Hope and Healing at SpiritWorks

Thirteen years ago I met Jan Brown when she started attending Hickory Neck Episcopal Church.  I was fresh out of seminary and had just begun my ordained ministry about a month earlier.  No sooner had I learned about her work than I was referring someone to her for services at the recovery community organization that she had started, SpiritWorks Foundation.  Three years later, in 2011, after having partnered with SpiritWorks on a number of projects, I found I was in need of the recovery community myself.  I sought out Jan's advice as I was facing the consequences of a lifetime of co-dependency.  Exhausted, overwhelmed by my need to please every one, be the hero, and save the day, I was running out of energy, health, and hope.  Jan recommended I start attending a 12-step group, and thus began my journey to co-dependent recovery.  

About a year later I began working at SpiritWorks.  Having experienced healing and hope in the recovery community, I wanted to be part of offering that to others.  Since then I have had the great good fortune of participating in the transformation of lives. It is such a huge privilege to walk with people as they make the transition from despair to hope.  The journey from addiction to recovery can be very challenging, and not everyone makes it on this side of the grave.  Some days the work is heartbreaking, and other days are a celebration of milestones achieved.  We offer groups and activities, trainings and education, community and coaching, healing and hope.

The greatest joy of my work has been creating the First Fridays Recovery Eucharist. On the first Friday of each month, our community gathers.  It includes individuals in active addiction and in recovery, parents with addicted children and parents whose children have died as a result of fatal overdoses, friends and family, allies and mentors, members of Bruton Parish and members of other congregations around the area.  Pre-Covid we even had someone who journeyed each month from North Carolina to attend.  We have baptized babies and adults, witnessed marriages and vow renewals, buried those who have died, and had memorial services for those we've lost.  At First Fridays tears are welcome, and we all celebrate joys together.  To me, the First Fridays worshiping community provides a glimpse of what the heavenly banquet will look like. 

SpiritWorks does not charge fees for its recovery support services.  We rely on contracts, grants, faith communities, and donors to keep us funded and running our two recovery centers in Williamsburg and Warrenton.  Each May we participate in a main fundraising effort called Give Local 757.   The past couple of years we've also participated in Give Local Piedmont, the one we were pushing for the Nifty Fifty prize last week. Give Local 757 is tomorrow, May 11, from midnight to midnight.  Our goal for May is $25,000, and we're almost to $5000.  From 5-6pm we will be hosting an outdoor "Happier Hour" at SpiritWorks for people to drop by for some fellowship, snacks, and soft beverages.  Local folks - come see us at 5800 Mooretown Rd. We accept donations of any size, any kind, any time.  But from midnight tonight until midnight tomorrow, we can also receive prizes if you donate HERE.

It is my great pleasure to support SpiritWorks, and Kasee and I hope you will too, if you can.  We're so grateful for so many who are a part of the healing and hope that we offer to people journeying from addiction to recovery.  

Micah, Martha, and Shadow also appreciate your support!!

Nifty Fifty

We didn't know what to expect.  Earlier in the year, a friend of Jan's suggested that SpiritWorks participate in #givelocal757, the fundraising event on May 8.  So we decided to give it a go. We created a profile and started advertising a bit.  We didn't have time for more than that.  We decided that for the first year, we would just see what happens without fretting too much in advance.  A couple of weeks before the contest we started sharing the event on social media, taking selfies, and trying to choose the particular prizes we wanted to try to get. The Nifty Fifty challenge sounded interesting to us.  Whichever organization received donations from the greatest number of states would receive $757.  The day before we set our monetary goal at $5000 and our donor goal at 75.  We had no idea what to expect.

We started getting donations on May 7.  Which was fun.  The contest was set to run from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on May 8, and only online donations made during that time counted toward prizes.  Early donations didn't help win prizes, and we didn't care.  We were just happy to receive them.  We started texting each other and some of our volunteers every time a donation came in.  We were like children on Christmas Eve, unwrapping a few presents early, saying, "Did you see that one?"  At 10:00 p.m. I decided I would try to stay awake until midnight just to see what it was like.  And so I could make my donation to kick us off.  I logged in, answered a few questions, entered my info, and voila! When I checked our donation status, we had our first one from another state.  NY!  A former parishioner was up at midnight and helped us out with our first state outside of VA.  After a couple more donations came in, I realized that I needed to sleep so I would be able to maintain my enthusiasm the next day.

I woke up about 6:30 and immediately picked up my phone to see where we were.  By the time I headed into SpiritWorks, Jan and Lynn, our Volunteer Coordinator, had already started drawing boxes around states and checking them off.  We began what would be hours of watching donations come in mixed with emailing and calling friends in other states to ask if they would make just a tiny $10 donation so that we could count their state in.  A few people donated on behalf of their home states, which was fun, even though we couldn't technically count them unless they came in from that state.  Still, every dollar raised would help us in our work. SpiritWorks' community members were on their cell phones, calling family and friends.  People in recovery sent messages about how much life in recovery meant to them and thanking us for our work.  The $10 donations were rolling in, and we cheered with each new donor and each new state.  It felt like election night when your candidate is winning.

We also had donations coming in of higher amounts.  Including a $1000 check that we went and picked up.  Didn't count for the contest, but boy did it count for SpiritWorks. Our eyes started leaking a bit around the corners as we saw each name, some known and beloved, some unknown and greatly appreciated for their willingness.  "Did you see that this person donated?" we would ask each other.  "Go mark that state!" we would tell the person nearest the flip chart.  Some came in anonymously so we didn't know what state they were from, so we doubled up on some states to make sure we had them.

At 3:00 I left to drive to North Carolina to stay with a friend before attending a writing conference starting the next day.  Periodically I called to check in on the status, tempted to look at my phone but knowing I needed to keep my eyes on the road.  I set my phone down while eating dinner and visiting with my friends so that I wouldn't be distracted.  My phone buzzed with more texts than I've ever gotten in a single day as Jan and company tried to eke out every possible state. For me, friends from seminary, high school, college, and church responded to my plea.

I had intended to go to sleep so that I would be rested for my conference, but I couldn't help it.  I had to see if we would win the prize.  At 11:00 Peninsula Community Foundation posted a picture showing that we were in the lead by 1 state.  Iowa and Hawaii came in after that, but we had no idea if anyone had jumped ahead.  At some point in the evening we passed our $5000 goal and our 75 donors.  As far as I was concerned, the event was a complete success, whether we won the prize or not.  At midnight I began checking the prize page and refreshing it over and over.  All of a sudden, there it was.  Nifty Fifty prize - SpiritWorks!!!  I texted the others, a few of whom had fallen asleep after their long day of exertion.  I couldn't believe it.  We met and surpassed all of our goals, and won our prize.  In the end we had over $7700 and over 100 donors.

Daisy thanks you too!

Surprisingly, donations have continued to drop in.  I don't know what our totals are, as I am at the writing conference.  (Where clearly, I am writing!)  What I do know is that people from across the country - old friends, new friends, supporters of people in recovery, people who have benefitted from or seen someone benefit from our work, family members, and a host of church members, volunteers, and loved ones in Virginia have given so generously to SpiritWorks that I've been too excited to sleep.  Thank you, all.  For supporting our work at SpiritWorks, including our new Institute for Recovery and Resilience, for supporting our community and those who are in recovery, for believing in what we are doing, for joining us in having fun with our contest.  You have given us hope and brought us joy that will sustain us as we continue to give hope and bring joy to those who are affected by addiction.  You made a difference, and we will use your gift well.

The Stories Behind the Numbers

A few weeks ago Jan Brown asked me how many people pass by the prayer station each week.  I had no idea.  A bunch.  She suggested I might check with the dining hall and ask them.  So this past Thursday, I went to the counter at Regatta's toward the end of the prayer station time and asked the man who was swiping dining cards if he could tell me approximately how many students eat lunch there on a Thursday.  "1300-1900," he said instantly.  He told me that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays were the biggest days for lunch and that there were often theme meals on Thursday which boosted attendance. I said, "So I could reasonably say that there are about 1500 each week."  He looked down at the computer in front of him and said, "Right now we're at 1510."  He said they might get a couple more hundred before they closed to get ready for the evening theme meal.  When checking in with highs and lows at ECM that night, several students reported their high was the Valentine's-themed dinner which included steak wrapped with bacon, endless crab legs, and a chocolate fountain.

About 1500 people pass by the prayer station each week.  Wow.  You see, I'm not much of a numbers person.  One of the first questions my mother always asked when I came home from an event was, "How many people were there?"  If it was more than 10, I couldn't answer.  "I don't know," I would say.  My mother would demand, "Well guess.  More than 50?" Most of the time I was stumped.  I could tell her about the people I talked to and what went on at the event and whether I had a good time, but when I started to try to count up the people, I would get confused.  No matter how many times this happened, I couldn't remember to do a head count while I was at the event.  Even when I did, I would start counting and get to about 20 before losing track and having to start over.  There's a good reason why I don't work at a bank! 

What does interest me about numbers is not the numbers themselves but the stories the numbers tell. 

So, approximately 1500 students pass by the Prayer Station on a Thursday during lunch.  I probably make eye/smile contact with at least 50-100 of them, and I would guess that many more notice me and the sign.  (When I meet students they frequently say, "I've seen you on campus but I haven't come to talk with you yet.)  Certainly many walk by completely absorbed in thoughts or conversations and don't seem to see me or the sign, much less make contact.  A few are on their phones but I've been surprised that it hasn't been more.  Probably 20-30 students/staff/faculty have a more meaningful contact with the station or me on a given day.  Meaningful contact would include a short conversation, a hug, a prayer, a shared lunch or hot chocolate.  About 6-8 people per week have an even deeper encounter where they share something personal and vulnerable, where the discussion goes on longer than a quick check-in, where we make a strong connection through prayer or conversation. 

On Thursday a friend from the SpiritWorks community surprised me by stopping by and bringing hot chocolate.  I was bundled up in three layers of clothes, two pairs of socks, coat, scarf, prayer shawl and gloves, trying to endure the blasts of cold air that swooped in each time the doors opened to the Plaza.  It was the day after Ash Wednesday.  I was so happy for that hot drink that I completely forgot that one of my Lenten disciplines was giving up chocolate.  I downed half of it before I remembered.  My young friend and I shared a prayer and conversation, and my heart warmed from the contact just as my body warmed from sipping the hot drink.  Such a treat! 

On Thursday one of the students I had met from Thrive also stopped by.  She is becoming a regular, one with whom I have a deeper connection.  This time she asked me how she could pray for me.  So I told her I was seeking clarity and asked her to pray that those who need the prayer station would find it.  She said a lovely prayer before heading off to meet someone for lunch.  One of the ECM students came by to tell me he had attended an Ash Wednesday service for the first time in a long while, and another member of ECM checked in and talked about upcoming tests. 

On Wednesday I had received an email from one of the new students to ECM this semester asking if she could still help out with the food pantry.  She met me at the prayer station, helped me carry the sign to my car, and spent the next two hours helping St. Stephen's with the Hidenwood Elementary Food Pantry, a collaboration with Hidenwood Presbyterian Church and the Food Bank.  We got to know each other better and felt blessed to be able to give food to people who needed it.  But you know, I forgot to ask how many people we fed or how many volunteers we had.  More than 10 on both counts, but I lost track after that.

Our world is a world where numbers matter.  You have to have the numbers on your side to win the elections.  You have to have sufficient numbers to get the grants or loans.  In the nonprofit world, you have to be able to prove how many you've served if you want to get paid to keep on serving.  That's why people sign in at SpiritWorks.  I get it.  The people investing need to know that they're making a wise investment.  As a collector of stories, though, I can't help wondering what it is we're counting.  People who came in the door or received a service.  Bodies that showed up.  We can spin the numbers in many ways, but what do they really mean?  How do we measure how many had their lives changed or had a meaningful experience?  How do we measure the plants that grow from seeds scattered widely? 

For those who have gotten to know me and the prayer station, the ministry has become a touchstone - a way for them to check in, make a connection, be reminded of God and prayer as they make their way from class to lunch.  What I wonder is whether it has also become a touchstone for many of those 1500 passing by even if they don't stop.  Maybe they see it and it reminds them that someone from the church is praying for them.  Maybe they see it and it makes them think.  Maybe they see it and say a prayer themselves.  I have no way to count how many have received something from the prayer station.  But when my mom asks, I can tell her that it's more than 10.

Sundays @ 7: Intentional Community of Prayer

Tonight was our first ever Sundays @ 7 service.  We created it because people have asked us to have a First Fridays every week.  A full Eucharist every week doesn't fit our schedule or Bruton's, but we've been trying to figure out how to have a weekly offering at a time that is convenient for people.  For awhile we thought about doing a dinner church a la St. Lydia's in Brooklyn, but the thought of cooking dinner for a group of people is so stressful to me that I just couldn't figure it out.  Neither Jan nor I are cooks, and SpiritWorks doesn't have a kitchen.  One day "Sundays @ 7" popped into Jan's head, and in our minds it was also "Sundaes @ 7."  Ice cream sundaes don't stress me out at all!  Admittedly I hadn't planned on making homemade ice cream, but a little help from William Sonoma, and voila!  Homemade vanilla and mocha chip ice cream. 

The purpose of the service is to create an intentional community of prayer, not unlike Richmond Hill.  They pray for the City of Richmond.  We pray for those who have been affected by addiction.  So I started to develop a service based on Evening Prayer and then I switched to Compline.  In the end it's really a prayer and song service.  Jan and I accompanied the singing on djembe drums, and those who came joined in with shakers and other percussion instruments.  We had a time of silence like they do at Nadia Bolz-Weber's church, in which people could pray or light candles or write prayer requests on notecards to be read during the intercessions.  We used a singing bell to begin and end the silence.  One of my favorite parts was using the Taizé song "O Lord hear my Prayer" in between each set of petitions during the Intercessions.  We pray for those struggling with addiction, family and friends, those who support people affected by addiction, people in recovery, and people who have died.  We include community organizations, first responders, sponsors, mentors, etc. We used the Gospel reading from the daily office, and I did a reflection about the feeding of the 4000.  We also had a recovery reading and a Psalm.  We ended with "Holy Manna," complete with drums and shakers.

The only thing that I didn't like about the service was that a train went through during the intercessions, and we are right across the street from the train.  Hard to be heard over a train!  But other than that, I was so delighted with the service.  I've never been brave enough to lead music with my drum before, but I had observed someone doing that earlier in the week and decided that I could do it.  We had fun creating the altar with items that we collected from around SpiritWorks.  We turned our little pavilion which is usually the designated smoking area into a sacred space, a space for prayer and worship.  Of course, being outdoors on a cool night with a breeze and sunshine was just the icing on the cake.  Well, except for the actual icing on the cake. 

I might not be able to cook dinner, but I can bake!  We sang happy birthday to Jan whose birthday is tomorrow, and everyone enjoyed a little sweet feast after the service.  So grateful for the beautiful day and the people who came and the stress-free set-up and that I was able to give my little reflection without a manuscript and that everyone participated in making music together and praying together.  I hope the service will grow as we continue each Sunday evening this summer, AND I was grateful for the 8 people we had.  Eight is enough to start a community, and start it we did, with reverence and gratitude and joy for all we have been given in our recovery.

"Taste and see the grace eternal.

Taste and see that God is good."  -Sylvia G. Dunston, All Who Hunger Gather Gladly

PlanetRecovery

PlanetRecovery:  Redeem Reclaim Rediscover.
Redeeming lives, reclaiming futures, rediscovering possibilities.
A global movement.  We hope.
SpiritWorks is starting a new initiative:  PlanetRecovery.  People in recovery helping our planet recover.  We will be providing training and putting people to work, recycling, picking up trash, cleaning up Williamsburg and beyond. 

 
I started a couple of weeks ago on one of the few warmish days this winter has offered.  Wearing my purple, "Got Recovery?" t-shirt and paper thin plastic gloves on my hands, I walked down to the edge of Mooretown Road in front of SpiritWorks and began collecting.  I went out to see how many cans I could find.  About 3 on our side of the street with maybe 5 or 6 more on the other side.  Mostly Bud Lite with a couple of Red Bulls and a Mountain Dew.  There were more bottles, mostly Bud Ice and Bud Lite but a few fruit juice/tea concoctions.  Lots of plastic.  Bags, food wrappers, styrofoam, cigarette butts, broken glass, plastic bottles, a metal pail.  I couldn't go far before the bag I was carrying became too heavy.   In another section of road I found sets of tires, cases of empty beer bottles - the 16 oz size, more cans, bottles, paper, and even a green blanket.

Do people really throw all that trash out of their cars?  I have many character defects, but littering isn't one of them.  I remember that Melissa, my roommate in college, used to pick up trash and recyclables and bring them back to our dorm room whenever she was out walking.  It wasn't something I felt called to do.  But now that we are starting a "planet recovery" business, I keep noticing all the trash by the side of the road.  Seriously.  Take a look.  It's appalling.  I try not to be in the business of judging, but I can't seem to help myself.  Keep your trash in your car, people, and recycle!

I'm looking forward to PlanetRecovery getting started.  Not only will it provide much needed jobs, but I hope it will also help us tend our little portion of the planet. 

Step by Step - part 3

Look at our labyrinth!  It's not completely finished as we still need to add mulch and finish the stones, but the basic outline is there, and you can walk it.  Step by step didn't take as long as I thought on this project.  In one big step on Saturday afternoon we were able to lay out all the rocks we have into the basic pattern.  Such a sense of accomplishment!

Though our next project, Bethany - the residential program for moms and babies, will take longer than a few afternoons of work, hopefully we will be able to keep the step by step song in mind as we pool our drops of water until we have enough to turn the wheel.  "Drops of water turn a wheel, singly none, singly none."

Yesterday we took our Thistle Farms products to the 2nd Sundays Arts and Music Festival in Williamsburg.  We sold some candles and shower gel and body butter, and we made some great new contacts with people who would like us to bring our products to other places.  It was a very small step in developing our social enterprise, but it takes those small steps.  One more drop of water...