Public Forums - Healthcare

Earlier this past week I was informed by the infamous Sister Mary Ellen (my site supervisor) that there was a Public Forum being held at the Cadillac Place which was appropriately titled "Attorney General's Community Forum on the Proposed Sale of the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) to Vangaurd Health Systems (VHS), Inc."

The DMC is an eight-hospital system that includes a number of other subsidaires and affliliates. The hospitals that are part of the DMC are: Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Surgery Hospital, Haper University Hospital, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Hutzel Women's Hospital, Sinai-Grace Hospital, University Labs. The entire system is non-profit/charitable business.

The Vangaurd strategy (pulled from their website) is to embrace the prinicples of a non-profit ran hospital and marry those principles with that of a for-profit business. Sensitive to a hospitals needs they collaborate with the current staff remain deticated to the community and invest in the hospital by providing resources and technology that improvethe overall care patients receive.

At this point in time the DMC is bankrupt. They do not have the finances to support themselves, but have the most deticated staff that I have ever come across. They are working with equipment that is so out of date that the parts no longer exits when a machine breaks. DMC is desperate and in desperate times comes desperate measure. After attending this forum it was made clear to me that the DMC is basically give handing itself over to Vanguard for free. Vanguard is going to take the DMC and invest 1.5 billion dollars into the hospitals there however the DMC will not be making the desicions with that investment VHS will and they will be investing in their own asset; Detroit and its citizens are not receiving anything for the superb system it has built; based on non-profit and charitable values. The Attorney General's Office informed the forum that the DMC had not even been priced out. They are making it seem that there is no other option than VHS but the fact is that DMC Administration has not explored other options; another flaw is that the DMC is ran by lawyers who have no idea how to manage healthcare.

Some of the Key Terms of the proposed sale are as follows:
DMC will receive
- relief from outstanding bond debt ($417,000,000)
- '' '' net pension liability ($190,000,000)
- Expansion to the DMC Hospitals adding up to $850,000,000
- VHS promise to maintain each hospital as a licensed acute care or rehabilitation hospital
- VHS promise to meet or exceed DMC's existing charity care policy
- VHS promise to provide the following essential core services for a minimum of 10 yrs at one or more hospitals: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Obstetrics, Emergency Deptarmental Services, Trauma-Designated Emergency Deptarment, Intensive Care Services General Medical Services.
VHS will receive
- will acquire substantially all assests held by DMC and its subsidairies, including all DMC hospitals and the DMC name.
DMC will retain
- will continue as a charitable Michigan nonprofit corporation and will retain control of charitable funds that are subject to restrictions imposed by donors of about $140,000,000. These funds will be safeguarded for their intended charitable uses.

This is the cliff note version of the FAQ's sheet that was handed out to us at the forum. So now you have an overview of both the DMC, VHS, and what the sale proposal is I would like to share with you how the community responded at the forum.

Margie Mitchell of MiUCAN: She had three main points "1) the mission of a nonprofit company is to give back and limit its profits. If we are to except this agreement Blackstone the hedgefund of VHS will act as a vaccum and suck all of the money out of DMC and send it to Wall Street. 2) Who will have the power to make decisions? Instead of the power remaining in Detroit, it will transfer to Tennessee and there they will have a Regional Manager make the decisions for the DMC. This presents a problem because when the power remains in local hands the appropriate and understood decisions can be made. What sort of proper decision making can you do from TN? 3) VHS limited commitment to keeping the DMC a charitable company. After 10 yrs will the keep delivering affordable services that the people of Detroit desperately need.

Dr. Reggie St. Xavier of DMC: "We are a struggling system, struggling simply to breath, to provide for our patients. This is the worst position we have ever been in and VHS is our answer".

John Trivia Nurse Union: "The DMC has provided a safety net for over 1,000 of Detroits citizens and by giving our hospitals up the VHS we are putting the desperately needed net at risk. In a forprofit atmosphere the patient never comes first the share holders do".

Sharon Madison: "This sale will primarily employ detroiters and we need to consider the fact that this is a big deal and here in Detroit we deserve to be a big deal".

What was interesting to me is that this room was filled with three piece suit businessmen who all made a significant amount of money and have the means to pay the premiums and deductables of the health insurance that is offered to them. Out of all of those people in the room there were only 2 women their to represent the actual citizens of Detroit that benefit from the nonprofit system. These women represented the proverty stricken working class of Detroit who have no insurance. It made me sick to my stomach when they approached the mic and their main concern was that they did not understand this transaction and what it would mean to them. But isn't that how it goes to keep the decisions at the top and not let the actual people who will benefit or struggle in the unknown so you can stay at the top. My question is how much Mr. Duggan (DMC CEO) will be making after this sale and where he will land. They both asked for the forum to be advertised to the people of the city in free newspapers and on non cable channels.

The two people that had the most effect on me was Sister Mary Ellen's address and a man who laid out the simplicity of a forprofit -> first reduce wages, second reduce services, third increase charges, fourth externalize cost (eliminate the taxes and put those costs on the citizens), fifth the profits don't remain in the city they are shipped to TN to the hedge fund.

Sister Mary Ellen: "The DMC is a Detroit community asset, a nonprofit health care system whose mission is to serve the community. it is governed by a local board whose responsibility is to guard that asset for the community. Hence, I find it incredible that Mr. Duggan and the board are considering handing over this community resource to a for profit corporation. VHS, whose corporate offices are located in Nashville, TN.

My understanding is that the community will not receive any payment from VHS. This is highly unusual. When most nonprofit corporations convert to for profit use, their value is transferred to another entity, such as a foundation, which carries out the charitable purpose for which the original corporation was founded. VHS is doing nothing like this for the city of Detroit. Instead VHS promises to invest $800 million in the DMC which they will own.

The DMC is the closest thine have to a public hospital in Detroit. It is where those who are poor and uninsured turn for care. Will this mission continue under VHS? They have made a ten-year commitment, but will they own the DMC for ten years? We don't know,and we have no guarantees. With no local government board, how will the community hold VHS accountable for all the promises they have made?

Let's be honest. VHS is a for profit corporation whose primary purpose is to maximize return to its owner which is the Blackstone Group, the world's largest buyout firm. What will happen when the interests of this for profit corporation conflict with the well-being of DMC patients, staff, and the surrounding community? Will vital, but unprofitable services such as OB and ER be discontinued in order to pay larger dividends? Or will they put people before profits? I doubt it very much.

On a deeper level, the VHS/DMC issue is yet another example of a dangerous trend in our country and throughout the world today. More and more, we are seeing public goods turned into private commodities, access to which depends on one's ability to pay. This push to privatization has had a devastating impact on access to vital services such as water, education, and housing, as well as health care.

What is at stake here is nothing less than our humanity. When health care is looked upon as just another commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace, priorities become skewed and people suffer. We only have to think of the millions in our country who do not have access to adequate health care, especially unprofitable primary care and preventive services.

We desperately need to recover a sense of the common good. We are living in a world that puts a price on everything and values nothing - where everything is for sale to the highest bidder, including the DMC. I don't want to see this happen to health care in Detroit".

After the forum I had not decided if I was for or against this sale. It seemed to me that what Vanguard had to offer was ideal they were going to save this health system. However, I was challenged to look deeper into the ethics and consequences of this sale. What will happen in a year will the VHS sell the DMC to another bidder in a year, will they come through with their so called promises, are we making the right decision? I am still conflicted with this issue and want to trust that the VHS has Detroit's best interests in mind, but they are a corporation practicing similar tactics to the Real Estate business buy up the cheap and desperate and do with what they desire after they have full control.

Mary Ellen had posted about the forum on her facebook wall and got a response from a pharmacist in Phoenix, "I am very familiar with some Vanguard owned hospitals in Phoenix and they DO operate like a for profit in every sense of the word. From what I've seen here they are light years behind what the DMC already has in technology so their "technology" will likely be a step back and involve layoffs".

This response definitely pushed me in one direction however I would like to know your comments and concerns about going from nonprofit to for profit. It is a never ending battle in the health care field and it is un-nerving that health care, which I believe is a basic human right, has become a political football.

This is my LIFE

Thursday - Cabrini Clinic

7:00 am I wake up to Rocket Man after a night of tossing and turning due partly to the excitement of my first day of work and the other to a bad mattress. I was up and in the shower by 7:30 read to leave by 20 to 9:00am. The clinic is only 5 blocks from my house and if you don't already know what I have committed to as a MVC, I committed to a life of "simple living". Hence, if I am to practice simple living it is only logical to walk to work. However, if any of you know me at all you know that I don't like to walk. Hell, I lived across the street from my college campus and I would still drive. So, far I have not been tempted to drive to work but we will see how the next couple of weeks go.

I don't know if I have mentioned the heat and humidity that is experienced here in Detroit, MI but it is HOT and STICKY. I thought I had it bad in MN, no no no no, I was spoiled there it is simply miserable here and part of simple living is no AC - I really like it here, I really like it here... (I have to keep telling myself this, especially when I am sweating like a pig). The one good thing is that Cabrini has AC and most of my time will be spent there. I arrived at the clinic 9:00 am to meet with Teresa the social worker to get trained in. The most important part of my training today was becoming familiar with the registration process of the patients. Part of it is done on the computer where I enter the patients name, why they have come to the clinic, and if any of there information has changed. Then I go and grab their chart off the shelf and either stamp it for the doctor or put the date and bring it back to the pharmacy for a refill. I have to be careful though and make sure that all the files stay in the order the patients came in the clinic, because it is all first come first serve.

Thursdays there are 2 clinics the afternoon clinic is from 1-5 and the evening clinic is from 5-8. Registration is from noon - 1 and then again from 5-6. However people start coming into the clinic to register at least 2 hrs before hand. For the first clinic we served 32 patients which was a lot; we had a nurse practitioner called in sick. We took in 4 new patients which is also a lot in one day. One of the new patients came in with leukemia and had not seen the doctor in three months. All she wanted to know is what stage she was in and to leave everything up to Jesus. Some would say that she has a great deal of magical thinking however in our Mercy Orientation they warned us that we would truly see God in the poor. They put everything in His hands because they have nothing else; they get out of bed for God. It was inspiring and saddening at the same time. There was another man that was homeless that came into our clinic for the first time. This is my first encounter with a homeless person face to face. I have not been exposed to this population and it made me think twice about the things that I have and how blessed I am to be where I am today.

From 10:30 to 1:00 the clinic was buzzing on my end of care. I was runnin charts all over the place getting the proper info from people and updating info all at the same time. My first registration went really well I had everyone in order with the proper stamp. It doesn't seem like I am doing much but it was very exciting. At the end of my day I was cleaning up and looking for the recycling, but didn't find any. So I approached Sister Mary Ellen and found out that the clinic doesn't recycle and that the entire city of Detroit. I was shocked. I decided to undertake the job of helping the clinic to become greener. Out side of just the clinic I have made some contacts and am looking into helping Detroit start a recycling program.

After work my community and I went out on a tour of Detroit with our support person Mike. Mike showed us the rest of the city that we haven't seen (I'm sure Sister Mary Claire would disagree with the previous statement). After our quick tour Mike took us to a great Mexican restaurant that was pretty inexpensive. We had a great meal and conversation learning about Mike and his family and exchanging stories of our experience and lives. Mike and I started talking about his career with the juveniles of Detroit. I shared my experience with Alvin and his path to juvenile court and expressed my interest in the field. What developed out of our conversation is the potential of me leading an after school group session once a week. I am not sure what that all entails but I am excited about it.

Friday Clinic Organization -

Fridays are catch up days and preparing for the next week. I need to refile all of the charts that were pulled for Thursday's clinic. It was a fairly slow day until Teresa showed me the three large tall cabinets full of the most random items I have ever seen. I was given the exciting job of organizing all of the cabinets. I felt as if I was back in the Poli Sci/Soci Department filing all the 50 or so applications for the sociology professorship that the department hired at the end of last semester; that was a crazy mess believe me. I was able to make some head way on 2 shelves of one cabinet so I have a long road ahead of me.

Friday night the roomies and I were able to catch some down time to hang out together. We played the game of life MVC version which presents a volunteer path option. It was really fun and good to just hang out together.

Saturday - Starting with Church; Ending with Freakshow

Saturday morning we were headed out to Farmington Hills for the Sisters of Mercy Jubilee Celebration. This event recognizes sisters that have been a Sister of Mercy for 25 yrs (silver), 50 yrs (golden), 60 yrs (diamond), and 70 yrs (diamond). There was even a Sister that was celebrating her 80th year of being a Sister of Mercy. This celebration reminded me of my gerontology class where we read a book based on the nuns and alzheimers. I felt that these nuns held a lot of the same qualities the nuns in Dr. Snowdons study did. If you would like to learn more about this study click on this link
http://www.mc.uky.edu/nunnet/

It was Sister Mary Ellen's (my supervisor at Cabrini) 50th Jubilee celebration and all of my community and myself went out to support her along with other Sisters we have met throughout the last 2 weeks. After the 11:00 am mass we had lunch with Sister Mary Ellen and her family and friends it was a great food and conversation however we didn't stay long because our day was full of different events.

D.O.T.S - Dancin on the Street

We went to a local art festival that is called the Heidelberg Project. This project revolves around abandon houses in Detroit (which there is a large amount of) and turning them into works of art. For more info click on this link http://www.heidelberg.org/
The pictures explain themselves After experiencing D.O.T.S we headed home and crashed for the next 3 hours. With the combination of bad matresses, all of the parties we have been invited to, and the miserable hot weather we were basically walking zombies. Around 8 we awoke from our slumbers had dinner and were out to the next event, called the "Bizarre Bizarre". The first thin I saw as we walked into the venue was a women hanging from her piercing. She had two on her thighs two from her back making it look like she was sitting in the air; it was crazy. The rest of the night I was surrounded by local artists advertising, exposing, and selling their art. However there was a very dark undertone to this type of art; it had a very underground feel. We saw live graffiti being done a sweet fashion show done by one of my roommates co-workers, and freak show paintings that included "Margot the Maggot Girl". It was a great experience in doses and I am always up for new things so I definately enjoyed myself.

100,000 Welcomes

Today was a vital day for the MVCs of Detroit. Today we went to each of our sites to learn and see what our fellow community members will be doing throughout the year. Our first stop was Cristo Rey. This private catholic school was opened three years ago to the underprivledged youth of Detroit. Most of Cristo Rey's students receive free tution from scholarships and grants; the most any student pays a year is $500.00. It is important to note that any student whose parents make over 4,000 dollars a year are not eligible to attend Cristo Rey. We met with Leon Dixon the Dean of Students and an activist in the community. He has no background in education and was actually a business man. However, he saw a need when he would have young adults coming to him for jobs. The youth of the community seemed to not have a grasp on how to present themselves in a professional manner when it came to dress, communication, presentation, and writing skills. One of the special parts to Cristo Rey is that they really focus on training their students to be professionals. There are classes and seminars on how to answer the phone to how to prepare a proper resume. One issue that really had an impact on me was how little the students knew when it came to subjects that I assumed to be common sense. For example, a uniform policy was put in place last year because the students did not understand what it meant to wear business casual. Leon described how one girl wore an evening gown to school one day. So he made it a point to enforce a school uniform policy which also helps with the anger and violence between the females in the school. This was another interesting topic that came up in conversation. Leon described every girl that is born and raised in Detroit have serious anger issues and the more attractive you are the more you become a target of that anger. He said that it wasn't an ethnic, racial, or demographic issue it was simply that the majority of women in Detroit have anger issues. This is intersting to me because of my academic background in sociology and I wonder what social structures, norms, and mores, of the Detorit area brings about this anger. Leon really fed us a lot of information about the school and students. He explained to us that there was a significant portion of students at the high school that are second generation crack and heroine children. Which was shocking to me but at the same time it was a reality that I have had to deal with through my work with Alvin who was also exposed fetally to drugs and alcohol. Last but not least, Leon touched briefly on immigration in the city of Detroit and what schocked me the most is that statistically there is more illegal immigrants coming from Canada to America than the South Border; he actually was bold enough to state that their are three times more illegal immagrants coming to Detroit than the south border. The majority of them are Chinese and Albanias; Detroit is a safe haven for immigrants however the authorities ignore this safe haven and do a huge search in the fall. What was so great about Leon and the staff at Cristo Rey is their willingness to welcome not just there MV but myself and my other community member as well. It was made very clear that if we had any issues or wanted to get involved in anyway that Leon would hook us up and if he wasn't able too than he would find someone could. It was the beginning of my realization that I was not just part of this community but I was building an extended family.

Believe it or not our entire time spent was Leon only lasted an hour. Next we were on our way to my site, the Cabrini Clinic. The clinic was developed in 1834, when Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church transformed its new chrch building into a medical facility for victims of Detroit's cholera epidemic, it began a long tradition of tending to the nedical needs of southwest Detroit's poor. 100 years later, in 1950, Pastor Father Clement Kern had a mission, meeting the needs of the Corktown neighborhood residents who were the poorest of the poor. Because many were new immigrants in need of basic medical care, he established a free clinic, naming it in honor of Mother Frances Cabrini, the patron sein of immigrants. It is estimated that in Detroit today, 270,000 are uninsured or enrolledin Medicaid. 59% of Detroit's population has income below 200% of the poverty level. Detroit ranks #1 amough 687 USA cities for preventable/avoidable hospitalizations for the population aged 40-64. Detroiters fare much wores in health staus measure than the rest of the state or the nation, including for cancers, asthma, infant mortality, and HIV. The populatin the clinic serves is uninsured adults ages from 18-64, 50% of the patients are African American, 40% are Hispanic, and the balance is Caucasian. The most common diagnosis are hypertension, diabetes, and depression. The Cabrini Clinic receives no goverment funding and operates on a budget of $260,000 a year; which is secured through fundraising. I will be working M-F 10:30 - 5 or 8. Its hours just depend on what is going on at the clinic that week and so on. This non-profit organization hold 3 medical clinics, 1 mental health clinic (which is the only free mental health clinic in Detroit), diabetic education classes, prescription assistance, foot clinic, and eye care. One of the main functions of the clinic is getting the marginalized in the city their medications. Most of them have already seen a doctor but they need the clinic in order to get their medications; which are completely free.

Getting down to the real stuff my job description:
Position Summary - the mercy corps volunteer is a full-time positon, reporting to the Exectuive Director of Carini Clinic. The volunteer coordinates activites with other clinic staff and volunteers. Hours vary by day of the week, according to the hours of patient services.
Duties and Responsibilites -
1) is responsible for the front desk function
2) oversees medical records function, preparing charts for new patients and maintaining and filling curren charts.
3) Assists with preparation and writing of articles for the clinic newletter, Cabrini collector.
4) Maintains the patient registration database.
5)Develops tools and programs to facilitate the work of the clinic
6)Organizes community outreach activites, including recruiting volunteers, organizing and advertising events
7)Participates in community forums and evetns related to the uninsured.

This is the gist of my job and what I will be doing at the Cabrini Clinic, we did not get as much information about the city out of Sister Mary Ellen (my supervisor) but I have no doubt that she will provide me with many good stories to share with you. Side note: As I walked into the clinic I already felt as if I belonged there and everytime I meet with a sister or community member I am invited to some type of party or event today I received an invitation to and Irish party with the clinic.

Last but NOT least our community made its way to Matrix Theater; which is a theater that does production on social justice. They operate out of a black box theater that sits around 30. One of their main attractions are their giant puppets which appear all over the city in parades and other social justice events. Again the feeling of welcome and adding to our extended Detroit family was felt as the theater the same it was at the two previous sites.

Our last adventure of the day was a birthday party for Samantha one of our social services speakers adopted daughters; she was turning 13. But unknown to us it was also Samantha's grandfathers birthday, and Samantha's brother Josh's going away party for college. It was an amazing experience partly because as the party was coming to a close some speeches were about family and how we wouldn't be here without anyone at this party and Janet and Josh drew special attention to us as Mercy Volunteers and Marty a man that I had literally met an hour ago said that we were just here to do work and be involved as a community member that we were here building an extended family and that they were now part of our family. The feelings and emotions that hit me at that moment were intense, warm, and big. I couldn't feel more welcome so when I say I have experience 100,000 welcomes in the span of three days I mean that.

Making a Deeper Connection

My time in Detroit has been interesting so far. I live in a row house that is not equipped with air conditioning; so we have fans that just blow the hot air around. It has been unbearably humid since I landed here in Michigan which creates a fairly uncomfortable environment. The humid aside I have had an amazing first week here in Detroit.

It is important to me to explain why I am here volunteering for the Mercy Corps as a proclaimed atheist. I went to a public school where I had practiced secular academics and did not have proper training in theology (academically at least). However, I did attend Church regularly. My parents where originally ELCA Lutherans but the little town of Parkers Prairie did not have an ELCA branch. After a couple of years of settling our family in my parents decided that the most logical decision when it came to bringing up their children in a christian home was to become members of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. This is where I was educated in terms of the christian faith, its rules, and its religion. I grasped onto my christian faith as a very young child and had a great sense of spirituality and connect with "God". I was in the top 3 in my confirmation class and took great pride in this accomplishment. However, after I was confirmed I was not forced to go to church with my family on a regular basis. As a result of this I slowly lost/forgot about my religion.

I was accepted into the College of Saint Benedict in 2006 and took my first CORE theology class my spring semester as a first year (2007). It was an eye opening experience for me that unfortunately brought about a lot of confusion and anger. I found out what the bible really was a book of metaphorical truths, the old testament being a book of laws, and so on. I felt that I was taught to take the bible literally. I was also told at my church that the Jewish Senator Paul Wellstone was damned to hell because he was not a christian. On top of that I was told if where to take communion with other Lutherans other than Missouri Synod I would be judged for that come judgement day. I felt cheated by my church and the clergy within it. I decided that the christian religion was a crock and wanted nothing to do with it. As my time went by and I took more and more classes I decided to identify as an atheist. It is really the only thing that makes sense to me and I have accepted the concept of there not being an afterlife. After all of this is unveiling of the christian religion I still was not completely satisfied within myself.

You might be wondering why the hell did I attend a Catholic school and to further my future with another Catholic program. I have found that CSB is one of the most liberal and accepting Catholic schools I could have attended. For example I was more than impressed that our Catholic school recognized the traditions of Ramadan. The Benedictine Values also resonate deeply within me and in my opinion if everyone lived by those values no matter your faith, race, ethnicity, or belief this world would be a more peaceful place. There was something that drew me in to this school and its values and community and I wanted to recreate that sort of lifestyle after I graduated.

The Mercy Volunteer Corps was not my first choice at all, I did not even know it existed until April 2010. I had applied to a dozen different places and was rejected by each, the Mercy Corps was my last shot at a year of service and I was really indifferent about the program. I don't think I could have had an opinion about this program without experiencing it first hand. I was scared and unsure about moving to Detroit but the minute I let go of my fears and stepped of the shuttle to a line of Mercy sisters and staff to give each and everyone of us a hug, I knew I was in the right place. And everyday since than has been a confirmation about how good of a choice this was for where I am mentally, physically, and emotionally in my life right now.

One of the requirements for MVC is to have at least one spirituality night a week. During orientation we learned many different ways of expressing and practicing our spirituality. It was so amazing to hear how the sisters have connections and relationships with the jewish community, the buddist, and other religious communities that are not christian. It was something that made more sense to me than damning everyone but christians to hell.

My community held our first spirituality night last night, Danielle had thought that it would be a good idea to make a timeline of ourlives and what events and people brought us to where we are today. It was a surprisingly very spiritual activity to look back over my life and cherish and relive the relationships and events that have brought me here today and to realize how thankful I am for all the good and the bad times. The three of us ended up talking about our experiences, families, relationships, and friendships for four hours. It was an amazing experience, and I have found what spirituality is to me is a reflective practice that has intention and meaning. I encourage all of you who have decided to take the time to read this blog to do some reflective practice as well. My goal in the practice of spirituality is to "be still" to let go of all my dates, deadlines, conflicts, wants, and needs and just be still within myself. Through this I hope to gain a greater clarity of myself and my surroundings.

-- Awake. Be the witness of your thoughts. You are what obersves, not what you observe. --
Buddha

Leaving MN...Hello to MI

I have spent the last two months preparing for the next year of my life as a Mercy Volunteer. I was accepted in the the corps at the beginning of June and given my placement and departure date shortly after that. At this point in my life I am a recent graduate from the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University where I spent four of the most formative years of my life. I met the women and men who I will carry with me for the rest of my life. After graduating it was a difficult transition from the chaotic life of a college student to an alumni who would be leaving for the next year to give her time in the name of Mercy.

Besides struggling with the idea of letting go of the security that CSB/SJU provided for me I also was dealing with the fact that I had to leave behind my family, friends, and especially my dog Brewer.

This past summer I continued my work with children that have developmental disablities in South Minneapolis. I became close with the family that I was working for/with extended their hand and home to me by taking on the responsibilities of Brewer for the year. I could not be more thankful for their generosity however, I still had a difficult time accepting the idea that "my man" would not be at my side and part of my team for the next year. However, I knew that this was an opportunity of a life time and needed to leave him behind in order to move forward with my life.

In the last week of MN, I was able to say my proper goodbyes to the people and things that are most important to me. I found myself in Lindbergh terminal boarding my flight and waving goodbye to my mother. Which I found to be one of the hardest things I had to do. I will never forget her face when she began to tear up as her first and oldest daughter boarded a plane to take the next step in her life towards a more well rounded life.

I stepped off the plane in Detroit, MI around 3:00 pm where I met my first fellow MVC member. Brynn from Jersey Shore approached me outside of the airport...from that point on I referred to her and coined her has Jersey (she bleeds Jersey). Soon after I befriended Bonnie Brynn I was thrown into a situation with 24 other strangers that were also in the same volunteer process as I was.

I spent the next week working on the concepts of community, spirituality, sites of service, cross-cultural, and simple living. Then at the end of the day these 25 people would gather into the kitchen and immerse ourselves into each others lives. It was an amazing experience that I am looking forward to developing throughout the year. The part that I most took from the orientation experience is that as an atheist I have started to tap back into my spiritualitly which I look forward to grow in.

Today August 8th I moved into my new place in Corktown, Detroit. It has been the most welcoming experience I have ever seen. The sisters of Mercy have been nothing but giving to the volunteers here and the community of Corktown has opened up their hearts and minds to our presence and mission. I know this is a very summed up blog however I hope to be more specific and detailed in my future blogs.

Thanks for reading...