By Courtney Ensslin

It is amazing how different life can be for one person in comparison to another living in the same zip code.  This is what I realized when I compared my childhood and daily life activities to those of the poor and vulnerable who also live in Albany, New York.  As the only student participating in the Urban Plunge at this site, I was abruptly awakened to the poverty that plagues my fellow neighbors and city residents.

In order to accurately depict the abrupt and shocking exposition the Urban Plunge provided of my hometown, it is necessary to start at the very beginning. 

Often times throughout the 48 hours, I was asked the same question over and over again: “Why did you choose to complete the Urban Plunge?  What are you hoping to gain from this experience?”  When I was first asked this question, I found that I could not really fully answer it.  I stumbled around to formulate a coherent response, trying to recall what had driven me to apply and partake in this seminar in the first place. I answered the question honestly, that “I have lived in Albany my whole life, and never really recognized it as an urban center with severe problems.  I want to make myself socially, politically, and economically aware of the major issues that are occurring in my own backyard, and find out what I can do to help.”  The Urban Plunge succeeded far beyond these early expectations, and now that I have finished my service I have found that I have a different outlook on life and more fervent desire to make a difference in my town.

My Urban Plunge was a solitary journey, in which I sampled a diverse array of the services offered by the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, part of the national network of Catholic Charities USA. My Plunge began at the Central Administration of Catholic Charities, where I was fortunate enough to be briefed on the mission of the organization by CEO Sr. Maureen Joyce, as well as Mary Olsen and Notre Dame alumnus Shannon Kelly.  They informed me that Catholic Charities does more than direct service, and help residents of not only the Capital Region but numerous other counties as well.  Catholic Charities provides leadership, technical, and financial support to various agencies, and also works with federal policymakers on reducing poverty in the United States (Steenland)[1].  They explained in detail some of these services and gave specific stories to complement their description.  After this first meeting, I was sent across the street to meet with the associate director of Community Maternity Services, which provides care for pregnant and parenting adolescents, at risk families, and HIV-affected families.  I was amazed by the comprehensive services and support that is provided for young and troubled families, as well as the dedication of the social workers that provide the assistance.  I spoke first-hand with case management workers, who help adolescent teen mothers manage their money, figure out public transportation, and learn other basic life skills in order to become self-sufficient.  It was shocking to learn that most of these teen mothers were younger than myself, yet already living in “the real world”.

The next day, I visited Catholic Charities AIDS Services.  I had never realized the high percentage of the population in Albany that is HIV-affected, or from where this problem stems.  On this visit, I was brought on a “field trip”, as Keith Brown drove me around to see the sites where they are establishing a syringe disposal program.  Keith explained to me how heroine addicts, being unable to obtain clean syringes, reuse syringes and share them.  This has greatly led to the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.  Syringes are also being carelessly disposed of, thrown away in playgrounds and drugstore parking lots.  One way to easily reduce this spread of disease as well as dangerous pollution is to give addicts a better way of disposing syringes, and to reward them with clean syringes.  This syringe exchange program that is being established is to occur in large vans that will be accessible weekly for an allotted time period in state-approved sites.  I found this trip around downtown Albany, with Keith narrating the sights around me, to be one of the most interesting parts of my Urban Plunge experience. I learned a great deal about drug users, how and why they end up becoming addicts, and how the community can help them overcome their dependence.

I spent the rest of the day learning about the housing problems that plague residents of Albany.  I learned the details behind the success of the Community Loan Fund, the Albany Community Land Trust, and the United Tenants of Albany.  I was inspired by the dedication of Roger and Maria Markovics, who have spent their lives voicing the rights of tenants and those who have trouble finding affordable housing.  I was able to listen in on phone calls as the United Tenants responded to the housing needs of low-income people, who phoned the hotline in order to ask for advice and support.  From these agencies, I went to the Mercy House, the only all women’s homeless shelter in the Capital Region, to have dinner.  I was most greatly affected at this evening meal, where I was able to finally interact with the people who are directly assisted by the agencies of Catholic Charities.  At first, I felt a bit uncomfortable and intimidated as I sat around the table with 13 women who have found themselves homeless.  Some were younger than me, while others were middle-aged mothers with grown children.  As we ate dinner, the staff members invited the women to share something about themselves with me.  Jennifer began with her story, of finally being sober and clean for two years.  Tears began to well in her eyes as she detailed her struggles, sharing more with me, a complete stranger, than I deserved. She explained how it was the Mercy House that had provided her with a safe shelter and the constant support she needed to get through rehab and back on her feet.  Her story truly highlighted the importance of this safe, temporary shelter.

As the rest of the women told their stories, almost all of them cried when they began to explain how the Mercy House was there to help them in their time of need.  Whether their misfortune involved violence, eviction, alcoholism, changes in family circumstances, or unsafe housing, each story was linked by a common thread: the Mercy House responded to each unique circumstance with a loving and supportive staff, providing the women with the life-saving services they needed to work towards regaining self-sufficiency.  I listened as Genevieve explained in tears how just that day she was out searching for a job and had been unsuccessful.  Feeling rejected and discouraged, she called the Mercy House to check in.  Genevieve broke down into sobs as she described how it was the bubbly and loving voice of the staff member who answered the phone that convinced her to come back to the shelter and keep trying.  The caring words of one person was all that she needed to strengthen her resolve and self-confidence, and give her the motivation to not give up but to stay optimistic and persevere.

The most emotional story for me was that of Amanda, who is only 18. With her eyes on the floor, she told us how she was always the social outcast at school.  After her high school graduation, several arguments with her parents left her disowned from her family and completely cut-off from all relatives.  On the streets with nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Amanda was homeless and became afflicted with frostbite.  The police found her and brought her to the ER, where she was treated and then sent to a safe house.  She chose not to divulge in her time spent at this house, but rather jumped into discussion about how wonderful the Mercy House has been for her.  After hearing her unfortunate circumstances, I became fully aware of how anyone could find themselves without a home at some time in their life. As Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Shipler wrote, “It is difficult to find someone whose poverty is not somehow related to his or her unwise behavior...[and] it is difficult to find behavior that is not somehow related to the inherited conditions of being poorly parented, poorly educated, [or] poorly housed...” (6-7)[2]. At the end of the meal, I felt not only completely comfortable but also emotionally bonded to the Mercy House residents.  I enjoyed my time there so much that I plan on volunteering at the shelter when I am back in Albany for the summer.

The last day of my Urban Plunge was spent learning about the public policy agencies that work for social justice and peace, and advocate for the rights of the poor and vulnerable.  I was able to meet with the executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, David Kaczynski, who is the brother of the Unabomber and nationally known as an advocate for the mentally ill.  He explained the mission of NYADP, and how there are more effective, rational, and humane approaches to the problem of violent crime then the death penalty.  Barbara DiTommaso from the Commission on Peace and Justice, then presented to me many issues involving faith and human rights.  Barbara helped me to learn the key themes of Catholic social teaching: the right to life and the dignity of every human person; the call to family, community, and participation; rights and responsibilities; option for the poor and vulnerable; dignity of work and the rights of workers; solidarity; and caring for God’s creation[3].  Of these seven themes, I feel that the Urban Plunge provided me with insight most deeply on the right to life and the dignity of every human person.  Every agency that I visited over my 48-hour time span strongly reiterated that the poor and vulnerable are just like me and you; they are people, and if treated with the dignity they inherently deserve, they will gain so much from the community’s outreach and support.

From the Urban Plunge, I realized the severity of the poverty here in America.  What I saw on the streets and heard from the social workers is reflected in the grim statistics, which have found that “over 37 million Americans live below the official poverty line, constituting a population larger than the 25 smallest states combined” (Steenland)[4].  The causes of poverty are numerous and complicated, as I saw in my own experience.  Often times, unforeseen circumstances and misfortune lead to the financial woes of people, and many of the agencies that I visited expressed their concern regarding the effect of the nation’s current economic crisis on the poor and vulnerable. These people are currently voiceless, being marginalized members of society without an active role in social or economic life.  As the Catholic bishops of the United States wrote, “The ultimate injustice is for a person or group to be actively treated or passively abandoned as if they were non-members of the human race.  To treat people this way is to effectively say that they simply do not count as human beings”[5].

This implies to me that the best way society can help each human being to their fundamental right to food, clothing, shelter, and other life necessities is through forms of public assistance. From this realization, I think that a way to help solve the urban poverty that I experienced would be to try and influence my peers to vote on behalf of the urban poor.  Since they are voiceless, if we speak for them, they can finally be listened to.  I could organize a non-partisan voter registration drive in my town, and hang up fliers to remind people to vote.  I could also remind my friends of the importance of voting for public assistance programs, since “according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 only 24 percent of all young people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted”.[6]  By explaining to my friends the importance of being a responsible citizen and exercising their right to vote, we can come together and help the urban poor around us..

What I witnessed firsthand brought to life the words of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, that “every human life is sacred from conception to natural death, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it protects and respects the life and dignity of the human person.” [7] The standard on which decisions should be judged is the sacred dignity of each person, which is to be recognized by society and its government.  The Urban Plunge made me aware of the plight of the poor and vulnerable, and challenged every preconceived notion of poverty in America that I previously held.

Footnotes

[1] Steenland, S. and Nordengren C., “Fighting Poverty with Faith”, Center for American Progress, October 16, 2008, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/10/poverty_ faith.html

[2} Shipler, David, The Working Poor: Invisible in America, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), 6-7.

[3] USCCB Administrative Committee, Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility, p. 13, http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/catholicteachingprinciples.shtml

[4] Steenland and Nordengren, “Fighting Poverty with Faith”

[5] U.S. Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice For All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy (1986)

[6] USCCB, “Ideas for Social Concerns Committees and Respect Life Committees”, http:// www.faithfulcitizenship.org/parish/social

[7] USCCB Administrative Committee, Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility

Bibliography

Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Administrative Committee. 16 Jan. 2009 www.usccb.org/sdwp/catholicteachingprinciples.shtml.

"Ideas for Social Concerns Committees and Respect Life Committees”.  Faithful Citizenship. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 16 Jan. 2009 www.faithfulcitizenship.org/parish/social.

Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America. New York: Knopf, 2004: 6-7.

Steenland, Sally, and Chase Nordengren. "Fighting Poverty with Faith." Center for American Progress. 18 Oct. 2008. 16 Jan. 2009 www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/10/poverty_faith.html.

U.S. Catholic Bishops. "Economic Justice For All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S.     Economy." Letter. 1986.