August 2009 Interfaith Connection Newsletter, Interfaith Works

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INTERFAITH CONNECTION

Published Monthly by Interfaith Works, P.O. Box 1221, Olympia, WA [email protected] (360) 357-7224 www.Interfaith-Works.org

Interfaith Works is an association of congregations, affiliated non-profit organizations and individuals. Our purpose is to promote interfaith understanding, and serve the community through

charitable, social and educational endeavors.

OLYMPIA WESTSIDE YOUTH

NEED OUR HELP

Ryan Betz, Boys & Girls Club An increasing number of children come homefrom school each day with no adult care or supervision and that problem could grow worsewith the recent news that the City of Olympia

plans to shut down its after-school programsnext year. There is overwhelming evidencethat a Boys & Girl Club is desperately neededon Olympia’s Westside, where close to 50% of the students in the area receive free or reduced lunch and 12% of the district’s

students come from families that are livingbelow the poverty line. This is higher than bothneighboring Tumwater and North ThurstonSchool Districts.

“As a community leader in youth developmentwe believe it is our responsibility to step up at

this time to provide Olympia’s middle schoolstudents with a positive place to go after school,” said Joe Ingoglia, Chief ExecutiveOfficer with the Boys & Girls Clubs of ThurstonCounty. “Unfortunately too many children andteens are not receiving the guidance they need

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AUGUST 2009

ST. PLACID CELEBRATES

FOUNDATION DAY

Sr. Monica Ellis, OSB Every year the community of Benedictine Sis-ters at St. Placid Priory celebrates its foundingon June 28. Part of the celebration includesrenewal of monastic promise by the sisters.

We profess stability, conversion of life andobedience, the three facets of the monasticpromise.

Another joyful part of this day of celebration iswelcoming new oblates. Oblates are lay per-sons who are so strongly attracted to theBenedictine way of life that they make a publiccommitment to live it in the context of their daily life. The most moving part of the oblateritual is when the Prioress asks the candidate,"What do you seek?" Each person answers inher/his own words. One seeks "community;"

another seeks God; while another wishes togive back to God in gratitude for all that hasbeen given. I am always honored and humbledto hear the heartfelt responses.

If you want to know more about oblates, go towww.stplacid.org and click on "oblate" or call

Sister Lucy Wynkoop at 360-438-2595.



to stay on track in school, stay out of trouble

and to set goals for a promising future. Our goal is to be part of the solution that reversesthat trend.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston Countyhas a short and long-term solution to thisproblem. Beginning in September the

organization plans on opening a Club atJefferson Middle School, similar but smaller inscale, to its three other Clubs in ThurstonCounty (Tumwater, Lacey and Rochester) untilsuch time that a comprehensive Boys & GirlsClub can be built in Olympia.

The program will operate during the schoolyear, Monday through Friday – from 2:30-5:30p.m. serving youth in grades 6-8. The goal isto initially serve 70 youth, picking up where thecity had left off. In the future the goal is toserve many more youth as additional funding

and support become available.

The challenge is that funding for a new interimClub was not part of the organization’s 2009budget since this is an emerging communityneed. “We need help from partners in thecommunity like faith-based organizations whocan lend their support to this project in order tomake it a reality,” Ingoglia said.

It’s a place just for kids that is positive and funand where you can play games, learn aboutcomputers and learn to be creative through thearts. As a member of the Boys & Girls Club,staff members are your friends and there arecaring mentors who can get you the help youneed at home and in the classroom. At theClub, you feel safe, welcomed and accepted.

Congregations interested in supporting theClub at Jefferson Middle School shouldcontact Ryan Betz, Resource DevelopmentDirector at (360) 292-2308 or [email protected]. More information about theproject is available at www.bgctc.org.

Westside Boys & Girls(Continued from page 1)

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WANTED:

Yummy desserts and interesting items or services for Interfaith Works Silent Auction Fundraiser, to take

place October 10 (location to be announced). The auction

is silent but we won't be. Bring friends and family for a fun eveningof tasting desserts, socializing, and supporting the work and pro-grams of Interfaith Works. We'll provide music and light beverages.

Do you have a favorite dessert you’d like to show off? We’d love totaste it! If you’d be willing to contribute two identical desserts (onefor tasting, one for auctioning), or artwork, guitar lessons, a trip for

two to Paris, or any other intriguing item, please contact KathleenPeppard at 705-2527 or [email protected]. And be sureto save the date; October 10!

AFTER MAY

COMES...AUGUST

Our newsletter usually

comes out the third week of the month. Beginning withthis month it will be dated for the month coming up rather than the one almost over, i.e.August, not July. In case youwere wondering what hap-

pened to June, we did notprint a newsletter in June.



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A GUIDE TO SETTING AN INTERFAITH TABLE

Barnett Kalikow is an Olympia lawyer, former journalist and member of Temple Beth Hatfiloh. Thirty-five years ago as a junior at Michigan State

he dove into cooking on a grand scale by preparing dinner for 30 diversestudents once-a-week at the Elsworth House student co-op.

A frequent question for those who wish to celebrate with friends and neighbors of other faiths is,“What foods can I bring or serve?” We may have heard of the strict rules of kashrut followed bymany Jews or seen the halal markets where observant Muslims buy all of their meat and beenafraid that we could inadvertently insult someone by offering food that is forbidden to them.

Sometimes we are so intimidated by others’ dietary rules we shy away from offering hospitalityor sharing our joyous occasions entirely for fear of offense.

But sharing one’s bread (or rice) is likely the oldest form of hospitality in the world. Indeed,offering sustenance is the most elemental way of saying, “you matter to me; you are worthwhileas a person.” Here is a simple guide to take the fear out of food.

You’re almost always O.K with vegetarian. Hindus and some Buddhists eat no kind of animallife at all. And of course, no other religion has a problem with any vegetable matter exceptintoxicants. Hindus generally eat dairy but some do not eat eggs. So brush off your bean, lentiland tomato and cheese recipes and you’re home free. See, that was easy.

Eat more fish (but not lobster). Your doctor has been telling you this anyway. Those healthyomega 3's will keep you going ‘til you’re at least 93. Although Islam allows consumption of anykind of seafood, Jewish law states that only fish with fins and scales arekosher . So: salmon andtuna are in, shrimp, oysters and crab are out if your guests are Jews who observe kashruth.

Beware of meat and poultry. Both Judaism and Islam permit consumption of meat and poultrybut it must be kosher (meaning “fit”) or halal (meaning “permitted”) respectively. That means, inboth cases, that the animal must be slaughtered in a prescribed way and according to certainspecified rituals. And certain animals can never be eaten – pork and carnivores are forbidden byboth Islam and Judaism. Although one can find both halal and kosher meat for sale in the area,there are other pitfalls in serving that steak. For example, traditional Jewish law forbids eatingany dairy product and meat product at the same meal, which requires that even if the meat youserve is kosher, you must scour the list of ingredients of all packaged foods to ensure that thereis no dairy in them – and take the butter off the table. This is difficult to get right if you’re notused to it so avoiding meat and poultry is probably the best policy.

Stay away from alcohol. Alcohol is forbidden to Muslims in any form. Do not use it even as an

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ingredient in sauces even where you believe most will burn off.

Exceptions. There are a few who follow a very strict interpretation of Jewish law which will notpermit them to eat any food that was not prepared in a kosher kitchen with kosher utensils and

dishes for fear those surfaces will contain minute amounts of forbidden food. Such persons arerare in Olympia, but do exist. Such people (around here at least) do not expect you to know thatthey have dietary restrictions -- any more than others expect you to know all of their allergies --and will tell you if the matter arises.

Advanced course. Some religious communities have begun to delve into spiritual aspects of what we eat beyond the basic messages of our texts. Such matters as sustainability,

environmental impact, labor fairness and health effects of the things we eat are explored in light of our spiritual traditions. But that’s for next time.

Interfaith Table (Continued from page 3)

SUMMER EMERGENCY

SHELTER

The extended Emergency OverflowShelter program commenced June 1,under the able direction of the FamilySupport Center and Phil Owen, HomelessOutreach Coordinator. It took some timefor the word to spread among local

homeless women and families that thenew shelter was available, but use isincreasing. At present there are about 12folks taking advantage of the service.

Interfaith Works applauds thecongregations that have agreed to host

the summer shelter, many of which alsohost it for two weeks in the winter. Thosewho have already welcomed homelessguests this summer are Olympia UnitarianUniversalist Congregation, Temple BethHatfiloh and First United Methodist Churchof Olympia.

HELP FOR SURVIVORS

OF SUICIDEEleanor Van Noppen, The United Churches

With an increasing sense of despair on the partof a lot of people these days, suicide is an issuebefore many. Survivors of Suicide (S.O.S)groups provide support for anyone who has losta loved one to suicide. Based on guidelines bythe American Association of Suicidology, the

groups are self-help and peer led. They alsowork to prevent suicide. The Olympiagroup meets every 3rd Tuesday from 7:30-9p.m., at Westwood Baptist Church, room E-10.Contact Janis, 866-2509. This group helped myfamily after my son committed suicide in 1993.

Visit the website www.survivorsofsuicide.comfor other resources and a directory of supportgroups.

If you are in CRISIS or know of someone whois, call 1-800-Suicide (1-800-784-2433).



SUPPORT THE INTERFAITH WORK WE APPRECIATE YOUR ONE-TIME GIFT OR MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION, NO MATTER THE AMOUNT.

I would like to support the programs and activities of Interfaith Works

Amount of Gift: $_______ ( ) one-time ( ) monthlyName: _______________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City: _______________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: _________________

Phone: _____________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________

Send this form and make checks payable to Interfaith Works, PO Box 1221, Olympia WA 98507.360-357-7224 www.Interfaith-Works.org [email protected]

Your gift to Interfaith Works, a 501(c)3 organization, is deductible as allowed under federal tax law.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR A listing of some of the activities and events of Interfaith Works members, affiliated organizations, and of general interest.

IW does not necessarily endorse these events. More details and events at www.Interfaith-Works.org.

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July 25Saturday6:30 pm

Spiritual Cinema at The United Churches. Dessert potluck followed by this month’s film:“One: The Movie”. First-time filmmakers asked life’s ultimate questions to a cross-sectionof people (including Deepak Chopra, Father Thomas Keating, Ram Dass, et al).

July 25

Saturday

Yard Sale Fundraiser for Community for Spiri tual Awakening.

Location: 3408 Wiggins Road SE, Olympia, WA 98501

August 8Saturday9:15 am-3 pm

Envisioning Our Creative Selves. For the beginning and advanced artist working to in-fuse the light of God into their painting and writing. Register by July 31. $50 + $5 materi-als. Priory Spirituality Center. 360-438-2595. www.stplacid.org.

August 23-28Sun-Fri

Puget Sound Interfaith Youth Camp. 4th annual Interfaith camp for 7th-9th graders, to beheld at YMCA Camp Seymour. Applications on-line at www.soundinterfaithcamp.org or call 360-357-7224. Sponsored by Interfaith Works and Associated Ministries of Tacoma.

September 12Saturday

9:15 am-3 pm

Introduction to Centering Prayer. We need those times of prayer when we listen in si-lence, not just with our ears, eyes and minds, but more with our hearts and whole being.

$50. Registration info: Priory Spirituality Center. 360-438-2595. www.stplacid.org.

Your EventHere Submissions are welcomed!Send an e-mail to: [email protected]

August 20Thursday

8 am—7 pm

Little Red Schoolhouse Distribution Day. Jefferson Middle School, 220 Conger AveNW. Open to all children in need of school supplies and clothing in Thurston County. Do-

nations accepted August 1—14 at all Heritage Bank locations.

Donate on-linewith PayPal!

See our website.



Interfaith WorksPO Box 1221Olympia WA 98507

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

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Permit No. 325Olympia, WA 98501

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BUILD MEMORIES AT SUMMER CAMP

Puget Sound Interfaith Youth Camp com-mences its fourth year on August 23 at YMCACamp Seymour. Applications are still beingaccepted! Staff members especially hope tohave more campers from the Baha’i and Mus-lim faiths. Some scholarships are still available.

Camp planners are also still seeking male andfemale counselors and a camp medic/nurse.Counselors receive a $200 stipend.

This is a tremendous opportunity for young andold to build new interfaith relationships and todeepen understanding of the rich cultural tradi-tions of our neighbors of other faiths. Pleasehelp spread the word to potential campers andstaff.Camper and staff applications are avail-able on-line at www.soundinterfaithcamp.org

August 2009 Interfaith Connection Newsletter, Interfaith Works

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