White Paper - Proposal for a Womens Center at Christ Church Rochester Rev 3.01

White Paper for a Women’s Center

To Be Located at Christ Church Rochester,

In the Heart of Downtown Rochester, New York

By:

The Liberation Theology Study Group

Of Rochester, New York

© Theodore W. Lechman 2014

Current Version 3.01

Original Version Jan 20, 2014 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Last Major Revision May 11, 2014 – Mother’s Day

Last Updated May 24, 2014


Rochester Liberation Theology Study Group Page 2

1. Acknowledgements

1.1. The author wishes to thanks Sr. Margie Henninger and Fr. Jim Callan of Spiritus Christi Church

for their suggestion of a drop-in center as a solution to bridging the social gap between service

providers and recipients. The authors would also like to thank Matt Townsend, communications

missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester and Carlos Mercado, Board member of the A

Meal and More program (and local factotum), for their advice, encouragement and burden

sharing. And thanks also to the inspirational sermons and overall enabling of the Rev. Ruth

Ferguson, rector of Christ Church Rochester. And finally thanks Deb Talley for pointing out the

need for the “and More” part to A Meal and More1 and to Kyle Liddell who wrote the 2012

Lenten meditation on Oscar Romero that started it all.

1.2. Others who have made major contributions to this proposal include Laura Cushman, Jean

Pederson, Shana Clark and Rhonda Neri.

1.3. Finally, thanks to David White for making Rochester such a hospitable place for public

philosophy as well as personally keeping the embers of the Burned-over district glowing white-

hot.

1.4. This effort was sustained by the ongoing image of the “A Meal and More” guests standing in

line waiting for Christ Church parishioners to finish with their coffee hour – in site of the

weather, the season, their age as well as their physical infirmities.

1 http://amealandmore.org/

http://amealandmore.org/

http://amealandmore.org/



2. Background and History

2.1. This proposal came out of the Liberation Study Group of Rochester, New York. The Liberation

Theology Study Group of Rochester, New York was formed in the early spring of 2013 not only

to study the primary and secondary literature of Liberation Theology but also to serve as a

spiritual incubator to facilitate projects in the community motivated by the spirit and purpose

of Liberation Theology.

2.2. The original impetus of this proposal was twofold. The first was the recognition that Christ

Church is located at the crossroads of the affluent and the destitute. Christ Church is both near

to the Eastman School of Music, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and desirable

contemporary urban living areas as well as in the midst of where the urban indigent live – such

as the Cadillac Hotel, the YWCA, and Manhattan Square. How Christ Church can take

advantage of its location to be part of the indigent as well as the affluent locale within the

context of a Women’s Drop-In Center at Christ Church Rochester is the subject of this white

paper.

2.3. In addition, as a result of a mini-retreat held in October of 2013 for the Board and volunteers of

A Meal and More (AM&M) by the retreat masters Fr. Jim Callan and Sr. Margie Henninger, it

was brought out by the volunteers themselves that they got much personal satisfaction from

working in the soup kitchen providing meals to the local poor. But they also expressed regret

that they would not form any meaningful relationships between themselves as volunteers and

soup kitchen workers and the soup kitchen guests. Some also expressed discomfort at the

presence of the guests’ hygiene, habits and potential criminal behavior.

2.4. Attempts at ministering to the AM&M patrons by clerics in collars were rebuffed and ignored

as being “pushed” at them and as a distraction to their objectives of eating and going on to the

next venue.

2.5. The root cause of the problem of alienation between the soup kitchen workers and the guests

lies in the fact that the soup kitchen, like most charity providers, is centered on a particular

product, service and process. Thus, so as to not waste precious money or volunteers’ time, the

charity provider must use rational business processes to achieve the net result of product or

service delivery to the guest/ patron as a customer. This is essentially no different than

commercial retail where efficient and quality service delivery does not involve either friendship,

personal relationships, or any spiritual depth.

2.6. The net result is that although the AM&M soup kitchen brings the church parishioners and the

local indigent together into the same space, any previously existing social barriers remain firmly

in place. This is not at all unique to AM&M; it is true of all charitable service providers and is an

acceptable side effect of the need for efficiency and focus on product/service/process.



2.7. Thus, the two populations - the indigent neighbors and the church parishioners – are for the

most part distinct sets with almost no overlap and no mechanism or process to create an

overlap. This whitepaper address this issue by the creation of an Overlap Zone, a space that

contains both parishioners and local neighbors, and whose sole function is to create an

intermediate community – partially in the church, partially outside the church.

2.8. It is specifically intended that the primary focus of activity of this proposed Overlap Zone not be

a product or a service, but rather to be a community, an “in-between community” – in between

the normal conventional church and the external indigent neighborhood. The primary purpose

is to create a home, a comfortable place, a place to meet friends. This “in-between community,

or Overlap-Zone, thus serves both populations: it enables parishioners of CC who wish it to

develop “weak friendships” (please see the link How Sacramental Friendships Saves the World2.

for the definition of the technical term “ weak friendships” – thanks to Kristy Liddell for this

link) with interested local people, and it enables local people to get a psychological, social and

spiritual foothold at Christ Church, without any baggage of traditional church forms or

structures.

2.9. Of course, it is desirable to provide some forms of refreshment and snacks as well as possibly

some forms of entertainment such as games, films or whatnot, but only to the extent that it

facilitates friendly conversation and never as a replacement. Most women targeted by this

proposal, as described below, suffer isolation and spend most of their time alone locked in their

apartments, watching TV and eating and drinking. This proposal intends to offer them an

alternative, not more of the same.

2.10. Unfortunately, most existing models and templates of charitable social programs are

centered on providing goods and/or services and are thus process based and patterned after

commercial business best practices. Examples of such are soup kitchens, health clinics, almost-

free stores and flop houses. These models do not provide a way towards community.

2.11. The best model for building community, for creation of such Overlap-zones or In-

Between-Communities is the base-community/ base-church model of Liberation Theology. LT

focuses on action and social results rather than creed, dogma or bible-thumping. It is focused

on the formation of informal, non-hierarchical and Christ-centered communities in action

rather than in pronouncement.

2.12. Thus the object of this proposal is the creation of such a previously-mentioned “In-

Between Community”, to be comprised of both parishioner volunteers as well as neighborhood

residents of the Cadillac, the ABW shelter, the Manhattan Park apartments, etc. The usual term

for such an in-between community doing the things mentioned above is commonly called “a

drop-in center”. In LT it is called a “base community”. Because of the particular problems and

2 http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-friendship-saves-world-sacramental.html

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-friendship-saves-world-sacramental.html




needs of indigent women in the immediate neighborhood of CC (described further below), the

“drop-in center” idea was further refined into a “Women’s Drop-in Center” – or “Women’s

Center”.

2.13. Research: Over 220 of the author’s man-hours have gone into establishing these

particular specifications to date for a Women’s Drop-in Center and its particular LT-oriented

methodology as expressed in this white paper and the associated position paper “From

Liberalism to Liberation: A Proposal for Change to the Future Church Over”. Sources of

information include:

2.13.1. A retreat was held at Christ Church in October 2013 for the AM&M board and

volunteers to canvass opinions and attitudes, and in particular to gauge to social barriers

between the AM&M volunteers and the patrons

2.13.2. Drop-in center startup process as well as the role of the drop-in center as a social bridge

was based on multiple interviews and meetings with Fr. Jim Callan and Sr. Margie

Henninger of Spiritus Christi, who have decades of experience in pastoral and missional

outreach, including the founding of Dimitri House.

2.13.3. Personal meetings as well as a Liberation Theology Study Group meeting was held at

Blessed Sacrament Church with Mary Joe Lightholder who has experience with BS’s soup

kitchen as well as outreach programs.

2.13.4. Discussions were had with Grace Doud of Dimitri House on what Dimitri House does and

how it does it. We sat together in front of a computer researching other relevant

community resources. Her information about the history of Dimitri House drop-in center

operations on Sundays was instrumental in determining that Sunday afternoons at Christ

Church would be an ideal time for a Women’s Drop-in center. See section 3.9.11 and

5.23.2 for more details

2.13.5. A discussion was had with Kim Collins and Donna Eckert of Bethany House about

Bethany House operations and synergy/conflict with a possible WC at Christ Church.

Bethany House is only open to the public on Tuesday and Thursdays. All other days,

including weekends, Bethany House closed to everyone except residents. Bethany House is

located 2.5 miles away from Christ Church.

2.13.6. Information about the immediate neighborhood of Christ Church and about the local

indigent population and their migratory patterns was previously researched for a Unity

Health Reach Mobile Medical van project where a medical van came to Christ Church using

and after the Wednesday afternoon AM&M program last fall. During this project I got a

chance to talk to a number of women AM&M patrons and their comments were key to

getting this WC proposal made. Extensive discussions with Unity Health Reach medical

staff and management were had about the local population of the indigent – their needs

and their patterns.

2.13.7. Interviews were conducted with staff of the Cadillac Hotel and the Manhattan square

apartments about coping patterns of women residents vis a vis the male residents.



2.13.8. Personal conversations and a Liberation Theology Study Group meeting was held with

Arlene Hodge, a noted local photographer with the homeless about women’s life on the

streets and the particular risks they face and their fears. Her website is very instructive:

Arlene Hodge Photography3

2.13.9. Numerous meeting and conversations were held between Ted Lechman, Carlos

Mercado of the AM&M board and Matt Townsend (Episcopal Diocesan missioner)

discussing the prospect of a WC and the possibilities of its realization.

2.13.10. Personal conversations and a Liberation Theology Study Group meeting was

held at Asbury Methodist to specifically learn about their outreach programs, in particular

their medical clinic and how local professionals, including doctors, nurses and social

workers made that program happen.

2.13.11. Discussions were also conducted with the following people and organizations:

Caroline and Joe Lavoie of St Joseph’s House, Paul Frazier of St. Joe’s Bread for All, Martha

Neubert of Asbury First Methodist, and Matt Nickoloff of the South Wedge Mission.

2.14. These proposals are the culmination of over a year’s worth of meetings and reflections

of the Rochester Liberation Theology Study Group whose attendees include Chava Redonnet of

St. Joes, Carlos Mercado, Matt Townsend, John Urban, Deb, Tom and Claire Talley, Shana Clark,

Beatrice Deshommes, David White of St. Paul’s, and many others, plus advice from Ron

Vukman on insurance issues as well as Jean Pederson’s editorial input.

2.15. This white paper proposes the establishment of a Drop-In Center on the premises of

Christ Church Rochester to be geared primarily towards poor and marginalized women, and to

be explicitly run using the fundamental principles of Liberation Theology, as stated above, as

operating principles. The basic principles of Liberation Theology and how these differ from

conventional Progressive Liberalism is carefully laid out in the Position Paper – “From

Liberalism to Liberation” by the Liberation Theology Study Group of Rochester New York.

2.16. The poor and disenfranchised are given their own voice with which to identify and

express their own needs, desires and concerns. This does not necessarily mean that guests run

their drop-in center on their own, but rather that their voice and input is always looked for in

decision making and programming. Representatives of the guests should be at meetings

centered on Women’s Center issues. They are not to be simply the objects of “experts” or

benefactors’ decisions.

2.17. The purpose of this proposal within a Church context is not to deliberately alter the

composition of any church from one social class to another. It is rather to create an additional

auxiliary community within the sphere of influence of the church that is “in-between” the older

traditional parish and the formerly outside excluded indigent neighborhood. This Women’s

3 http://arleenophotography.wordpress.com/

http://arleenophotography.wordpress.com/

http://arleenophotography.wordpress.com/



Center as such would simply be an addition to other existing sub-populations that find a home

at Christ Church.

2.18. This in-between community, aka Women’s Center, would not only increase the

peripheral size of the congregation at its social margins, but also include and provide a voice to

those who never had a voice of their own before, in any context. It is insufficient to simply have

the existing church SPEAK FOR the voiceless - for this, as we now know, only structurally

reinforces their voicelessness.



**

3. Woman’s Drop-In Center: The Proposed Plan

3.1. The following details of a proposed Women’s Drop-In Center at Christ Church Rochester were

initially crystalized after discussions on the subject with Sr. Margie Henninger and Fr. Jim Callan

(Grace of God Recovery House, Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach Ministry, Spiritus Christi Mental

Health Clinic), and Grace Doud of Dimitri House. Other research that went into this proposal is

briefly described in section 2.13 above.

3.2. The proposal is for a Drop-In Center, to be located in the Guild Room of Christ Church

Rochester, focused primarily towards the needs and interests of women.

3.3. It is also proposed that this drop-in center initially happen on Sunday afternoons, after the

Sunday “A Meal and More” program for approximately 2 hours, every Sunday afternoon.

3.4. It is also proposed that that Christ Church and other interested parties use its communications

resources to gather together a cadre of volunteers. It is suggested that at least 2 volunteers be

present at any time, and that there be enough volunteers to cover 4-5 Sundays a months – i.e.

a minimum of 10 volunteers over a month. This Women’s Center program cannot proceed

without the minimum number of volunteers. This WC cannot be carried on the shoulders of

only a couple of dedicated volunteers.

3.5. It is preferable that this Women’s Center be an explicit activity owned by the Christ Church

parish - that this Drop-In Center be the expressed desire of The Church, both as Christ Church,

and the Diocese of Rochester- as a core mission coming out of the very heart of the Church and

in fidelity to, and in fulfillment of, Christ’s teachings- and not as some individual or factional

private enterprise, towards which the Church can easily disavow any commitment, support or

responsibility. See section 5.12 for other advantages to Christ Church for the WC to be run by

CC.

But alternately, this Women’s Center can operated and owned by an external organization, such

as the Liberation Theology Study Group of Rochester or others, which would take managerial

control and responsibility and use whatever venues were appropriate. Christ Church and other

churches could then be participating institutions, facilitating their parishioners as volunteers and

donors.

3.6. It is also proposed that this drop-in center become the home for the patrons who frequent the

drop-in center – that is, that the patron’s voices be encouraged and organized so that they feel

that their concerns are being acted upon and that they feel that the drop-in center is theirs.

That this becomes a community first and foremost rather than just a community center or a

service-distribution venue.



3.7. It is proposed that the Women’s Center begin with a small nucleus of women already known

within the Christ Church community – Shana Clark, Rhonda Neri and her friend- Sheree

Williams. This initial core group would then invite their friends and thus the WC would expand

by through a widening circle of friends. The group thus formed would have the advantage of

consisting of people already comfortable with each other thus reducing anonymity as well as

stress. This also gives the group a personal stake in the success of the Women’s Center. This

reduces the need to advertise as well as increases security.

3.8. This implies that the center patrons will have a voice in the WC operations. This implies that the

patrons themselves will help determine which activities and programs are best suited to their

needs. This implies that the patrons themselves will help determine the suitability of volunteers

and staff to their needs.

3.9. It is also proposed that the drop-in center cater to the interests and desires of women by

providing programs and services that best meet their needs and interests, as they themselves

will determine. Examples of such programming and services are:

3.9.1. Women oriented videos and entertainment

3.9.1.1. (It should be noted that a drop-in center on Sunday afternoons failed at the

Dimitri House when St Joes House of Hospitality started showing football games on

Sunday afternoon -–the mostly male clients of Dimitri House abandoned Dimitri

House in favor of the ball game at St. Joes – and Dimitri House closed their Sunday

afternoon operations as a result.)

3.9.2. Groups and circles organized and run by the patrons themselves. This could involve sharing

stories and identifying needs.

3.9.3. Knitting circles, basic aesthetics such as having nails / hair done, etc. (Spiritus Christi has a

“toenail ministry”)

3.9.4. It should be recognized that the majority of customers for drop-in centers are mostly men,

with potential female customers being afraid of violence and harassment and thus spend

most of their time alone in their apartments isolated and in fear. Such a women oriented

drop-in center, such as the one we propose, would service this particular population that

resides so close to Christ Church, such as the Cadillac Hotel, the YWCA, BWS, Manhattan

Square Apartments, etc.

3.10. It is also proposed that appropriate training be given to the volunteers. The following

training categories have been identified:

3.10.1. The volunteers and any staff will NOT be therapists but PEERS to the customers of the

drop-in center. Therefore the most appropriate training for such a role may be from the

director of adult programs at Compeer – who trains peer candidates using a “tough love”

approach, and who also formerly worked with Rochester Police Department in their drug

and alcohol programs. She also has a private practice.



3.10.2. To minimize the potential for violence and to deal effectively with any violence that may

erupt, it has been proposed that we consult with the Gandhi Institute that has specific

anti-violence programs that the volunteers/staff can make use of.

3.10.3. The Rochester Psychiatric facility regularly trains their staff on how to handle psychiatric

patients acting out. We might consider taking advantage of such programs.

3.10.4. A key role that the volunteers and staff can play is to connect the needs of the drop-in

center customers with existing public and private programs that are available to meet

their needs. Thus the volunteers and staff can act in the role of advocates and service

coordinators. To do this, either Social Work interns, or paid social workers perhaps should

be available, and/or the volunteers/staff need to be trained in those programs and

procedures.

3.11. If the WC becomes a CC outreach program , rather than an outside program hosted by

CC, It is proposed that someone work with the diocese and the diocesan communications

missioner to:

3.11.1. Help clarify and improve our planning process, procedures and practices

3.11.2. Help with communications and marketing - within the diocese and with potential

customer outreach

3.11.3. Help with outreach and coordination with existing city, county, state and private

services.



4. Costs and Budgeting

The following identifies anticipated costs:

4.1. We’d budget $25+ per week for the sexton Moses and work hard to make sure he has to do

very little.

4.2. WC operations incremental heating and lighting costs.

4.3. Staff: it may be necessary to take on one or more permanent paid staff in support of the

operations of the Women’s Drop-In Center. We’d pay David Jencek (and possibly Rhondo Neri

or others) $10/hour to stay on for the women’s program.

4.4. Initial and ongoing training costs. See section 5.24 of FAQ.

4.5. There may be a need, which will become more clarified as the customers express their needs

and desires, for some games, cards, magazines and more suitable furniture such as 3 used soft

couches rather than the existing hard chairs plus 3 used coffee tables (I have a suitable one I

can donate). Some of these items can be donated; others may need to be purchased. If items

are donated, there may be costs associated with transporting them to Christ Church.

4.6. The recurring cost of perishables and consumables, such as toilet paper, knitting materials,

coffee and snack items. Other possible perishable/consumable items may also include hygiene

products and baby/infant items. Some of these items may be donated, either by individuals,

grocery retail chains or by restaurants/ donut -shops at the close of business, but some will

need to be identified as recurring costs to the Drop-In Center itself. Volunteers and staff may

need to dedicate time to transporting donated perishables to the WC.

4.7. In addition to offering a sense of community as well as refreshment and snacks, it is likely that

the WC becomes a means to link the indigent women patrons with existing already available

opportunities and resources. Towards that end, as described in section 5.24.4, providing access

to social work interns and volunteers may be the most beneficial practical activity that the WC

does. Towards that end it may be desirable to hire a part time experienced social worker to

supervise these efforts. As an example of this, parishioners of Asbury Methodist who are also

professional nurses and social workers donate their time at the Asbury Medical Clinic

connecting the uninsured and unconnected to available programs.



5. Women’s Center FAQ:

5.1. Introduction

5.1.1. The task of this whitepaper is twofold; its primary task is to provide a concrete, easily

realizable plan and roadmap to an outreach program, carefully tailored to the specific

neighborhood, the particular needs of the local prospective patrons, and the physical

capabilities of the hosting venue. The secondary task is in many ways the more difficult

one – to help the potential hosting entity to discern their mission and charism towards

their neighbors – perhaps to be realized in the form proposed by this whitepaper.

5.2. Why a Drop-In Center

5.2.1. To provide a way for the local neighborhood residents who are poor, underprivileged and

marginalized – many suffering from addictions and behavioral and cognitive problems – to

find a home at Christ Church. This also offers a way for Christ Church to interact naturally

with and get to know the local residents without the institutional barriers of being a

service provider

5.3. Why Primarily For Women? What is the population you are trying serve?

5.3.1. It has been commented frequently that the great majority of drop-in center and soup

kitchen customer are male. Overt aggressive sexual intimidation has been observed. In

conversations with the Cadillac Hotel and Manhattan Square staff, they stated that there

are as many women residents as men but that the women are afraid of violence and

intimidation, and therefore spend most of their time locked in their rooms.

5.3.2. A drop-in center that specifically catered primarily towards women should have a good

customer base among women, once the drop-in center gains their trust and word of

mouth spreads.

5.3.3. Christ Church is located very close to a battered women’s shelter and presumably would

be of benefit to that particular population.

5.4. Why on Sunday Afternoons?

5.4.1. Grace Doud of Dimitri House stated that they used to have drop-in center on Sunday

afternoon but after St. Joe’s House of Hospitality got a TV set and showed the ball games

on Sundays, their patrons (mostly male) abandoned Dimitri House in favor of St. Joe’s

House. If Christ Church showed women-oriented programs or had other activities oriented

towards women on Sunday afternoons, this would fill a definite need.



5.4.2. Sunday afternoons are preferable to other weekday evening because during weekdays,

other programs and social services are available. Sr. Margie Henninger has stated that,

based on her experience at Dimitri House and Grace of God Recovery House, there is a

large dead time for the indigent mostly on Sunday afternoons.

5.4.3. Sunday afternoons are also preferable in that the largest pool of volunteers would be

available then; students, student interns and those who have not yet retired would be

available as volunteers.

5.4.4. Sundays afternoons also dovetails with Christ Church’s “A Meal and More” program, as it

would on Wednesday afternoons as well. But Dimitri House is open and serving food

Wednesday afternoons after Christ Church AM&M program concludes. Dimitri house has

no operations on Sunday Afternoon.

5.4.5. Of course, it is the Drop-in Center patrons themselves that should determine which days

are best for them. The Sunday afternoon proposal seems best only as an initial solution

until the guests themselves decide otherwise.

5.5. Why Use Liberation Theology Principles? Why bring up Liberation Theology at all?

5.5.1. The purpose of the WC is not to supply gods or services but rather to form a community –

an overlap space that includes the traditional Christ Church parish and the immediate

neighbors of the church. As such the most appropriate model is that of the “base

community” of Liberation Theology. It offers both a practical social purpose as well as a

theological/ spiritual framework for forming non-traditional community.

5.5.2. Besides offering a framework for a local community it also offers a vision of ‘future

church”.

5.5.3. By being a community and offering the patrons a sense of ownership and control will

engender the establishment of a sense of trust where they would begin to supervise and

police themselves, and many of them would end up being suitable as reliable and

trustworthy “volunteers” or even staff.



5.6. Insurance and Liability Issues: What are the liabilities for Christ Church? If none, who

is the source for that information? What are the liabilities for the volunteers? If none,

who is the source for that information?

5.6.1. I’ve had numerous discussions with Ron Vukman on insurance issues relating to projects

such as the Women’s Center. According to him, Christ Church is insured with a Church

Insurance Fund along with a Diocesan umbrella policy. The deductible is $50,000 and the

coverage limit is $3,000,000. A copy of the insurance policy is in the Christ Church office.

5.6.2. Ron doesn't see how a Women’s Center is “any different from ACOA who have used our

space for 30 years” or any other ministry or meetings. We didn't notify or ask permission

of our Insurer for Ad Hoc or the College Colloquium.

5.6.3. It may or may not be instructive to find out how AM&M is insured and its relationship to

Christ Church’s insurance policy. Carlos is the best person to look into this.

5.6.4. But in general, Ron thinks that any further investigation “isn’t worth the bother”.

5.7. What about Head Lice?

The following are all true simultaneously:

5.7.1. The poor are more likely to have personal hygiene and health issues then the affluent.

5.7.2. The poor should not be stereotyped nor presumed as all having head lice, bed bugs, etc.

5.7.3. Scratching and itching are not necessarily signs of head lice nor is head lice the most likely

cause of itching; the more likely causes are dandruff, dry skin, psoriasis, malnutrition, etc.

5.7.4. Poverty is not contagious; we should not project our own fears and insecurities upon the

poor.

5.7.5. How does AM&M deal with this issue? Is it a real and ongoing problem for them?

5.7.6. We should deal with any problems that arise and take reasoned precautionary steps in a

non-stigmatizing and tactful manner. Some tactful preventative measures would be:

5.7.6.1. Have all volunteers be immunized.

5.7.6.2. Avoid sharing combs and brushes – have extra ones to donate on hand

5.7.6.3. Hang coats on racks with enough space so that they don’t touch one another

5.7.6.4. Have Purell dispensers on hand and encourage their use.

5.7.6.5. Have donated soap, shampoo, deodorant, tooth brushes/ tooth paste, feminine

hygiene products, etc. on hand to distribute.

5.7.6.6. If someone does have lice, the best way to handle the situation is as if it was a

member of your own extended family: provide them with oil and fine metal lice

combs, or better yet, have a volunteer help them delouse themselves in the

women’s bathroom, for example.

5.7.7. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines on lice to ease fears. It is

instructive to read this article: AAP Issue New Guidelines to Ease Head Lice Fears4

4 http://roc.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101002/NEWS01/10020337/New-guidelines-ease-head-lice-

fears

http://roc.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101002/NEWS01/10020337/New-guidelines-ease-head-lice-fears





5.8. What If a Patron is Drunk, Stoned or Emotionally Upset?

5.8.1. It should be understood that the poor and the homeless frequently suffer from drug

and/or alcohol dependency, have mild to severe cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral

impairments as well as have suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse. This Women’s

Center exists for their benefit, to provide a safe place for such women to socialize,

exchange ideas and perhaps take the first steps necessary to enter mainstream society.

5.8.2. Only patrons who are overtly violent or abusive towards others should be escorted out.

5.8.3. A drunken or stoned patron should be encouraged to come inside and to sleep. Better

inside a church then outside on the street.

5.8.4. Open displays of alcohol or drugs are to be severely discouraged; however patrons should

definitely NOT be searched and their personal privacy not invaded in any way.

5.9. The Patrons’ Cognitive, Emotional and Social Skills may be Severely Lacking or

Limited.

5.9.1. My own personal experience, gathered from the Unity Health Reach program that briefly

happened at Christ Church as well as from other contexts, is that the poor and indigent,

more so then the middle classes, have greater communication abilities and can be actually

quite charming characters, out of sheer survival necessity. They may depend completely

on their interpersonal skill for survival, either to acquire the basics of survival or to fend off

those who would take advantage of their low social status to abuse them. In many

instances they are much easier to talk to than parishioners of Christ Church.

5.9.2. The difference between a low functioning and a high functioning neurotic/psychotic is

many times a matter of a supportive family with connections, a trust fund and a family

lawyer.

5.9.3. To view the poor as socially and psychologically unfit and thus to view them as unworthy

of outreach is quite prejudiced and discriminatory. After all, there was a time when

women were considered psychologically and morally unfit to engage in politics, vote,

engage in the professions or go to universities. African slaves were even considered not to

have human souls but rather had only 3/5 the souls of white people. Perhaps we should

reform of views of the poor as well.



5.10. How do we prevent violence as well as deal with violent situations that may

arise?

5.10.1. By making the Women’s Center primarily for and about women, innate male aggression

as a source of fear and insecurity is minimized from the outset.

5.10.2. By eliminating waiting in lines, either outside or inside, a major source of frustration and

therefore violence is eliminated. See section 6.3 on Physical Layout.

5.10.3. Encouraging regular patrons to invite their friends generates an atmosphere of

familiarity and trust, and also eliminates the inherent anxiety of being in a room full of

strangers.

5.10.4. Most street people will be carrying some form of self-defense, especially if they are

women. This is a rational response to the conditions in which they live on a daily basis. The

primary goal is to ensure that everyone feels secure and not threatened by outsiders,

other patrons, or the volunteers.

5.10.5. Patrons must feel secure from one another and the best way to ensure this is that

volunteers immediately intervene at the first hint of any abusiveness by any patron to

another. If a single warning is insufficient then the offensive patron needs to be escorted

out and possibly banned. The volunteers must be proactive and the patrons must feel

confident that the volunteers will immediately nip any abuse or hostility in the bud – if the

patrons lack such confidence they may feel that they have to rely on weapons or hostile

reactions for safety…

5.10.6. Patrons must feel secure from outsiders, such as pimps or harassers. There must be an

appropriate male volunteer or staff member present that will challenge intruders and call

local police.

5.10.7. Local police must be informed of the presence of the WC and the volunteers should be

familiar with necessary emergency phone numbers and procedures. The police should be

an invisible resource as far as the patrons are concerned – many may have had unpleasant

experiences with law enforcement and would stay away from a location that was known to

have visible police present on a regular basis.



5.11. What will the physical layout of the women’s center be?

5.11.1. It is proposed that when the Guild Room is emptied of people waiting to be served by

AM&M in Wilder Hall, then the access doors between both the Guild Room and Wilder

Hall AS WELL as between the Guild Room and the hallway to the Church be closed and

access prevented from the outside..

5.11.2. Once this is done, the Guild Room is rearranged in support of WC operations.

5.11.3. Women guests of the Women’s Center are allowed access to the Guild Room (now the

Women’s Center) by means of the doorway to the Guild Room that is located at the end of

the passageway that leads to the nearby women’s restroom.

5.11.4. The greeters’ table is now reoriented so as to protect the entrance to the Women’s

Restroom and the Guild Room entrance next to the women’s restroom.

5.12. Use Conflict: What If I Want To Use The Guild Room For A Private Party On A

Sunday Afternoon?

5.12.1. The potential conflict of use of the Guild Room between the Women’s Center and other

events, such as with birthday parties, is easily solved, by either delaying or cancelling

Women’s Center operations on that particular day. This is an advantage of having the

Women’s Center under Christ Church ownership rather than under a separate entity. As a

separate entity, the Women’s Center would have a binding contract with Christ Church

and the Women’s Center would have sole custody of the premises during the days and

hours under contract. But by being a mission of Christ Church, it is under control by the

Church leadership, and is thus flexible to contingent circumstances.

5.13. Why call this a “Women’s Center” rather than a “social hour”, “coffee hour” or

“activity hour”?

5.13.1. This is functionally a women’s drop-in center, and all the activities mentioned above

(coffee, activity, etc.) is what is normally part of a drop-in center. The reason for calling it a

“Women’s Center” rather than a “Women’s Drop-In Center” is due to Rhonda Neri’s

suggestion: she suggested that the term “drop-in center” was demeaning and she was the

one who suggested the name “Christ Church Women’s Center”.



5.14. Have you looked at Saint Paul's I understand they have empty rooms there?

5.14.1. I have not looked at St. Paul’s, the Diocesan House, St Thomas or Asbury Methodist for

the reason that they are located in relatively affluent neighborhoods. Christ Church

especially is located in a neighborhood whose indigent residents would benefit from a

Women’s Center. Other suitable locations would be Two Saints or the South Wedge

Mission. But Christ Church, in particular, is ideally located.

5.14.2. Any social aversion at Christ Church towards hosting indigent women is only much

greatly magnified at St. Paul’s.

5.14.3. Although St. Paul’s may have more resources than Christ Church, a Women’s Center is

not a money-driven or even a process-driven enterprise the way a soup kitchen, a flop-

house or a medical clinic is. Instead its main demands are on volunteers’ time as well as a

few donated used games, knitting supplies, etc. In other words, the main contribution of

St Paul’s would be as a source of volunteers to a Christ Church (or other) Women’s Center.

5.14.4. A “Christ Church Women’s Center” is a way for getting people from Christ Church (as

well as other volunteers) together with isolated and indigent women in the immediate

neighborhood - ABW, Cadillac, YWCA, Manhattan Square apartments, etc. It is not just

providing a service anonymously to local indigent women, which can be done in theory by

anyone, but rather to provide a welcoming home to them within Christ Church. It is as

much a spiritual exercise for the parishioners of Christ Church as it is a service to indigent

women in Christ Church’s immediate neighborhood.

5.14.5. St.Paul’s, like Asbury Methodist, may have more rooms and greater resources, but they

do not have the ABW, the Cadillac, Manhattan Square apartments and the YWCA in their

immediate neighborhood.

5.14.6. Who is the director of the project? How many days will the director be on site?

The proposal needs to include the names of the persons who are taking

responsibility for the operation of the center.

5.14.6.1. The Women’s Center project is presently in the preliminary planning stages –

R&D, if you will. The people most active to date in trying to launch this project are

primarily Ted Lechman as well as Carlos Mercado and Matt Townsend. Others who

have expressed an interest in the project are John Urban, Deb Talley, Jim Bement,

and Kristy Liddell. Outside the parish, interest has been expressed by Matt Nickoloff,

Joe and Caroline Devoe, and Arlene Hodges.



5.14.6.2. Who the director and staff will be will depend directly on who will physically

host the WC and which entity is the “owning” entity. Thus it is important for Christ

Church to discern its mission relative to the Women’s Center project.

5.14.6.3. Does Christ Church discern that it is to physically and pastorally host a Women’s

Center, or not?

5.14.6.4. If not, does it discern that it wishes to participate in such a mission by the

enabling of volunteers from amongst its parishioners but otherwise leave the

organization and management to another body such as the “Liberation Theology

Study Group of Rochester” and hosted by another venue other than Christ Church?

5.14.6.5. We need to first gather a group of prospective volunteers and interested

parties. Only after we have first had a parish-wide town hall meeting, as well done

other things to gather together a core group of volunteers and interested parties,

can we then begin to assign roles and not before. It is envisioned that this Women’s

Center will be an outreach of Christ Church and thus Christ Church will ultimately be

responsible.

5.15. Are there other more pressing needs, like Pastoral care, that take precedence

over this?

This question can be understood in a number of ways. Here are responses to some of

them.

5.15.1. In the most important sense of the word, a Women’s Center IS a pastoral activity,

specifically to the poor of the immediate neighborhood of Christ Church. The WC does not

serve the neighbors through providing specific goods and services but rather by offering

friendship, companionship and a sense of belonging. Is this not pastoral? Also, many

people seek out the Rector’s personal pastoral attention, including the indigent that come

to CC in spiritual as well as material need. This WC would serve to channel and focus that

aspect of the Rectors pastoral mission by both reducing the burden on the rector’s

personal time as well as provide a structured and organized means, using volunteers, to

address those pastoral needs.

5.15.2. The question may have been meant to ask whether existing and long-time parishioners

should have priority in the allocation of resources over ‘Others’ (i.e. In-reach versus Out-

reach)?. Specifically, whether there is not a more pressing need for more volunteers to do

visitations, help parishioners with transportation, shopping, medical or companionship

needs rather than outreach with the local indigent? Personally, I (TWL) support such



increased ‘in-reach’ efforts and would gladly participate in such activities, to the extent of

having such talents. Discerning the in-reach/out-reach mission of the church is presumably

an immediate as well as long term core task of Christ Church and a core driver of the life of

the church. As such, it deserves full effort and attention in its own right and on its own

merits.

5.15.3. The Women’s Center was originally conceived as a pastoral supplement to the existing

“A Meal and More” Program. It’s an attempt at thinking out and implementing an “and

More” of the original “A Meal and More” program, which more than 15 years ago, Christ

Church discerned as being a mission - an outreach – that Christ Church and the diocese

made an ongoing commitment to.

5.16. What is your desired outcome?

5.16.1. There are two concrete objectives and they both need to be met for the program to be

successful:

5.16.1.1. We need to gather together a group of volunteers that will make the WC

happen, given interest on the part of patrons. We need a minimum of 10 committed

volunteers + an additional number of interested parties that can help in other ways.

10 volunteers is the minimum number of volunteers to be able to reliably start a WC.

5.16.1.2. An interested group of women patrons who will make use of the WC. Without

the regular attendance of at least 3 women, the WC is a failure.

5.16.2. The volunteers are to become friends (see link How Sacramental Friendships Saves the

World in section 2.8) with the Women’s Center patrons, and thereby break down the

social barriers between Christ Church and the neighborhood women as well as female

AM&M patrons.

5.16.3. The net result should be to form a base community within Christ Church for the

neighborhood women.

5.17. How does the Women’s Center plan to interact with the participants to achieve

the desired outcomes?

5.17.1. From inception, the Women’s Center is planned to be run based on Liberation Theology

Principles. Those principles have been studied within the context of the Rochester

Liberation Theology Study Group, and are outlined in the Position Paper “From Liberalism

to Liberation: A Proposal for Change to the Future Church”. It is envisioned that the





standard non-profit, board-of-directors-led charity is the WRONG model to use for the

envisioned Women’s Center.

5.17.2. In a nutshell the Liberation Theology principles envisioned are:

5.17.2.1. Have the patrons of the WC be the subjects of the WC rather than the objects of

a program run by an affluent directorial team for the benefit of the Patrons.

5.17.2.2. Have the Patrons have a major say in the running of the center, rather than a

directorial team.

5.17.2.3. Have the Patrons have the major role in policing themselves.

5.17.2.4. Have the Patrons have the major say as to what programs are of most benefit

and interest to them, be those programs recreational, psychological/counseling or

social-work oriented.

5.17.2.5. Have the Patrons have the predominant role as to determining who is allowed

in and who is to be declined.

5.17.2.6. Have the Patrons have the predominant role in deciding the suitability of

volunteers and staff. The staff/ volunteers are to be perceived as a benefit and asset

to the patrons.

5.18. What are the criteria for getting into the group? What re the rules for staying

in the group? How many patrons will there be?

5.18.1. The current plan is to start the Women’s Center with an initial core group of members:

Rhonda Neri, Shana Clark, and Sheree Williams. This initial core group would meet and

discuss what they’d like to do. They would also invite suitable friends of theirs to join the

group. The group would then form and grow from amongst their circle of friends. The

existing group would also determine if anyone is sufficiently disruptive as to warrant being

disinvited.

5.18.2. It is initially envisioned that a max of approx. 15 patrons would fill out the capacity of

the WC. However this may be amended based on the desires of the patrons themselves

and the resources, including volunteers, available.



5.19. The Guild room is already used every Sunday by 50 plus people for coffee hour

- why should we consider changing the look of the Guild room for this group when

there are literally dozens of other functions and groups that used the Guild room

weekly and seasonally?

5.19.1. The WC will be in operations after the Coffee hour is over and also after AM&M is

competed. It is anticipated that the WC operations will be approximately between 2:30pm

and 5pm on Sunday afternoons. There are no known conflicts with regularly or seasonally

scheduled events in the Guild Room at these times.

5.19.2. The only physical additions envisioned to the Guild Room would be 3 couches and 3

coffee tables. These items would be used/donated but aesthetically pleasing and

structurally sound. (I have a decent underutilized coffee table in my garage that I’m willing

to donate. Perhaps we can find a few others.) They would be formed into a U pattern

about the fireplace during the WC, but moved towards the large windows (near Lawn

Street) otherwise. Thus the couches could also be used during Coffee Hour, and also would

be out of the way for meetings in the guild rooms. Small group meetings, such as the

Healing Service could also make use of the couches. In other words, the couches would

enhance the comfort and functionality of the Guild Room, not detract from it.

5.19.3. See figures 1 and 2 in sections 6.1 and 6.2 below.

5.20. What about the new carpet in the Guild Room that was donated by a

parishioner?

5.20.1. As far as the carpet goes, perhaps we can consult with the family that donated the funds

for the carpet and explain the situation and ask for their opinion.

5.20.2. My guess is that the major problem with the carpet will not be so much dirt from shoes,

which can be shampooed-out, but spilled coffee. To prevent spilling coffee the best

solution may be to have sufficient coffee tables so that everyone can put their coffee on a

table and not on the carpet or balancing it on their lap. Please see figures 1 and 2 for

proposed position of couches and coffee tables during and after WC operations.

5.20.3. Besides, even with coffee tables, we need a procedure to deal with a coffee spill so that

a permanent stain does not develop. A periodic rug-shampooing may be part of the

needed maintenance of the rug regardless of whether or not a Women’s Center happens

or not.

5.20.4. My best guess is that the greatest potential for soiling the rug happens during the

regular coffee hour or any other meetings than from a possible Women’s Center.



5.21. Just feeling good about something is not a reason to devote other people’s

resources to something

5.21.1. Please refer to the document “From Liberalism to Liberation: A Proposal for Change to

the Future Church” by the Liberation Study Group of Rochester, New York.

5.21.2. This is precisely the reason for adopting a Liberation Theology framework rather than a

Liberal one. To quickly summarize, the “feel good” aspect of traditional liberal progressive

social action comes from the benefactors identifying themselves with the role of Jesus,

whereas in Liberation Theology it is encouraged that the poor and charity recipients be

identified with the role of Jesus. Thus in a LT-oriented community, it is the poor that

become the subjects rather than the objects of the process and it is THEIR good that is

primary.

5.21.3. In particular, in a women’s center or a drop-in center in general, there are no goods or

services being provided whose process inherently objectivizes the poor as part of

efficiency and process rationalization.

5.21.4. The success of the proposed WC hinges on it becoming an “Overlap-Community” that is

an intentional space that is an alternative to the Inside the church/ Outside the church

boundary that currently exists between the parishioners of Christ Church and its

immediate neighbors. This “Overlap-Community” will be a mix of interested parishioners

and other interested parties and the local poor. To be successful the local poor must be

equal partners with the parishioners, otherwise it will fail. This is because the potential

patrons will not come if it is not in their interest – if it does not make them happy; there

are no material products or services being provided for which they will suffer being

patronized to as a price.

5.21.5. By minimizing the importance of managerial positions we privilege the happiness of the

patrons over that of the hierarchy in support of the mission.

5.22. What do the patrons look like? Age? How many, mental health issues, and are

there kids involved?

5.22.1. The exiting female guests at AM&M are the best indication of the demographics of the

prospective patrons to the WC. Please come to a [A]M&M diner event if you wish to get a

feel for this. Carlos, as AM&M representative, may have statistic on hand.

5.22.2. We should only deny admittance to individuals who exhibit verbal or physical

abusiveness or otherwise are undesirable to existing WC patrons. We should not deny

admittance to women with children, but rather try to gather necessary items as the needs

reveal themselves.



5.23. Why would the women be better served here as opposed to an already

functioning facility?

5.23.1. There are no facilities or programs available on Sunday afternoons. Christ Church is

ideally situated physically to serve the immediate area of BWS, Cadillac, Manhattan Park

Apartments, YWCA, etc. as was the intent of the original AM&M vision.

5.23.2. There used to be a drop-in center (for both men and women) on Sunday afternoons at

Dimitri House, but that closed down after St. Joe’s House got a wide-screen TV and began

showing ball games. The latter appealed primarily to the men, and the associated closing

of Dimitri House left no facilities for women.

5.23.3. Bethany House is closed to the public on weekends – only residents are allowed there at

those times (it is open to non-residents on Tues. and Thurs.). Bethany House is located 2.5

miles due north from Christ Church.

5.24. What about training?

5.24.1. As far as training goes, I understand that the diocese mandates "Safe Church" training

for some positions. My understanding is that although this training is trying to address a

certain issue, it may in fact not be as directly useful in training people for a Women’s

Center. There may be other forms of training that are available either in addition to, or in

instead of, “Safe Church”- with the approval of the Diocese.

5.24.2. The most directly applicable training, according to both Sr. Margie Henninger and Grace

Doud of Dimitri House, is to both have a staff person from Dimitri House come and

describe the situation to and answer questions from prospective WC volunteers, and then

to have prospective volunteers spend some time volunteering at Dimitri House, or the

ABW shelter.

5.24.3. We should consult with someone who can show us how to get a diocesan or other grant

specifically targeted to cover costs of training for a Women’s Center.

5.24.4. The Women’s Center may be a great opportunity to provide training or internships to

social work students from Nazareth College or other universities.



5.25. This proposal makes me very uncomfortable. It threatens to change the

makeup of the congregation. I’m used to seeing people in the pews and at coffee

hour that remind me of my relatives and who I would be comfortable having at my

house. If this proposal gets implemented then this will no longer be true.

5.25.1. This concern may actually be the congregation's main reservation towards a Women's

Center or other such outreach. It may be the main unstated anxiety that is behind most of

the questions that seems to be on the surface concerned with operational details. As such

it is this question that may be the main stumbling block to the implementation of a

Women’s Center at CC.

5.25.2. There seems to be a presumption that if a Women's Center happens Sundays from 2:30

(or so) to 5:00pm, that this will somehow dramatically alter the 11am or 8 am service -

that somehow the familiar faces will be gone replaced by a congregation that resembles

an inner city mission church. Why this fear about the Women's Center if this hasn't already

happened because of AM&M? It seems rational that rather than waiting outside for

AM&M, that the AM&M patrons instead would come to the 11am service, then go to

coffee hour and then following that to immediately go to AM&M. However only about 2 or

3 AM&M customers have taken this route. [Some of the former AM&M patrons who have

done this have ended up serving as acolytes and crucifers in the chancel during the

service.] That being the case, it doesn’t seem reasonable to presume that the addition of a

Women’s Center well after the AM&M program, especially since it consists of much fewer

potential patrons then the AM&M patrons, would have ANY effect on the 11am Sunday

service, much less the 8am service.



6. Appendix A – Diagrams

6.1. Figure 1 – Guild Room during Women’s Center Operations

Figure 1 Guild room during WC

6.2. Figure 2 – Guild Room After Women’s Center Operations

Figure 2 Guild Room after WC



6.3. Figure 3 – Women’s Center Physical Layout – Entrance and Security

Figure 3 WC Physical Layout

Theodore W. Lechman

Rochester, NY

May 2014

Documents

White Paper - Proposal for a Womens Center at Christ Church Rochester Rev 3.01