American Province Ministry Connections September 2021

Events that seemed extraordinary a year ago at this time sadly have become more status quo than not, specifically as relates to the coronavirus, even with the vaccine availability. The situation in Afghanistan and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida only add to the poignancy of life for the country and our global sisters and brothers. I know you will join Donna, Colleen, and me in prayer as we launch this newest “year” of Ministry Connections. May the stories therein offer hope and encouragement, knowing that along with the tender reality of world crises, amazingly wonder-filled activity is happening around the country because of the Society’s vision, financial support, and your prayers. Once again, we are pleased to send this newest edition of Ministry Connections. As always, if you have suggestions to make these newsletters more relevant, please do not hesitate to let us know. For now, enjoy some good news from our partners in ministry. Blessings, Cynthia

South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (SC LAMP) Diana Pinto - Executive Director http://www.southcentrallamp.org/

Here we go! School is in session and in person, again. What a gift!

I am struck by the irony of this reality - prior to the pandemic going to school felt like a chore, so many of us not realizing our schools are much more than educational centers. Perhaps one of the more important lessons we at SCLAMP have learned as a result of this challenging time is that school is where you make friends, where you find adults who comfort you, where you find peers who understand your challenges, where you escape from your everyday troubles.

Remote learning, while addressing the actual “content learning,” could not provide all the other aspects of learning that a traditional school setting can offer. One living testament to recognizing how our school is much more than a learning center for children is seeing the joy of our mothers reuniting with their friends. For a community that often feels isolated, the pandemic has been especially difficult. Many had built relationships within the online classes we offer, but being on-site has made a world of difference for everyone, both the mothers and our staff too. They were able to connect with others who had been through similar experiences. While we are not perfect, and every day we learn something new, it is absolutely incredible to welcome our families on-site to a place that's not just a setting to learn content, but a place to find comfort, support, empathy as well as a place to learn! SCLAMP, in all ways, is our “home away from home.” If you are ever in the neighborhood, come and visit!

Casa Cornelia Law Center    Carmen M. Chavez, Esq. - Executive Director http://www.casacornelia.org/

Uplifting Client Story We are witnessing conflict and displacement around the world, but we remain even more faithful in our mission. Below is one of our most recent client stories, which highlights the power of perseverance and humanitarian access to justice.

Kanan* is a Sikh teenager from a small town in rural India. When he was only 13 years old, members of the governing political party stormed his house looking for his father who belonged to the opposition, and in the process assaulted him and his mother. They tried to report the incident to the police but were mocked by the officers. After several threats and violent attacks on his family, one of Kanan's relatives put him on a plane to New Delhi, and he eventually arrived in the U.S. with the intent to seek refuge.

Katherine Paculba Lacher, Managing Attorney of our Pro Bono Program, took the case and successfully obtained Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for him! Kanan is now finishing high school and dreams of going to college someday.

*Name and photograph have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

Providence Center    Siria Ana Rivera - Executive Director http://www.providencecentershcj.org/

Each summer Providence Center hosts our Summer Leadership Academy, a six-week program that helps to develop workforce and community engagement skills in local teens to prepare them for success in high school and beyond.

This program is our first one on-site since the start of the pandemic over a year ago! Our teens worked in our community garden, pulling weeds, planting fruits, vegetables, and herbs for the community. Additionally, they spent time doing routine garden maintenance and trash removal. These were six very busy weeks!  Participants were also engaged in a Changemakers policy workshop, a partnership program with the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity (P-CHE).  As a result, the teens learned how to create sustainable change and ensure equity and justice through policy. They also became certified Mental Health First Aiders by learning how to recognize and address the signs of mental health distress in their peers and refer to outside resources as needed. Finally, they cooked their own healthy lunches each day and participated in a water drinking challenge to encourage healthy diet choices.  Our Summer Leadership Academy received overwhelmingly positive feedback this year, both from our teen participants and local community members witnessing their work each day. Our program was even recognized in a segment on ABC news! We’re so excited to continue working with these teens and to return to fully on-site programming this fall.

Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus  Casa Cornelia Law Center * Providence Center Co-Sponsored Ministries of the Society of Holy Child Jesus South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (LAMP) *  Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep * Hope Partnership for Education *  Cristo Rey New York High School * Washington School for Girls    ~ ~ ~   Ministry Connections is a monthly publication highlighting ministries sponsored or co-sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.