Thursday, November 10, 2011

Hunger and Homelessness Mass / SOA Sending Rite, with J.C. Orton






J.C. Orton will be speaking at our 7PM Mass, on Sunday, November 13.



J.C. Orton reaches out to the hungry, homeless, and marginalized, through the Dorothy Day House and Nights on the Streets, in Berkeley. In 2009, he won the Jefferson Award for Public Service. With the help of volunteers, he has served over 100,000 meals to the homeless since 1997. J.C. has also protested against violence and torture, such as at the SOA Watch and Ft. Huachuca.




J.C. will have more information about getting involved this Sunday! To learn more about the Catholic Worker in Berkeley and ways to get involved, please read on:


The two Catholic Worker Houses in Berkeley, Dorothy Day House and Night on the Streets, provide hospitality every day of the year for our family of homeless and poor.

Breakfast for 100-225 every morning of the year in three different locations.

Monday – Saturday breakfast is prepared @ 1932 Center Street starting at 6:30AM. It is then transported to 2362 Bancroft Way at 8:00 where it is served. Remnants and dirty pots/pans are returned to Center St. where clean up is done. Contact Richard Webber @ 781-985-0981 to sign up.

Sunday breakfast is prepared at 1630 Berkeley Way starting at 6AM. It is then transported to People’s Park where 40-60 are served. At 8:10, the meal is moved to Center Street between Milvia & MLK jr. Way and an additional 60-100 are served. This meal is served al fresco, with tents to provide shelter for the serving line when necessary. After the meal is served, there is always time to make it to the 9:30 Mass on time. Contact
J C Orton @ 510-684-1892 to sign up.

Dinner for 50 served at the Men’s shelter on Center St. every night.

Groups are need to purchase, prepare and serve meals for 50 men at the Men’s Shelter at 1932 Center St. every night of the year. Contact Richard Webber @ 781-985-0981 for more information. The need is especially great for those times when school is on break and during summer vacation….

Holiday dinners for 150-250 five times a year at the Newman Hall Parking lot.

On MLK Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day meal is served from 4-5PM. Servers are needed to serve this meal. Help with meal preparation earlier in the day at 1630 Berkeley Way is always helpful as well as clean up of the pots/pans used for the meal. Contact J C Orton @ 510-684-1892 to sign up.

Hot soup served thrice weekly on Shattuck Ave. & the Telegraph area each winter from Thanksgiving until Easter.

This effort began in 1997 as an extension of a Loaves & Fishes outreach effort. In addition to the food, we distribute sleeping bags, heavy ponchos, blankets and clothing to the homeless living on the streets.

Soup (10 gallons) is prepared earlier in the day by various groups and individuals (we need help with this). We depart at 7:PM on a fixed route through Berkeley stopping many times along the way to extend hospitality every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. We need drivers, cooks, and agile workers able to provide this respite from the cold and wet nights to those most in need. Contact J C Orton @ 510-684-1892 to sign up.

A winter shelter for 50 located on Bancroft Way for our family of homeless folks.

The shelter at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 2300 Bancroft Way has been operated by the Catholic Worker for the past five winters. This shelter receives funding from the City of Berkeley provided to Dorothy Day House and has limited nights of availability. The shelter is open on those nights of inclement weather beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving through the Wednesday before Easter. Nightly opening times vary as well as the nights of operation as funding is limited.

We need people at opening time between 7-11 PM as well as closing time between 5:30 – 8AM to facilitate our efforts. Contact J C Orton @ 510-684-1892 to sign up.

Visitation of those in hospitals and mental wards throughout the area as well as
assistance with their return to independent living.

Daily direct contact with these “Ambassadors of God” extending and overextending ourselves to engage and genuinely love those considered by many as disposable and a burden to society. Please join us in our efforts.

J. C. Orton, Coordinator
P O Box 13468
Berkeley, Ca 94712

1630 Berkeley Way
Berkeley
510-684-1892
noscw@sbcglobal.net

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