I didn’t expect to post another blog here so soon, wanting to give things a chance to ‘ripen,’ but something has come up that I feel moved to comment on. First, the background.
With my rent now having been raised, I have had to take serious stock of my ‘outgos,’ living on my basic Soc. Sec. as I do, and some savings, that I need to keep in the hole for medical emergencies, or whatever. As it is, I already have to go to the savings hole to get by, since my monthly S.S. check doesn’t cover my rent and utilities, my telephone/Internet connection, and my monthly food costs; but I have had a big-enough nest egg, I have felt, to warrant spending ‘some’ of it each month on ‘worthy causes’ that have come my way. (As I told a friend recently via email: “Who knew there were so many worthy causes out there?”) I had to cut down on a fair amount of that donations outgo when my landlord raised my rent the first time, a couple of years or so ago, now; but with this last raise, I have entered Yellow Light territory, and have realized that I need to cut that ‘worthy cause’ giving out altogether, that I really can’t sustain it any longer. So, I have entered recently into quite a chore, sending back the self-addressed envelopes to those organizations that have included one with the postage paid, with a note asking them to to take me off their mailing list, and paying the freight on selected others. But I can’t bear the cost of the return postage on all of that category, having to rely on their periodically cleaning their mailing lists of those who have apparently given up on making contributions to their extremely worthy cause.
Another category of such mail that I receive is where the sender has put live postage on their return envelopes; and after I have already sent in one of those to let them know the bad news, when they send me another such request - the cleaning of their mailing list not having kicked in yet - I can use their live-postage envelope to send the same request to another of those on my fairly large list, just felt-pen marking out their address and inserting another. It is in this category of such organizations that brings me to the basic purpose of my blog.
Perhaps the hardest ‘worthy cause’ that I have had to give up contributing to is the Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.(1) I don’t recall when I first came across that school, and their excellent work in giving the children of ‘the Rez’ a good education and hope for the future. But I’m glad that it came my way.
Each month Father George has kept me/us abreast of life in the school, by thematically writing about some aspect or incident, to make it personal: an interaction with one of the students, or a story from one of the teachers or counselors; a report on the damage done by one of the storms that visit that up-north area with unfortunate frequency; whatever. His monthly reports (like many such non-profits) always contain a self-addressed envelope with live postage. Unable to contribute every month to their w.c., I have kept many of these monthly mailings, with their live postage, for possible use for other such organizational returns that haven’t provided postage. Now that I am wrapping up my whole expedition in this field, I have been going through those old mailings and stripping them of their return-paid envelopes. Some of them are so old that I will have to go to the P.O. and buy a number of 1-cent and 2-cent stamps to make up the difference. That was the case when I came to the monthly mailing from the good Father that I wish to refer to herein.
In glancing at its contents before ripping it in half for my recycling (cardboard-box) bin, I saw my handwriting at the top of the letter inside, Curious, I decided to take a look at the letter, and what I had said in a response to its contents.
It was Fr. George’s monthly missive (missal??) for December 2013.(2) It read(s):
“Dear Duane [my official first name; on/from my debit card info],
“He writes from the heart, ’I am from the Rez, poorest area in the US.’
“He writes from his past, ‘Where dreams are distant and our voices go unheard.’
“He writes from the fear of a future too often realized, ‘Where a voice is held in high regards and death is regarded as an accomplished Life.’
“In his poetry he writes of darkness.
“He lives far beyond a Red Cloud bus run and wonders where his next ride to Red Cloud is coming from. Often sitting in the dark and cold after a long school day, he waits patiently for a ride that will take him over forty-five miles to home. Arriving home late he eats what food there may be only to get up before the sun to ride again. He spends three hours of his day and sometimes longer traveling to and from Red Cloud. There are other schools closer. And there are easier curriculums. Still, he comes. He discovers the Light and he shines.
“He reads three grade levels above his age. His goal is to major in biology. At times, for his own protection, he lived in foster care. He has seen too much. His father drinks too much and they live from week to week. He has gone without running water. He has made do with little food. He is a survivor. Still, he dreams.
“A teacher at his former school begged us to take him. ‘He won’t make it at another school. He needs to be at Red Cloud. He needs the structure and the creativity that is found in the classrooms there.’
“We know that it is important he comes here. We know that his days are not easy. Rides are found. Seen waiting for a ride that would not come to pick him up until after 10p.m., the Superintendent took him home, driving miles out of his way to get him there.
“More than one person has called Red Cloud a ‘beacon of light’. There are children living in darkness who seek the Light at Red Cloud. Those are the children we serve each day. A meal, a ride, a voice that is heard. It is hard work It is heart breaking It is the greatest ministry there is. It is what we do and it brings joy.
“His name is Paul and he has a voice.
“Every day they come. Children on a journey to gain an education that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Each one has a name. Each one has a voice. Each one has needs.
“And what we are doing is working. The students are succeeding. Just last month, several students attended the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Denver. At the conference, one student received a first place distinction for her brain tissue research to reverse serious nerve damage, and another placed for her study about increasing the efficiency of metal detectors.
“Over 95% of Red Cloud graduates go on to further education. The question at Red Cloud is not ‘are you going to college?’ but rather, ‘where are you going to college?’ Dartmouth, Drake, Stanford, South Dakota State, Black hIlls State, Oglala Lakota College, Creighton, Regis, U of New Mexico and so many more…at Red Cloud children are safe and can dream. They are gaining confidence and are becoming the Lakota leaders of tomorrow.
“But it takes time to break the circle of poverty. It takes caring. It takes your support. I know that there are many worthy organizations doing good work, but the efforts and successes at Red Cloud are amazing. I see the impact you are having. Lives are being changed for the better each day our doors are open.
“I am writing to you because you are a special friend to Red Cloud. I know I can count on you to help us especially when unexpected expenses, due to the record cold, more needed bus runs, and rising food costs play havoc with our budget. This Christmas time I am turning to you again. Simply put, what we are doing is working, but I need your help to continue.
“Please hear the voices of the children. In the darkness of the winter, the Light at Red Cloud shines bright…” and it went on for a few more words, mostly religiously about Christmastime.
I see that I wrote, at the top of his letter:
“We took their land away from them. The least we can do is lend them a hand with what they have left: their dignity. Thank you for giving children like Paul a voice, Fr. George.”
I don’t know if I actually sent those words to Fr. George or not. But I do now, in this way:
Fr. George Winzenburg, S.J.: Thank you for your many years of service to those children. I salute you, as you move on to other errands for, and in,
the Light.
—
footnotes:
(1) There are other such Indian schools that I have supported, and including a home for retired Cheyenne and Crow in Billings, Montana; but something about the Red Cloud Indian School has been special. And most of that, I suspect, is due to the guiding hand of their president and fundraiser, Fr. George Winzenbueg, S.J. More on which, above.
(2) I will note at this point that, after 15 years - six as a Board member and nine at the helm - Fr. George will be moving on at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. His Jesuit Order has other work for him to move into.
If it continues to exist, after all of the inside knowledge about its shady doings comes to light. To, that is to say, the Light.
But to continue.
No comments:
Post a Comment