The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades	UUCP P.O. Box 709 Englewood, NJ 07631 Phone: 201-568-5540

HOME IS.... Steve Savitz and I have assumed coordinating UUCP's role for St Ceclilia.Homeless Family Shelter from April 14-17 -- 4 days and 3 nights. the responsibilities include: encouraging and engaging volunteers-shoppers, chefs, homework helpers, readers, willing listeners, friends and night watchfolk. We are being called on to assist to prepare, to befriend, to help in ways that draw from our inner selves and may raise questions in us and it has in me. When we talked of program and the presentation to our congregation, what came to my mind was what it would be like not living in a place of my choice, because of circumstances beyond my control, living in a community with limited space(perhaps with strangers–and changing situations). From that, what constitutes a home which is the subject of my thoughts today. A SHELTER is a structure or natural feature that provides protection against weather and danger, Shelters may be, Mcmansion -permanent, or tent- transportable. Our houses add extras that add to our comfort, but what is NECESSARY? How do we transform a house–the structure–to a home? A HOME–our address, where our desktop resides, our hardline phone number, our napkin rings , where we gather with family and invite friends and include strangers. Is it permanent or temporary? It has changed greatly in modern, mobile society. And to what loss to us? We sometimes feel uprooted and disconnected. What is a home–a physical place, a spiritual space?. What are the components, what is the essence? How is it established? How does it change over time? How do we feel about home in the varying stages of our lives: infants, young children, adolescents, young adults, maturing people, marrying folk, as parents and grandparents. Why do we leave? Why do we return? Is it like the "Lemonade" of the ephemeral summers of our lives? Is it what we imagined? Dreamed of? Is it one place in which generations have lived and continue to abide? Home is where the heart is. Home sweet home. How grateful are we for what we have–on a daily basis. For me, home is a sense of belonging,, peace, serenity, comfort, community, fellowship, friends, family, spirituality , where i am comfortable alone and can connect with others. Families today have many configurations and function to protect, to train children and and to provide economic support to survive. HOMELESSNESS is the condition of someone who has no permanent address. Some folks live in abandoned buildings, areas under bridges, bus stations, cheap hotels, emergency shelters, subways and the streets. Some people use HOMELESS to describe anyone who leads an isolated life, without the usual social ties to family, work and community life. In the US, homelessness is a serious problem with people stranded for a short time, homeless a number of times, or homeless permanently. The NYTimes of Tuesday, March 23, page 1–writes that "agencies say hunger on rise outside cities across region" and that "according to hunger experts and federal statistics, a growing number of suburban families are struggling to put food on their tables. Nationally, the rate of households facing limited or uncertain availability of food–"food insecurity", has been rising, reaching its highest point in four years." HOME LIFE is the center of family activities which include caring for children, playing games, watching TV, keeping house, entertaining friends and these elements are very much a part of life at St Cecilia's Shelter which UUCP will be staffing in a month's time. This year we have been given permission to elicit from the group living there, information that can help us individualize our time as their "hosts" and as their "guests". Prior to our assigned time, we will contact the current group to ascertain whether we may be of specific assistance in preparing a "longed for" meal or dish or to bring something special to "make their day" or share. This will be my 3rd year working at the shelter. Prior to that, our family volunteered as a unit at the Paterson Men's shelter. I continue to volunteer, perhaps selfishly, to remind me of how very much I have to be grateful for in this transitory world, and that the most important elements of home to me are: family, community, love and sharing. I have always been gratified by the reception and appreciation of the folks at St Cecilia's with whom we spend time. A comment about the Dvorak New World Symphony, this excerpt reminds me of the hope of finding new beginnings, freedom from oppression, fulfilling dreams, and that although we have not chosen the world or family into which we are born, we have a will, we can make choices and take action. Thank you.

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