Gratitude in Unexpected Places

The following is a reflection written by Emily Jackson, Director of the Chicago Uptown Ministry. Emily currently serves as a Site Supervisor for Kayla Mravec, one of our North House Volunteers.

Chicago Uptown Ministry has created a special niche for itself, in a community well known for its large homeless population, as a faith based safe haven that strives to support some of the most marginalized individuals in Uptown. The Ministry has become a critical support system that provides counseling, referrals, and advocacy to help clients navigate the greater social service network and other systems like the public schools, legal, immigration, and public health.

Sometimes work in the non-profit world can feel cumbersome, but then there are weeks…this being one…when my job and the people I’m lucky enough to work with, put an extra step in my stride.

Story #1…Kayla has been the 2010-2011 Amate volunteer at Chicago Uptown Ministry since August. On Friday, we enjoyed coffee/tea together and chatted about her past month at ChUM. I couldn’t help but notice…when I mention certain people and programs…she smiles. The kind of ear to ear smile that you can’t contain or stop even if you tried.

Story #2…Each year, ChUM provides turkeys for the Uptown residents who visit our food pantry the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. This year, we gave away more than 30 turkeys and each person that received one flashed that same smile…for some it was fleeting, but there none the less.

Because of Kayla, the rest of the Chicago Uptown Ministry staff and those 30 guests, I am humbly smiling. The joy and gratitude is infectious. I am grateful for the people I get to spend my days with and for the way they care about those around them.

Visit Chicago Uptown Ministry online at www.lcfs.org/chicagouptown.