–First off: Phoenix is HOT. Although I’ve been told it’s a dry heat, 115-120 degrees is still unbearable at times. Today is only about 95 degrees and it feels wonderful.
–During our first week in Phoenix, we experienced our first haboob, or dust storm. It came around sunset, darkened the sky, and we saw flashes of lightning for at least an hour.
–As I write this, thunder rumbles echoing emptily outside my window at work. I doubt it will rain, though.
–For those who don’t know: I am working as a case manager at the Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter (a branch of Central Arizona Shelter Services). The job is very challenging and eye-opening. Every day we meet with families who are dealing some sort of crisis relating to homelessness: loss of job, eviction, divorce, broken family relations. Our goal is to walk alongside the families living in the shelter (35 families when full) and work with them to find stable housing, jobs and benefits. I’m also realizing that much of my role as case manager is to essentially be a counselor– to listen and encourage the parents in our shelter. The program is only 90 days, so there isn’t very much time to work with.
–It’s unbelievable how many children are homeless–moving from shelter to shelter, living on the streets with their family, or living with relatives while their parents seek shelter elsewhere. I am continually heartbroken, but hopeful.
–Our house is called: “Casa Sojourner Truth” or “Casa Sojo” for short. Every casa in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps is named after a figure who represents the values of the organization (spirituality, service, social justice and community). Sojourner Truth was an African-American who fought for the abolition of slavery and for women’s rights during the 1800’s.
–There is another casa in Phoenix (Casa Bartolome de las Casas, or Casa Bart for short), and we’ve spent a lot of quality time with them exploring the city, eating meals, watching the occasional movie.
–We’ve gone out to see two Diamondbacks games in the last 10 days for a grand total of $6. Pretty sweet. Haven’t figured out how to get down to the pool in right field yet. Every time a Diamondbacks player hits a home run (like Justin Upton did last night), jets of water shoot from the outfield wall into the pool.
–The pool is one of my favorite ballpark additions– it’s up there with Wrigley’s bricks & ivy and Miller Park’s yellow slide for Bernie Brewer.
–Last Friday night, I went out with Casa Bart to the “First Friday” art walk in downtown Phoenix. It’s the nation’s largest self-guided art walk, that allows visitors to wander through more than 100 private art galleries along the arts district. Thousands of people attend each month and the event also includes street performers, art demonstrations, street preachers, circus acts…etc. It really helped me get a feel for the spirit of the city. Also, did I mention that it’s a free event? Definitely going next month, too.
–I’ve been reading William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, which is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It will certainly warrant another reading or two because his stream-of-consciousness style is so dense and rich. Love it.
–Vista Colina hooked me up with a free bicycle and we’re working on getting a few more. Phoenix has a number of bike routes on the roads and paths in the preserves and I can’t wait to get out when the weather cools off. The bike also needs a bit of work, so I’m going to look into getting free/cheap parts, too.
–Living off $90 per month for food is challenging, but it works out really well when living in community with others. Together, we budget and devise a grocery list that takes into account each person’s dietary needs. It’s a challenge– I never realized just how personal our food choices/needs are, and how much of a role FOOD plays in our lives. This has also been a good exercise in learning how important community is. One person would struggle to live off that allocation for food, but five people working together can eat well each week.
–I’m fascinated by the personality of the English language. Since I left home, I’ve met people from New Zealand, Britain, Canada– and now I live and work with people from New York, New Jersey, Florida, Washington, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona– from all over the US. I love hearing new words, idioms and ways of expression. And yes, I am aware this is nerdy.
