Catch-Up... is it really thursday?

Hey there!

We've had some hectic few days. So therefore this is our catch up entry. On Tuesday we talked with a member of Metro Baptist, Ronnie, who works with the HIV/AIDS community in Manhattan and Brooklyn. He explained how hard it is to be a Christian, and especially a Baptist, in New York and trying to lend his help to some of the victims of this terrible disease. In the afternoon, we traveled to the Upper East Side and visited the Cloisters museum, a collection of Medieval works arranged in a castle that has been created from remnants of other European edifices. We traveled by bus through the projects to Rachel's old church, near Columbia University. After a lovely dinner of grilled cheese and soup, our valiant group headed off to the bright lights of Broadway to view the Tony Award winning musical, Billy Elliot. The group consensus was that we all loved the performance and I (Anna G.) am willing to say that I bawled my eyes out multiple times. On the way home, we stopped at a local deli/bakery for dessert and it was DELICIOUS! It was a rather late night for us, so as Rachel said, we fell asleep almost as soon as we walked in the door.

Yesterday we went to the Yorkville Common Pantry. It was an experience for us all. We worked bagging and putting together food bags for the hungry. As you can tell in the picture, there were some giant carrots along with other giant produce. They serve roughly 1,800 families a week. They do a lot for the less fortunate every single day. The pantry provides a cooking class so people can learn to cook with the fresh produce the pantry provides them with. They also do a soup kitchen. Breakfast 5 days a week and dinner monday, wednesday, and friday. Another cool thing they provide is showers along with toiletries, haircuts, and laundry for the needy. In the afternoon, we split up into 2 groups. The girls stayed at the church and tutored the first through third graders in Metro Baptist Page Turners Program, while the guys went to the Grand Central Soup Kitchen. The girls also worked on a project with all the kids. Everyone split into teams and worked on making a St. Patrick's Day float out of boxes and other craft supplies for the parade we were having in an imitation for the parade the city was having the day after. The boys helped serve food to the homeless and needy.

The next day, everyone walked around Hell's Kitchen, the neighborhood we are staying in. We learned how the neighborhood is changing and "gentrifying". It was interesting to learn how many family restaurants are having to go out of business because of the changing costs of living. After walking around, we headed to Crown Heights, the sights of the 1991 riots, we went to Greater Restoration Baptist church. The pastor's wife, Betty B, talked to us about the gangs in the area and the different projects they are doing to work with the gangs to help them make the right decisions. Later in the afternoon we did the same thing as the previous night, only switched. The boys and Anna V. and Leigh stayed at the church and helped tutor with the Page Turners program, while  Katie, Audrey, and Anna G went to the soup kitchen to help serve food.

Rachel's Rules:
1. Don't get arrested.
2. Don't go to the hospital.
          a. Don't get shot.
                    i. Especially not in the subway.
3. Don't burn down St. Patrick's Cathedral.
4. Don't get rabies.
5. No more prune juice drinking competitions.
6. Don't eat off the floor...even if you've cleaned it.

7. You MUST wear pants in order to not be taken in to protective police custody.
8. Don't join a gang. (A rule from Robert, our city guide)

Notable Quotables:
"If you could be any animal that lives underwater, what would it be?"-Rachel "A fish!!"-Leigh (Rachel asks us questions in to morning to wake us up)
"Our sumptuous Manhattan digs!"-Dan Watts

Primary author: Katie with help from Anna G, Anna V,