Serving My Brothers and Sisters

The following is a reflection written by Ali Heinen, one of this year's North House Volunteers.

Biologically, I have 4 siblings. However after my past two months working as a legal assistant on the National Immigrant Justice Center’s Children’s Project, in my heart I have about 60 more little brothers and sisters to add to that. Over the next 8 months, that number will continue to grow but if you met some of these kids you would know how hard it is not to fall in love with them.

My new “hermanitos” and “hermanitas” are from Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and even a few from as far away as China and Romania. So perhaps now you are wondering what exactly it is I am doing, right? That is a great question. I am still learning exactly what my responsibilities and different roles are everyday, so bear with me as I try to explain them.

On my first day of work, my supervisor Ellen told me, “you have a super steep learning curve ahead of you.” This comment scared me but mostly excited me. She was absolutely right, I hardly knew anything about law let alone immigration law. I knew I wanted to use my Spanish and work with kids. So far, I could not have picked a better placement in which I can do both.

During a typical week, I spend Monday and Wednesday at centers throughout the Chicago area where those younger than 18 are sent after they are detained for attempting to cross the US border. Most of the kids are about 11-17 years old. The centers are nice places, they go to classes, have three meals a day, their own bed. These minors attempt to cross into the United States for various reasons: they want to make a better life for themselves and their families and/or they are fleeing from increasing gang violence in their home countries. The number one reason I have heard is that these kids purely want to be with their parents or older siblings. Their families have good intentions for immigrating to the US; they want to be able to provide for their children economically because there are no opportunities for them to do so in their home countries. Their only other choice would be living in complete poverty. Most of the kids understand this reasoning; however, the inevitable result is a lot of young people who desperately want to find and be with their parents who they miss so much.

My organization goes to these centers and gives Know Your Rights presentations so the kids know why they are being detained and that they need to go to their court dates or they will receive an order of deportation. Without the presentations that we give, it is possible these kids would not even know why they are at the center or that they are now in the court system. The United States requires that all detained minors under 18 years of age be assigned a court date.

We then do individual intakes with these kids to screen them for the possibility of qualifying for a Visa that would allow them to stay in the United States legally. Some of these types of visas include asylum, trafficking, and/or if one or both of their parents have abandoned or abused them. The reality is that many of them do not qualify for these visas and we then explain to them the options of either voluntarily deporting to their country or receiving an order of deportation. The latter is not my favorite to explain but it is important that these kids know the truth and whether they have a case to fight in court.

We can represent them in court only while they are in Chicago. When they reunify with their family in the United States, which all of them are allowed to do once they leave the centers regardless of whether they have a legal way to stay here, we change their court venue to that new city. This is where the administrative part of my job comes in. Three days out of the week I am on the 20th floor of a building right down in the Loop, on the same block as the Chicago Board of Trade. There are a lot of databases to update for our funders and court venues to file in court and kids to keep track of as they come and go. I knew I would not love sitting in front of a computer and filing things but being able to meet and get to know some of the kids I am doing all the paperwork for, puts so much more meaning behind the routine tasks to which I am assigned.

Not to mention how amazing my co-workers are! The Children’s Project team consists of about 13 people: lawyers, legal assistants, and interns – they have been wonderful teachers for me. They are very knowledgeable and worldly and have seemed to find the perfect blend of a career where they can truly help others and work towards social justice while also making a living. For me, that is pretty much the ideal situation so I feel very blessed to be in a placement that allows me to witness that balance.

The National Immigrant Justice Center as a whole does a lot of phenomenal work in many different aspects of immigration. For example, during my first week on the job, the staff agreed to volunteer at Chicago’s DREAMer forum at Navy Pier. The government began accepting applications from immigrant youth applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on August 15th, a policy by the Obama administration providing temporary reprieve from deportation and work authorization for DREAM Act-eligible youth. Thousands of people came to the forum and it was one of the largest in the country. I literally felt like I was witnessing history in action!

At the end of the day, what remains in my heart and mind through the hectic trips to court and long team meetings and cramming onto an overcrowded El train, is the faces and names of the kids I meet. My housemates and other fellow Amatians will listen to me talk about them sometimes relentlessly but fortunately for me they are genuinely interested (at least that’s what they make it seem like…) These kids want to be doctors and teachers and study English. They don’t care when I make mistakes conjugating verbs in Spanish, they get excited when I sit and eat lunch with them, and many have such a beautiful and pervasive sense of hope for the future that I cannot help but be affected by it. They have traveled thousands of miles, by foot or bus or car, just so they can be with their families. While most of my family only remains a few hours away in Wisconsin, I honestly can only hope I would be as brave and do the same.

Many of these kids have already experienced more hardships and tragedies then I will probably deal with in my lifetime. Some of these kids seem to have no hope, and this is when I have to hold back my tears and do my job. I want to give them the information and power to make informed decisions in their legal cases but I also just want to wrap them in my arms and tell them everything is going to be okay. As a professional, I cannot do the latter but chatting with them about their favorite hobbies or telling them it is okay to cry or coloring with them are all ways I can still serve them with love and care and solidarity. I receive that love back and can only hope that come June, my heart will still be able to handle constant heartbreak of seeing these kids leave and more often than not, never being able to hear from them again. With the support of Amate and my family and friends back home, I have faith it is a challenge I can handle with grace.

Discovering our Strengths - Recapping the Fall In-Service Day

The following is a reflection written by Mackensey Carter, one of this year's South House Volunteers.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Difference is something that we often run away from in life.  Most of us are drawn to similarities, find comfort in seeing where two ideas have common ground or love to discover mutual interests or friends when just meeting a new person.  Difference may be uncomfortable for many of us but it is the very thing that Paul claims builds the community of God.  The excerpt above from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians speaks to this idea that God uses differences in each of us to create a unique, spiritual unity between believers.  Our first Amate House In-Service this year explored this idea and what it means to be a faith community filled with thirty-three distinctively different individuals.

The StrengthsFinder, which was the topic of our Fall In-Service day, helps to highlight these differences (and similarities) between individuals as they relate to certain strengths.  Each Amate House volunteer was asked to take the StrengthFinder assessment, which asked us a myriad of questions about ourselves and our personalities, and in the end received a list and explanation of our top five strengths.  While exploring our own strengths was enjoyable, our In-Service allowed us to see how our strengths and the strengths of our housemates complement each other and build our unique community.

While my top strengths included empathy, harmony and connectedness, I was able to discuss and sit next to my housemates that have the strengths of communication, intellection, or responsibility.  The diversity in strengths and thinking patterns within the Amate community, and even my own house community, gave me a renewed insight into the importance of individuals using their strengths to work together in service.  We all have tendencies and ways of thinking and behaving that are unique to our own temperaments and backgrounds but only when we work and serve together are we able to fully complement each other and create a cohesive whole.  Affirming the strengths that I see in myself and in others allowed me to become more aware of where I fit into the community and how I can use my special strengths to benefit and challenge the individuals around me.

Throughout the day I was continually reminded of the continuation of Paul’s letter in chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians in which he uses the metaphor of the human body to describe the community of believers.  Paul writes “you are the body of Christ, and each on of you is a part of it” and “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12: 18,27).  Just as the body has many parts that perform many functions, Paul reminds us that in a community each member has a different role to fill, which is not more or less important than the person next to him or her.  God’s work is accomplished when each part of the body or community performs its function with determination and passion.  This idea can help us better understand a cohesive community where we are able to willingly accept our roles, no matter what it may be, because we see them each as equally important and necessary in working together for God’s greater purpose.

If all the roles and strengths of the community were the same, then nothing would be accomplished or changed.  Therefore, just as God has created us with such diversity, we must embrace this difference in community, even when it is frustrating and confusing, so that we can work together to challenge and compliment each other. Discussing my strengths during our In-Service helped me realize that whether I’m the toe or the heart, which perform drastically different functions for the body, I have a central role to play in creating and sustaining the body of Christ in and through my community.

Adjusting to the City

The following is a reflection written by Livia Spilotro, one of this year's Little Village House Volunteers.

Chicago - The Windy City. No, friends, they aren’t kidding! From day one I’ve been battling the breezes as they come across Lake Michigan, attempting and failing over and over again to maintain some sort of composure to my hairstyle. Don’t worry—I’ve realized the futility of this cause and have moved my focus to bigger and better things, such as figuring out the lovely CTA system. Which color of the rainbow runs north and south? That would be Red. What about east and west? Well, that depends on how far you want to go!  What time do the trains stop running? The answer to that question has always been the cause of a comical ending to the night. And don’t even get me started on the Loop! On the map it looks like a box of Lucky Charms gone wrong, right in the center of downtown, and it’s always undergoing some sort of face lift in one place or another.

On the home front, I’m still adjusting to community life. Who’s cooking? What time is dinner? Better yet, what IS dinner? Due to the amount of vegetarians and lactose intolerance in my house, I think I’m slowly becoming vegan. I DEFINITELY consider this to be an adjustment. To be sure, there are other questions. Who’s leading prayer night? Where is the Sentra parked this time? Where is Community Night this week? Who’s driving? Did you grab the directions? Lord knows we’re still quite likely to get lost in this grand city from time to time. Besides the “daily grind” tasks of community life, getting to know my housemates and recognizing all of our unique quirks has proven to be a daily adventure that usually ends in laughter and a deeper understanding of each other. Even how I communicate with my loved ones back home has been an adjustment. Those who I used to see and talk to daily are now thousands of miles away, and I must say that although the distance is a force to be reckoned with, the wonders of technology have definitely proved to be the remedy for the occasional pang of homesickness.

It’s true - these are just a handful of some of the adjustments and changes of lifestyle I’m experiencing as I’m nearing the end of my second month here in the Amate House program. Although my mind is constantly flooded with questions, and my ears are filled with the sounds of Spanish, and the trains running by the house like clockwork shake my bed while I try to sleep, I can’t help but love this new life of mine. I’m slowly learning that this “adjusting” business isn’t going to happen in a day - nor should it. I’m accepting the fact that I will probably continue to find new ways to get home by getting a little lost at first. I’m also warming up to the idea that I will most likely be freezing my butt off for the next, oh, five or six months, because the lowest temperature this Texas girl is used to during an average Texas wintertime is only 40 degrees...Which, by the way, is the predicted low temperature for this upcoming weekend. And yes, it’s only September.

Here’s the beautiful thing - every day I’m learning something new. Whether it’s about what this city has to offer, or something new about my housemates,  or experiencing an epiphany about who I am and what I believe, this adjustment - although sometimes awkward and painful - is an adjustment that is helping me to grow and appreciate where I am and who I am. Thank God I have another eight months of this experience to continue exploring this Windy City that I’m excited to call home.

A Visit with the Amate House Founders

During the first week of our Orientation, we were honored to be joined by John Haggerty, Ken Brucks, and John Horan, the Founders of Amate House.  To mark this special occasion, we had their visit and their conversation with the Volunteers recorded.  Please enjoy!

A Look Back at Amate Orientation 2012

The following is a reflection written by Becky Sinclair, one of this year's North House Volunteers.

On the Friday before my first day of work, a friend who lives in Chicago and kind of understands what Amate House is all about sent me a simple text message. Are you oriented yet? Understanding that she was simply asking whether the activities classified as “Orientation” had finished, I said yes, and we moved on to discussing our plans for the weekend. But later on, I revisited the question, and realized that to be “orientated” to a life as an Amate Volunteer means so much more than simply introducing ourselves 500 times to the same 32 people and talking about who is going to clean the bathrooms each week.

Amate Orientation is two weeks filled with activities and discussion that is intended to orient us to the lifestyle which we have committed ourselves to live for the next year; a life filled with service, community, personal formation, and, of course, love in action. It is a most curious experience; we all move into our new houses where we will live with 11 total strangers (who, of course, have become our best friends three days later). We then embark on a series of talks, meetings, and activities designed to introduce us to the idea of simple living and intentional community, as well as our service sites, where we will walk with others through the joys and pain of life. And let us not forget about having fun – though I think the jury is still out on whether fitting 12 people into a 2ft x 6ft box at Irons Oaks was actually fun… It sure was a close bonding experience).

Not everyone understands what we really do here at Amate. And let’s be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself. But Orientation has been a time to truly immerse ourselves in the year to come, to let go of the fact that we are no longer college students, that we aren’t starting high paying jobs like the rest of our friends, that we have 11 roommates and not a lot of personal space. These past two weeks have been a blessing and a challenge. It feels like we have been here forever, and we have hardly even started work. But, it has made me immensely excited for the year ahead.

Over the course of Amate Orientation, I have had the chance to get to know 32 amazing individuals, 11 of whom I get to live with. We have already had some formative experiences together, because what brings people closer than carrying a 350 pound TV up a flight of stairs just to find out that it doesn’t actually work up there?

Even more than the joy that has been Orientation is the hope that it gives me for the year ahead. As I understand it, to be oriented as an Amate Volunteer means understanding that to love is to live. Loving not only those with whom we are working, but also those with whom we are living. Two weeks isn't enough time to really “get it,” but it’s definitely a start. And, I can’t wait to see where this year takes us.

Becky with her North House Community at Promontory Point

Looking Back in Gratitude

The following is a reflection written by Felipe Fernandez del Castillo, an alum of the 2011-2012 Program Year.

A month after my tour of duty with Amate House has ended my strongest feeling is that of gratitude.

Gratitude for the dedication and support of the Amate House staff whose hard work made this experience possible. Gratitude especially for Ali Schlereth, world class House Coordinator and baker.

Gratitude for my coworkers at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, not just for their patience with me as I spent ten months learning how to do my job, but gratitude for the examples that they were in how to put love into action.

Gratitude for the volunteers I worked with at Cabrini Green Legal Aid who always impressed me by their willingness to make service a part of busy schedules, their passion for justice, and their simple friendliness.

Gratitude for the clients I worked with at Cabrini Green Legal Aid who were almost uniformly good natured, patient and extremely happy to hear me pick up my phone.

Gratitude for the opportunity to live in Chicago’s wonderfully vibrant Little Village Community, where construction workers pull their trucks over to leave flowers before the statue of Our Lady of Guadeloupe at the corner of 24th and Albany, where the only things to buy seem to be food, cell phones and dresses the color of hazmat suits, and where the sounds of giggling children, ranchera music and car alarms fill the air at all hours of the day and night.

Gratitude for my fellow volunteers, especially the ones I lived with. Gratitude for Melissa’s joy, Mayer’s good sense, Amici’s unflagging high spirits, Courtney’s eagerness to please and be pleased, Katy’s strength, Katie Kenefick’s ability to laugh at things, Nicole’s zest for life and Earl’s easy going goodness. I miss you guys already, and can’t wait to see you again.

Best of luck to all the new volunteers! You’re in for a great ride!

Farewell, Lisa!

Today, we're saying farewell to our Program Director and good friend Lisa Wittig.  After 2 years as Volunteer, and 5 years as a staff member, Lisa is moving on from Amate House and onto new, exciting adventures!  The contributions and impact that she has made on our program are enormous - if you're reading this and are familiar with Amate House, you have no doubt interacted with, served with, worked with, or been supported by Lisa in some way, shape, or form.  We're going to miss her dedication, organization, creativity, and sense of humor.

As she moves on, our staff wishes Lisa nothing but the best, and we hope that she remembers that she will always be a part of the Amate House family!

Little Village Fun Day!

The following is a reflection written by Katy Kawauchi, one of this year's Little Village Volunteers.

Little Village celebrated our In-Service Day by having a scavenger hunt in Wicker Park! Planners, Nicole and Melissa created an individual clue for each member of the house and our House Coordinator. Each clue related to a destination that triggered a fond Little Village memory, or a personal favorite thing that we learned about the individual this year! There were 9 clue destinations in all, with an additional special “secret” mission that needed to be completed before heading to the next location.

Our first stop was Felipe’s clue, where we witnessed the beautiful architecture of a Polish Catholic church. We then headed to a coffee shop to fulfill Nicole’s daily caffeine addiction! Next up? Illinois' own native, Anna M.’s clue, brought us to Illinois’ own Oberweis Dairy, to grab her favorite dessert, ice cream! Our very own House Coordinator, Ali, revisited her days of teaching, by playing Lava Monster with us all at a local playground. After our game of Lava Monster, Earl’s love for man’s best friend found us all at a dog park where we got to play with some adorable new friends! We then did a hop, skip and a jump to a place called, “Double Door“ which related to Anna A.’s love of all things Harry Potter and also lead us to a mini scavenger hunt within a scavenger hunt in Wicker Park. With Melissa’s love for reading and books, we ventured over to a unique bookstore, full of books of all genres. Right across the street, Courtney was pleased that we ended up at a video shop called “Exchange,” that sold both used and new movies where she was able to showcase her knowledge on different films of her liking. Our final stop was of course my own clue, which lead us to…food of course! We ended our scavenger hunt at Thai Village, where no seconds or thirds were needed!

I wouldn’t have spent my Friday any other way, but with the rest of my community, as we soaked up the sun and reminisced on the year.

North House Fun Day!

The following is reflection written by Kevin Franey, one of this year's North House Volunteers.

North House is certainly not one to shy away from new and exciting experiences, so when my housemate Colin proposed to me that we spend our in-service day at a place called Extreme Trampoline, I knew that not only would there be no opposition to it, North Housers would jump all over it (yes, pun intended).  Even better still, trampolining wasn't all we would have the time and resources for.  We have kept a bucket list all year, and while trampolining was not on the list, when we realized our budget left us a little extra wiggle room beyond the trampolines, we thought what better an opportunity to cross an item off of our bucket list than with an in-service?  Some things from our childhood will never die and a desire to eat birthday party food in a fort built out of bedsheets and shakily positioned poles will always be there.  So the agenda was set and we were pumped.

Extreme Trampolines is exactly what it sounds like.  Wall-to-wall trampolines, trampolines on the walls (so that we could literally be bouncing off the walls), trampolines leading into a foam pit, trampolines set up for dodgeball matches, this place had everything you could want for an afternoon of high-flying fun.  Ninety minutes of flips, spins, dodgeball, choreographed dance routines, relay races, and just plain jumping, left us with burning legs, sore backs, and full hearts.  A quick stop at a nearby park for a picnic and relaxing games gave us shady respite before heading back to North House and a fort which would have impressed Gaudi himself.  We followed the perfect physical activity with the perfect non-physical activity of pizza and pillows to complete our wonderful day.  It was an excellent day of light-hearted fun which brought us closer as a community and gave us a few memories which we will be able to cherish always as the North House Ninjas!

South House Fun Day!

The following is a reflection written by Chris Stefonowicz, one of this year's South House Volunteers.

As our Amate House experience comes to a close, many of us have struggled to remain focused and present within community.  Amidst the stress of trying to plan what we will be doing post-Amate we continue to work a 40-hour workweek, have numerous Amate House obligations and still attempt to maintain the relationships we have outside of Amate. Needless to say that within this juggling act, often times, we lose sight of why we are in Amate.  So, for our final in-service we took a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life to enjoy a bit of the beautiful Chicago scenery.

Our day began at 9:00 a.m. with a scrumptious breakfast prepared by two of our wonderful roommates.  We enjoyed the relaxed meal over some light-hearted conversation and once again, came to appreciate the community that we’ve formed over these past 9 months.  After breakfast we grabbed our bicycles and headed out into a nearly perfect spring day.  Our bike ride began through the busy city streets of Chicago’s south side, a territory that we at South House have come to know and love.  The scenery took a drastic change as we turned onto the bike paths that follow the gorgeous Lakeshore Drive.  Along the lakefront we stopped for pictures and water and walked along our first destination: Navy Pier.  After a brief rest on the pier we continued north to our second destination: North Avenue Beach. We spent a couple hours at the beach soaking up the sun, playing catch and going for a quick dip in the refreshing lake water.  A few of us were brave enough (stupid enough) to challenge the rays of the sun with SPF 0…the sun won and continues to win every time I move my shoulders.  Content with the tan (or burn) that we received, we hopped back on the bikes and headed to Portillo’s for a late lunch.  With Amate House picking up the tab, we treated ourselves to our first ever community dinner while dining out.  I chose the Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers and a side of fries, a must have if you ever dine at Portillo’s.  Bellies full and bodies burned, we decided to call it a day.  We biked back along Lakeshore Drive all the way down to the south side and cut directly across the south side of the city to our humble abode.  After a few hours of retreating to our rooms and entering various states of coma, the house once again joined together to grill out and enjoy one final community meal for the day.

South House could not have asked for a more perfect day at a more needed time.  The in-service truly helped our house re-focus on the communal aspects of living that had most recently fallen to the wayside.  By taking a break from our day-to-day realities and focusing only on the community in which we live, we re-discovered the beauty that arises from forming a loving, supportive and caring community.