Laura Slattery and the Gubbio Project in our city!

I didn't sleep very well that night and I cried for the joy as well. I would have met in fact   in person the ex coordinator of the Gubb

io Project an association located inSan Francisco that I follow from its birth and that I found for casualty on the net more than 14 years ago.

I thought that maybe it was a good idea sharing the news of the arrival of Laura but then we decided that it was better to keep a low profile. I was happy and I thought that, after all, that news was mine, that story followed by me in the past and I just wanted to enjoy the moment. 

2005 I was becoming a journalist. Life sounded great, I was plenty of joy and I was working with enthusiasm. Beautiful and fertile years, I personally was intrigued by all that "international news" in which Gubbio was the main protagonist in the world. 

I searched for the most diversified news. A writer, Emma, from Kent, decided to call one of her children's book Gubbio ; Regina painted corners of our city. I still remember the moment I discovered the Gubbio Project. It was a beautiful and sunny morning. I felt immediately attraction for this Important, wonderful, stunning novelty.

"Wow! Look what they're doing in San Francisco. Should I contact them, Carlo?" Carlo, our vice-chief editor said me immediately to do that.

Father Louie Vitale, from italian origin called the project Gubbio in honor of the city that donated the legend of Saint Francis and the Wolf, a metaphor for telling to people that also a brigant could be tamed using kidnness, help and a gentle spirit. The Gubbio was born on 2004.

Homeless in San Fransisco area  are a large community and at the Saint Boniface a church situated in one of the poorest corners of San Francisco, the Tenderloin they tried to help making the difference. 

Fr.Louie thought that it would have been possible after all to offer a pew where to sleep to all the homeless in search of a place where to sleep in. When I interviewed the first coordinator of the project, Michelle Roder, I  remember that Fr.Louie was still in jail because an activist.

Michelle told me largely of the project and the news appeared in our free press Gubbio7.

With the years I would have folloowed the project always more closely. There was an interruption, a sort ot: "What direction do we want to give at the project?" because of course everything can become more perfect and beauty. Michelle enjoyed so much working for the Gubbio and with the homeless  that she decided, when she married her husband, of inviting also all the homeless in a project of inclusivity and in one of the most important moments of her existences; she really loved it. 

The project started to flying with the arrival as coordinator of Laura Slattery. Laura is an energetic, absolutely stunning character and woman, someone who wants results; she knows how to obtain them, there is to add this.

I had this idea of her and I was right. I did not sleep at all that night, so I was in the city earlier, so I drunk a peach tea waiting for her arrival.I thought at the time passed by, at what it meant having built these contacts so distants from me and I thought at the contraction, positive in this case, of the internet and reality and.. world. In the past no one would have known the Gubbio Project in our city because, simply, there wouldn't never been the possibility. The net, with all its negativities can be splendid sometimes. Laura arrived at big steps and with a warm smile. 

To me it was a dream to seeing her. We exchanged a lot of e-mails in the past and I tried to give a lot of coverage to the Gubbio.

She wore casual clothes and a shirt of the Gubbio Project. She was accompanied by her wife, pretty shy, and we enjoyed a wonderful morning and afternoon. A fearless lady, our meeting under Le Logge dei Tiratori donated us a first tea where we started a conversation about the Gubbio and the importance of wolves in our communities for giving back to the environment the old assetts, sometimes lost thanks to the introduction of other animals. Wolves are not just big sheep eaters.

Laura told me that this one was the second time to her in Italy. The first time she flew in our country she took part at a humanitarian meeting in North of Italy. For her wife this one was the first time. The place where we started the visit of the city was the church of San Francesco and I told to Laura the importance of this city and that old structure, walls still preserved, for Francis. Francis abandoned his family, his social status for the unknown and Gubbio and that friars helped him to trying to figure out what kind of future and aspiration to develop.

It was a revelation.

Then we decided to dedicate time at The Palazzo dei Consoli.

We stopped by at the church of Don Matteo, San Giovanni. Laura found this church more sober. We then went at the Palazzo dei Consoli taking several pictures, although maybe the funniest one at the Bar Ducale where I insisted for  taking a picture of Laura and her wife sat in the table where Don Matteo and the maresciallo Cecchini loved to playing at chees in the beloved fiction. Laura didn't know Don Matteo or Terence Hill. I told her that the series is inspired at Murder she Wrote the masterpiecve with Angela Lansbury but that in this case case the detective is not a writer but a priest. 

"Don't you know Terence Hill?" He spends more time in your country than not in Italy..He lives in New Mexico...".An introduction with pictures, biography, Bud Spencer and Trinità. We visited an art exhibit and then the church of San Domenico, taking pictures in the little bridge of San Martino.

Laura told me during our visits that the American pews of Saint Boniface are positioned differently in comparison of our pews for permitting to the visitors and their so-called sacred sleep a good night. Once in San Domenico she  didn't forget of adding that in the back part of the church the volunteer of the Saint Boniface give to the homeless something to eat in the morning. Laura remarks that the Catholic Church of Saint Boniface doesn't offer breakfasts everyday, while the episcopalian church connected with them, does it. Not only: she also told me that the father of her wife was an episcopalian pastor. 

Laura left the Gubbio because of the poor health situation of her mother. "She lived in Los Angeles. We didn't spend recently a lot of time together, but she was happy that I was there accompanying her in the final trip of the existence." She has a sister. "She lives in Ireland and she is married with a man pretty irish also in his name."

The project with the time became always more important thanks also to the support of Martin and Charlie Sheen, two beloved American actors ."Charlie donated a great amount of money, 250.000 dollar at the Gubbio and when we received his donation, he told us that this one was pocket check. "

Laura insisted for eating something at some point and we found a place at the Cresceria close to the Piazza Bosone where we ate a delicious veggie crescia. Laura wanted also to try the  brustengo a local dish made with white flour, some water and a pinch of salt. You mix all adding it in boiled oil. Once fried, people add salt or sugar on the top of the brustengo enjoying it.

I said her I eat it for dinner and it didn't sound the case because crescia is a robust meal.

Then, immediately after lunch Laura asked me if I could accompany them at the Gola dell'Iridio. It seems that once we also destroyed dinosaurus. Gubbio's got some reputation.

Iridium. Personally living in Gubbio per various years during my teenage age I didn't like that substance. It is known that iridium causes depressions. It's a chemical substance consistently known in the Universe but not in our Planet. We are exclusivist of this stardust.

Laura said me that she is studying bioloogy in the same university where Alvarez works. I felt the sensation of being very little, and plenty of real ignorance. I live here but I remained behind, I told her. Laura didn't dramatize a lot: "New discoveries have been recently added." And naturally, I lost them. Oh well: The competence of Laura was great and she explained us a lot. "When iridium fell on Earth, just a litle quantity, created a sort of film,membrane and nothing, nothing could be found there; not a shell, not the skekleton of a dinosaurus, nothing. There wasn't life anymore." It was as if Earth was in a moment of meditation.

We partially made the walk of the Iridium and Laura and her wife were surprised that there were people enjoying a pic-nic. "San Francisco is warmer. Our good season is shorter and the reason for a walk in this area means also staying outside, before of the arrival of bad weather."

It didn't sound good ending the hours spent together without a visit at the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo. Laura and her wife not only enjoyed  the church but later I also let them show the panorama seen from the bar where I love to spend some time sometimes all alone. "Looking down from this point you breath peace and it seems that all the problems of this world are over." Laura agreed that the panorama  was beautiful and so we stayed there drinking an iced tea, before to return to the city, where I left the ladies in the car park close to the Roman Theater. "You can't miss the chance to visit that site as well" I suggested them.

When I left them, with the promise of keeping alive our contacts, I thought at this connection established by an enthusiastic young reporter 15 years ago. Laura said me  before to leave "I knew that I would have found someone in this city so I decided to afford here." 

Thanks Laura.

Plus, let's remember that the inspiration of the Gubbio Project is our city. A great honor.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Martin Sheen: tickets available at the Gubbio!

The Gubbio Project is ready for celebrating with  Martin Sheen the first 10 years of anniversary of the project this next march 27th at the  Kelly Cullen Community,  220 Golden Gate, SF

6:15 PM Hors d'oeuvres & Wine  7 PM Program

Tickets for the meeting with actor Martin Sheen for another speaking events are ready at the cost of 100 dollars each. Discounts on group purchases.  

Martin Sheen will team up with the Gubbio Project co-founder Shelly Roder (that we had interviewed in 2005) and Fr.Louie Vitale will introduce Martin Sheen. 

Martin Sheen, Shelly Roder and Louie Vitale will focus on these topics: the "Sacred Sleep" in St Boniface Church for all the homeless living in the Tenderloin, the first anniversary of Pope Francis and the changes this Bishop of Rome is bringing to the world and of course Martin Sheen with the occasion will introduce to the people his latest movie: Trash.

Anna Maria Polidori

..."My wedding-day when I invited all the homeless..."

Michelle Roder ex Gubbio Project's coordinator: "The Kingdom of God a great “wedding feast” where everyone is welcome and participates in the big meals and festivities of life.

Michelle Roder was the first Gubbio Project's coordinator, located in San Francisco, California, USA.
She started a new experience somewhere else now and when she worked for The Gubbio Project she was the lady we interviewed about this project.

The project was just started 

The first article appeared in the free press Gubbio7

and this one is a precious interview because you can recognize  the first steps of a great adventure continued with great success at the moment by Laura Slattery and all the other wonderful volunteers and people involved in helping the last ones of the world keeping them in good condition and donating to them dignity and some rest and peace during the night and the day.

You will find the interview I am sure very interesting.

Enjoy it!

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Michelle can you tell me something more about you?


    I was born in Iowa, in a farming town called Remsen, the “little Luxembourg of Iowa” as our ancestors hailed from Luxembourg mostly. 

I was raised in a very Catholic family, where I had to write a report on a saint in order to get my birthday presents from my godfather!

 That started my fascination with the saints and the church and then my interest in studying theology in college.

 As I studied theology, I began to be inspired by “modern day saints”, people who have worked for justice and peace, like Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin (who started the Catholic Worker Movement here in the US), Martin Luther King, Jr. , Andre Trocme and the people of Le Chambon, France that resisted Nazi policies during WW II, etc, so I concentrated my theology studies on the study of justice and peace — mostly on Catholic Social teaching, which tells us to make an option for the poor — that Christians should follow Jesus by serving the poor and working for justice.




When did you start to work for the social? And why? And when did you discover the church of San Boniface?


My college degree required me to participate in “service learning”, which is where students go and volunteer doing some kind of social service work (tutoring, working in a soup kitchen, etc) and then reflect on the experience in the light of our faith teachings.

  I was lucky enough to do my service learning during a semester-long immersion trip to the Dominican Republic, where I worked in a community of people who live in a slum and work in the zona franca (free trade zone, essentially sweatshops).

 This changed my world view dramatically!  I went to that experience wanting to go on to graduate school so that eventually I could be a professor and teach at a university.

 I left there not knowing WHAT I wanted to do with my life, except that I knew I needed to work for the benefit of people who are poor in some way.

So, I started by volunteering at a community center, then worked with a volunteer program, and eventually started working at St. Boniface Neighborhood Center in San Francisco.

I had been a parishioner at St. Boniface before working for the Neighborhood Center. I started going to church there because I had friends that did and I loved the pastor — this peace activist priest who really lives the gospel, Louie Vitale.

He’s actually currently serving time in jail for having protested at a US military school called the School of the Americas in November.  He was really the force behind the programs that serve the homeless at St. Boniface in many ways...the Franciscans here have always been known for serving the poor of San Francisco, and in fact, they started the St. Anthony Foundation more than 50 years ago to respond to people being hungry — 50+ years later they still serve more than 2500 meals a day. 




When was exactly born the Gubbio Project and why was it called Gubbio ;-)?

Fr. Louie got some people together back in the winter of 2004 because as was tradition, the doors of St. Boniface Church were open during the day and what had happened was that the homeless of San Francisco who cannot find a safe place to sleep inside at night, and  who end up wandering around the streets so they won’t get hurt would go to St. Boniface and sleep in the pews because the doors were open to them and it was warm and quiet and safe inside.

Fr.Louie with a homeless 

 


But, as the numbers of people sleeping in the pews grew bigger, and the bathrooms in the back of church became rowdier, some folks at the church would complain to Fr. Louie that the homeless people were making the church too dangerous and that no one wanted to pray there anymore.

Well, Fr. Louie didn’t want to just close the doors to the people who needed the church for rest, and he didn’t want to just provide security personnel who might be harsh or punitive.

So he gathered some of us together to figure out what to do and we came up with the idea of providing staff in the church who could welcome all people — those coming to pray and those coming to sleep  - into the church and ensure everyone’s safety.  This staff would keep the place safe, reach out to people who needed help, and generally just keep the church open and welcoming for all.

We decided to call it the Gubbio Project  in honor of your town and the story about St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio because that story was about peacemaking between a group of people who felt threatened by the wolf.  Francis knew that if the town people looked out for and fed the wolf, that he in turn would protect them instead of hurt them.

So, he brokered a deal and the wolf became a beloved  member of the community.  We wanted to do the same with the community of “prayers” and “sleepers”.  So, in the spirit of peacemaking, we started the project in April of 2004.  I actually stepped back from my administrative work at that time in order to staff the project and get it off the ground.


What kind of reality are you meeting? Who are the poors and the homelesses you meet everyday at the San Boniface? And what kind of assistance you give to them?


Well, in San Francisco, there are about 12-15,000 homeless people and only 2000 shelter beds where people without a home can sleep at night. 

So that leaves a great deal who are left outside on the street at night.

These are the people that come to sleep in our pews during the day.  Many are unemployed, or have disabilities that do not allow them to work.  Many have addictions to drugs and/or alcohol.

Many do not have good relationships with family and so they are left to deal with the problems they face on their own.

We try to become family and to become home for these people who do not have family or home.

This is the most important thing we do, I think.

By being as compassionate as possible (depending on the day, of course!) we really try to see the good in each person that comes to us, regardless of how dirty or smelly or grouchy they can be.

We try to get them to trust us, so that we then might work with them to help them get government benefits like welfare, shelter beds, or subsidized housing. 


 
Some of them are able to find a job and re-start a new life after the contact with you and the Franciscans?



Yes, some are.  It takes a lot for people to overcome the many challenges they face.

 Even if a person gets minimum wage at a job in SF, he or she would have to work roughly 75 hours a week just to afford the rent on an average studio apartment!

The housing prices are just so high and the wages people earn just don’t cut it. Some people do make it, but really it takes a lot of luck to get to the resources that exist and patience to deal with all the “red tape” one must get through in order to get the resources!

 
Can you describe us the reality of San Francisco that surely is quiet different from our reality?

 As far as I know, Gubbio Italy is a farming town, like the place where I grew up.

In small communities, people seem to look out for each other in a way that you just don’t find too much in bigger cities.

I think in smaller communities it’s easier for people to remember that we belong to each other — you know, it’s more obvious.

In bigger cities, it’s easy to think of everyone you see on the street as a stranger and forget that they are someone’s sister or brother, uncle or aunt, son or daughter. 

How many people work at the Gubbio project?


Well, it started out with just one person per day, working with the 40 or so people that came in to sleep.

Now we have 2-4 people working each day for the 100+ that come every day.  Michele Thorsen is a woman from Canada that has taken over coordinating the project, she’s a Buddhist and has BOUNDLESS compassion for our guests.

She oversees John Weeks, Luis Hernandez, Sandra Sanchez, Paul Fullilove, Angel Silva, and a whole array of volunteers.

Can I ask to you something about the homeless? What do they represent to you?

Well, in this season of Christmas, I’m reminded that Jesus was himself, born homeless in a manger.

During his life, too, it’s said that “the Son of Man had no where to lay his head”.

I guess I do my best to see God, to see Jesus, inside each person I encounter. And I have to say that I’ve had some amazing experiences seeing the poorest people I know give absolutely everything they own away in order to help someone in need.  That to me is God working in the world today. 


I myself have five brothers and one sister, so I am very practiced and relating to people like a sister — I’m not a nun, obviously since I’m married :) - but I like the way that religious people in the church are referred to as “brothers” and “sisters”.  I think that’s a very admirable way to try to live — being a brother or a sister to everyone you encounter.


What other projects the San Boniface's is involved in?


Well, St. Boniface Neighborhood Center also has a traditional night-time shelter for 80 men, this is where I started working when I came to St. Boniface.

SBNC also provides workshops in collaboration with Capacitar International (capacitar.org) to teach people holistic healing practices that can transform the effects of stress and trauma. 

SBNC also does some community building work — trying to get our neighborhood to become smaller so to speak by getting people together to celebrate and get to know each other.

St. Boniface Church has four different communities — a Vietnamese community, a Filipino Community, a Latino community and an “English-speaking” community.

St. Boniface has traditionally been a place for immigrants, as it was settled by the German immigrants of the late 19th century who were living in this neighborhood at the time.

There are various ministries to these different communities from St. Boniface Church, mostly that give people the opportunity to worship in ways that preserve their unique cultures.

We just celebrated Our Lady of Guadalupe with the Latino community, complete with Aztec dancing and mariachi bands.


I read in the article wrote by Judy Horan, the day of your wedding you had also invited all the homelesses of the Saint Boniface. This is beautiful.


Well my husband Joe is from Ohio but we met here in SF and he works at St. Boniface Church as the business manager.

So, anyway, it didn’t feel right to have our wedding anywhere else but at St. Boniface, because the people here have nurtured our relationship since the beginning.

Fr. Louie likes to preach about the kingdom of God as the great “wedding feast” where everyone is welcome and participates in the big meal and festivities.

Shelly Roder the day of her wedding with the homeless. Invited

 

We really liked this image, so we did our best to try to keep our wedding true to that spirit — mingling our families from small town Iowa and small city Ohio with people of different cultures and with people of the streets.

It was a really joyous event — we felt so blessed to have the support and love of ALL the people in our lives that have nurtured us to now, our families of birth and our family “of choice”.

Everyone should be so lucky to have a crowd like that (as diverse and fun) at their parties!  Maybe in the next life we’ll experience an even bigger version of that!

Shelly Roder in another moment of their wedding

Thank you very much Michelle! 

Anna Maria Polidori