Dorothy Day House Serves up Food and Hope There’s plenty of green in the garden at the Dorothy Day House on Youngstown’s north side. It’s a welcome sight since food grown there will help feed local children, women and men who might otherwise go hungry. If you are hungry so you need a best and delicious recipes, At richardsonssmokehouse.co.uk website you will get blog about food. And if you are interested in cooking then you should view recipes on this page. When the house was founded in 2009 by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown, Humility of Mary Sisters, and local lay persons, it was thought that a small amount of folks may need its service, but that number has grown significantly. According to HM Sister Susan Schorsten, between 100-115 meals are served each day Monday through Thursday. The house also offers access to showers and a safe, pleasant place to relax. (At left are Ursuline Sisters Patricia McNicholas in pink blouse and Nancy Dawson in tan skirt) Many Ursuline Sisters, Ursuline Associates and Ursuline Sisters’ volunteers prepare and/or serve food at the site, furthering the mission of Ursuline Sisters founder St. Angela Merici, who taught us to care for the poor of pocket and spirit. And as Christ himself stated, “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, as you do unto me.” (At right, Sister Norma Raupple, third from left, and Sister Mary Alyce Koval, in all blue, with Ursuline Associates) Dorothy Day was an American woman who founded the Catholic Worker movement. At a young age, after her family suffered tragedy and became poor, she learned first hand how hard life can be for those in need – not just from the lack of necessities or frills, but from the humiliation the poor can endure.
Associates Volunteer at the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality Ray Novotny, Paulette Smith, Sr Norma Raupple, Karen Calabria, Flo Schneider, Mickey Fata, Colleen Flanagan and Sr Mary Alyce Koval On Wednesday, March 31st a group of Ursuline Associates gathered at the Dorothy Day House at 620 Belmont Ave. to prepare and serve a meal. This is one of many Houses of Hospitality which were inspired by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. The Youngstown Catholic Worker Initiative is a group of faith-filled people who have been meeting for more than a year to put the principles of the Catholic Worker into practice and to establish a home where Christ’s Work’s of Mercy Mickie Biasella are lived out on a daily basis. Since November 2009 groups and restaurants have been serving a hot supper to those who are hungry three times a week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Other Associates who are not in the pictures also contributed by preparing food. They are Mary Yvo Assion, Jean DiVincenzo, Carol Mentges, Peggy Mills, Rosemary Yaniglos. Flo Schneider and Colleen Flanagan Ursuline Associate, Colleen Flanagan shares her memories of her Father which led her to the Dorothy Day House: “I so enjoyed the humbling experience at the Dorothy Day House last night. I look forward to working more on that Ministry in my retirement! If you don’t mind, I’d like to give you a little background as to my understanding of the homeless and the under-resourced. My father was an independent Pharmacist in the Akron area. His drugstore was in the heart of the African- American section of downtown Akron. When I was a child growing up in Akron the homeless were referred to as “bums”, many of them lived under the high level bridge down the street from my father’s store. He gave them shelter from the cold and many meals. Mother would sometimes get a phone call to get some food ready to feed someone he was sending to our house that was in need of a hot meal. He and the owner of the Cigar store on the corner and the pawn shop owner next door took it upon themselves to provide as much help for these men as their resources would allow. They had a standing agreement with the local funeral director down the street to provide a decent burial for those who died. The pawn shop owner provided decent clothing and Ray and dad provided the money for the burial. One of our priests at St. Vincent’s, William Cosgrove was a close family friend. Father Cosgrove became Bishop Cosgrove and eventually was assigned to the Bellville Indiana diocese. Colleen Flanagan, Patricia Canton and Ray Novotny My father died at the young age of 66 in 1967. Bishop Cosgrove was not able to come for his funeral but did pay Mother and I a visit at our home. He shared with us at that visit that he never forgot what my dad told him as he was leaving our parish and also moving up in the church hierarchy, He said Ben told me ” As you move on and into positions of power, don’t forget about the people with the seat out of their pants and not a dime in their pockets. ” Bishop Cosgrove hosted a huge Thanksgiving meal for the homeless and under-resourced at his Bellville parish every year during his tenure there as well as doing other social justice work in that area. He came back to the Cleveland Diocese in his retirement and Mom and I got to visit with him in Elyria before he died. I am blessed to have been given such a wonderful example in my childhood of caring for the poorest of the poor. So, I see my current ministry in my parish’s Matthew 8:20 homeless program and the Dorothy Day house as opportunities to carry on a legacy given to me.” The mission of the Catholic Worker Movement is to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner and work to expose and eradicate the injustices, systemic and otherwise that plague the vast majority of our human family. If you would like more information visit the website: www.youngstowncatholicworker.wordpress.com