployment and crime. In the center of this reality we visited the St. Luke Women’s Center, the fulfilment of a dream one woman had during a retreat and the urgency of another who was the sponsor for her niece in a Confirmation Preparation program to the need to do something.

It began as an outreach program providing clothing at a soup kitchen. It continued to grow from a one-time “project” to a regular program. Judy Blake, CSJ and Carol Weber, OP, with their volunteers learned from talking to the recipients of the clothing that they needed a safe place to be, growth in self-esteem and educational opportunities.

One of the first stories we heard was about a woman who gave birth to a child in an abandoned building in January, alone. A neighbor became aware of the situation, called 911 and was instrumental in getting the woman and her son to a hospital. Carol was able to assist with a car seat and infant clothing.

At about the same time a school building became vacant on the grounds of St. Luke Catholic Church, which provided the space for the PROGRAM OF LIFE CHANGE that is alive and well today.

We heard the story of a woman who made a lot of mistakes in her life and has had her life changed because of a component of that program called the FORTY DAY LOVE FEST. We heard from a young man whose mother died when he was 14, leaving him the eldest of 4 siblings and how he has coped with that loss and responsibility of raising his siblings. Another young man spoke about the program saving his life as he returned to the community twice after being released from prison. He began living a new life, a member of the first graduating class of an educational component of the program where his fellow graduates realized their responsibility to be an example for younger men.

Employment is hard to find in the area. Judy and Carol started a sewing business to employ women who had no GED, had committed a felony, were at-risk youth, and hadn’t worked in a year. The business is sewing scrubs for hospitals and doctors’ offices in the area. There is now a business for men – lawn care and snow removal.

The participants were enthusiastic about the message of the Nuns on the Bus and the nuns were moved by the stories and inspired by what is being done by “we the people in a small part of Flint.”