Let’s All Improve Our Little Corner Of The World Now
because anything more might need a little more time
Up until the last turn of the century, Flint, MI was filled with industrial jobs mainly led by General Motors. It was known as Buick City because it was where all Buicks were made.
Then, General Motors and other auto-related industries began pulling out of the city, closing their doors and leaving many thousands behind and unemployed.
In 2014, the City of Flint changed its municipal water supply source from the Detroit-supplied Lake Huron water to the Flint River, which flowed through this industrial setting.
The switch caused water distribution pipes to corrode and leach lead and other contaminants into municipal drinking water.
This operation led to the speeding up of the deterioration of the city in general and the East Side in particular. Health issues began from the contaminated water and continue to this day. A settlement from The State of Michigan allowed for the installation of new water pipes throughout the city.
What the settlement did not cover was the pipes from the main line at the street to the houses or businesses. Poverty has not allowed many if any of these pipes to be renewed.
This has led to many who have no hope of ever coming out of the gloom and doom that they have been existing in for seemingly forever.
In the heart of the East Side is St. Andrews Church where Father Jay Gantz has been the rector for over 25 years. Prior to his coming to the East Side, Fr. Jay had set up and operated soup kitchens in many major cities of the USA — from New York City to The Pacific Ocean.
Fr. Jay set up a soup kitchen after arriving at St Andrews and it now offers coffee, Kool-Ade, and cookies to its patrons starting at 10:00 AM. He has a service at 11:30 AM and then opens the kitchen for a warm, nutritious lunch every Friday and Saturday at noon.
The kitchen also takes donations of shoes, boots, socks, coats, gloves, and jackets. These are distributed before the meal. A dangerous fact is that many are not able to wear the new items when they leave the kitchen to go home until they “dirty them up a bit.”
Otherwise, they may be robbed of their new coat or shoes as they are walking “home” to wherever home is to them wherever they are staying at the time.
The people feel safe as long as they remain in the church hall because the people have made it a “safe zone.” This is because the church helps all who ask and/or need without being questioned.
The patrons of the kitchen have their bellies fed with probably the only fresh, nutritious food they will have for the week, and their souls are fed with safety, compassion, and warmth provided by Fr. Jay and the volunteers.
If you ever are in the area during these times, stop by and say “hi!” I make the best coffee on the East Side and might even throw in a cookie or two.
Are you trying to discover just how you can improve your little corner of the world? It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive or especially public.
One of my favorites is driving through the drive-through lane of a coffee shop and overpaying for my coffee. I advise the clerk to use the overpayment to buy the coffee for the person(s) in the car behind me, then I drive away.
I can’t help but feel good when doing this and even get some humor out of it when I picture in my mind the confusion of the recipient wondering who did this and why.
If you do this enough, you may also influence others to do the same thing. This is spreading the idea of paying it forward for more to enjoy.
What suggestions do you have for our readers to get the word out for more ways to improve your corners of the world so that we can apply them to our corners, too?
Thank you, God!
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