San Francisco, Tenderloin district

San Fran is going well. We just participated in a day of "street
retreat" under a program called faithful fools. The tenderloin
district is definately a place of self discovery...selves that you
never knew existed leap forth when the wide eyed montanan slips into
the San Franciscan street community. I think it was a very positive
and growing experience for the entire group.

Check it out...
http://www.faithfulfools.org/

Here is an article about it...
http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/street_retreat.html

Street Retreat

The Osgood File (CBS Radio Network): 9/2/02
The Osgood File (CBS Radio Network): 1/18/02
This spiritual retreat plunges participants into life on San Francisco's mean streets.

While most spiritual retreats occur in restful, peaceful locations, one religious group runs their retreat on the gritty streets of San Francisco instead. Faithful Fools, a "street retreat" started by a Franciscan sister and a Unitarian minister, puts people of all faiths into the experience of life on the mean streets. Each participant spends a day in one of San Francisco's most troubled neighborhoods, viewing life from the perspective of the homeless. The rules are simple: spend a full day by yourself on the streets with no place to go. Many street retreat participants find it challenging to find a place to sit down, not to mention a meal, or a bathroom. For some, it is the first and only time that they will eat at a soup kitchen.

Reverend Kay Jorgensen, a Unitarian minister, and Franciscan Sister Carmen Barsody started the Faithful Fools Street Retreat in 1997. Jorgensen and Barsody say that it is a fruitful opportunity for self-discovery, as well as an opportunity to put a face on homelessness. Through chance encounters and conversations, street retreat participants often discover a connection and realize a common humanity with the people on the street. Jorgensen says, "Spiritual awakening happens through the recognition that we are all human beings. We can get on with people regardless of their economic scale and find common ground."

In the past three years, more than 700 people from all over the country have come to this spiritual retreat, not for quiet contemplation or prayer, but to take an "urban plunge" into gritty reality. The one-day experience challenges many participants' judgments and stereotypes about homelessness. According to Sister Catherine, a 76-year old nun who assists the group, the experience is a profound lesson in awareness. She says that after working with the poor for years, it was eye opening for her to go on the street and see what people really face.

The day of the street retreat, the group meets at the Unitarian Church at 9 a.m. for an orientation. After discussing what they expect to find, they head out into the street. Throughout the day, they will line up at the soup kitchens at St. Anthony’s or Glide Memorial Church at noon, wander the streets, sit in the small urban parks and engage in conversations with those who make the streets their home. After five or six hours, everyone returns to the Faithful Fools' headquarters to reflect on, write down and share some of their impressions of the day. A simple meal of soup and bread ends the day.

Jorgensen and Barsody believe the street retreat experience can help people cross economic boundaries to realize a shared humanity. They want their program to inspire more people of faith to take leading roles in creating a more compassionate approach to housing, education and social programs.

CONTACTS

Reverend Kay Jorgensen: Co-Founder
Faithful Fools Street Ministry
San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 474-0508

Sister Carmen: Co-Founder
Faithful Fools Street Ministry
San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 474-0508

LINKS

This story aired on The Osgood File on the CBS Radio Network.

WCBS Newsradio 880 in New York City features an archive of transcripts of stories broadcast on The Osgood File.

The Faithful Fools Web site offers information regarding the group's ministry and program.

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco (UUSF) offers services to members of all faiths and conducts social ministry projects, including those that care for the homeless. Reverend Kay Jorgensen is a member of the Social Justice Ministry at UUSF.

The San Francisco Food Bank coordinates with member agencies to provide food to the city's homeless population.

The University of California, San Francisco Homeless Clinic is a student-physician run medical clinic for the homeless.

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty Web site offers information and links to various regional homeless groups throughout the United States.

This San Francisco Chronicle article discusses the Faithful Fools Street Retreat program.

ACFnewsource provides links to sites maintained by other organizations for informational purposes only. ACFnewsource has no responsibility for the accuracy of the content of any Web site to which a link is provided. The groups included on the list do not necessarily reflect the views of ACFnewsource.