B-PEACE Resource Day

Abi Strait is the new 2013-2014 Micah Fellow at ECH!  She comes to us from Wisconsin via the Lutheran Service Corps in Delaware, where she worked at the Ministry of Caring. As a Fellow in the Life Together Program, she'll be splitting her time between ECH and our mother-parish, Christ Church Cambridge.  

Last year, after the murder of a 19 year-old young man, Bishop Shaw decided it was time to take meaningful action youth violence. To do this, the diocese started B-PEACE - a campaign to address the root causes of violence. This follows in the footsteps of two St Stephen’s youth programs; B-SAFE, a summer program, and B-READY, an after school one, that aim to keep kids learning when out of school. (Incidentally, the Chaplaincy’s own Emily Garcia has worked with B-SAFE for the past two summers!) The B-PEACE campaign has three core initiatives to address the root causes of youth violence; gun reform advocacy, creating meaningful jobs and workforce development opportunities for youth, and improving mentoring and educational opportunities through church partnerships with underserved schools.

All that, while it excites me, is about the extent of my knowledge on the B-PEACE program. Of course, as it’s a social justice program connected with the diocese, and I’m working on social justice projects for two Episcopal ministries, it’s something I’d very much like to be more knowledgeable about. Luckily, the program is putting on an event in a few weeks specifically designed to help congregations and individuals learn more and find ways to participate. So I - along with Emily, some members of Christ Church’s congregation, and a whole host of Life Together folks - will be attending the Congregational Resource day on September 28th. I’m hoping to bring back with me a better understanding of the program and ways for individuals or communities to be involved back to ECH and CCC.

While you can of course expect a report on the day from Emily and I after we attend, registration is still open - and free! - if you would like to experience it first hand yourself. More information (whether you want to attend or not) can be found here: http://www.diomass.org/event/fall-resource-day-2013-b-peace. Otherwise - look for on update on what we learned from our B-PEACE day in a few weeks!