UPS & DOWNS
February 2001

WAYFARERS' HOUSE NEWS

WELCOME to Joyce, Mandy, Tamesha, Ty-ron, Isaiah, Melodie and Michelle.

Happy February Birthdays to Hannah and Ty-ron!

FAREWELL AND GOOD WISHES to Pat, Tiffany, April and Chelsea, Nancy, Tashiko, Jennifer, Terri, Dawn, Debbi and Sharon. Nancy and Barbara P. have moved to the George Porter House, and Jennifer, to Clairvaux Farm. Kathie and Dorothy have each moved from the George Porter House to houses in Hollingsworth Manor.

Last December 21, on National Homeless Memorial Day, when people remembered the homeless persons who died and reflected on we can do to end homelessness, a number of groups in the area banded together in a march and candlelight service in Wilmington, which members of Meeting Ground attended. Those groups included the organizers: Delaware Housing Coalition, Delaware Statewide Association of Tenants, Pacem-in-Terris, Meeting Ground, Settlement House, Christina Cultural arts Center and Hogar Crea. The co-sponsors were Catholic Charities, Churches Take a Corner, Community Legal Aid Society, Friendship House, Green Party/DE, Lutheran Community Services, Ministry of Caring, NAACP, National Alliance of HUD Tenants,
STEHM, Inc., and Sojourners Place. According to Loaves and Fishes, there were several hundred persons who marched through downtown Wilmington to Rodney Square where Beverly Andrus read some of her poetry about homeless people, especially children. Latifa Shakur was credited with being a main organizer of the event. Now under discussion is having an event in Elkton next year in addition to supporting the Wilmington memorial.

And how might we help to end homelessness? Current needs for volunteers include a van driver for Clairvaux Farm (Contact Schaunel, 410-275-2936, info@meetingground.org)
To volunteer at Wayfarers' House, contact Marsha, 410-398-4381, wayfarer@meetingground.org
Donations of needed items are always appreciated. Currently needed are
Assorted caned food, toilet paper, laundry detergent, bleach, disinfectant, fresh fruit/vegetables, coffee, sugar, freezer storage bags (1 gal. size), over-the-counter cough/cold medicine, pain relievers, sheets, pillows, blankets, bath towels, paper products (napkins and towels),
Other ways to help:
- Find out what the center for Poverty Solutions is recommending as current proposals to the State legislature.
- Plan to attend Lobby Day in Annapolis and talk with your lawmakers.

WINTERY FEBRUARY

At the House and also at the Farm voices have been heard to say, "What can we do with the weather so bad the children can't play outside?" It is difficult for small children to be cooped up inside when they want to run and discharge a lot of energy that adults don't feel as though they themselves have. Then, too, children who have a lot of unused energy do tend to get into trouble when they haven't activities to keep them busy. All this when their parents often feel weary and somewhat "blue" with cloudy. Cold, even snow-icy weather.

Here are some ideas/solutions people at Meeting Ground have suggested and some recommended by those who have also had this problem and found these schemes helpful:

Arts and crafts (adults often enjoy these, too)
- drawing or painting pictures of winter scenes
- making posters or collages by cutting and pasting pictures from magazines of winter or current holidays
- making a kite to fly when outdoor play is possible
- making a picture by gluing pieces of pasta (macaroni, etc.) to cardboard or colored paper
- making a scrapbook about places you have been or events you recall (you can use magazine or newspaper pictures, old photos, drawings; it can be fun to design a cardboard cover for the book, too)
- making designs to glue on paper from cut up pieces of colored paper or cloth;

Group activities
- singing songs everyone knows and a few that those in the group are willing to teach
- making up a story, each person adding a minute or two to what the person next to them has said, and so on around the circle, as a wild plot develops
- playing games like Simon Says, London Bridges, Ring Around the Rosy, Drop the Hanky
- a treasure hunt with written clues can be fun for older children who can read with perhaps a little help (treasure doesn't have to be expensive; a favorite snack, a prize from the donation supplies)
- having an adult or older child read or tell a story to the group
- for small children, making a parade of stuffed animals or other toys
- making a house or fort of a blanket or sheet put over some chairs
- playing board games with older children
- putting together a jigsaw puzzle with older children

Other ideas:
Explore whether a bookstore or library in your area has a story hour during the week which a group could attend.
Would a trip to the library to borrow some interesting books be a possibility?
Would it be possible to plan a field trip to an interesting place with help from others? This could be brought up at house meeting.

What ideas do you have? Would you tell us so that we can print them in Ups and Downs?