April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
SCHENECTADY MINISTRY
Drop-in center serves Hamilton Hill residents
For Sisters Linda Neil and Ann Christi Brink, CSJ, the Holy Father's words ring close to home. Last September, the pair opened St. Joseph's Place in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood of Schenectady, where poverty, drug abuse and street violence are far from uncommon.
The drop-in center is a mission of St. Joseph's parish in Schenectady, created in the wake of Rev. Michael Hogan's death in August 2014. Father Hogan, a Schenectady pastor for decades, was a long-time advocate for the residents of Hamilton Hill. A picture of Father Hogan hanging on the wall at St. Joseph's Place remembers his "passionate care for all of God's children in need."
A year after its inception, the center has become a spiritual presence for the people of the neighborhood. "We try to be hospitable to all," said Sister Linda.
"It's really nice here," remarked regular guest Quainen King during a recent weekday visit, sipping coffee and joking with the sisters and fellow visitors. Native American music played quietly in the background. "They actually do help out here in the community -- just call on one of the sisters!"
When the center was still in the planning stages, the sisters visited social service agencies to examine the needs of the area. Sister Ann Christi found that what was really needed was a place to "just hang out."
"It's just about acknowledging people," said volunteer Sister Peggy Howerburger, CSJ. That's what the sisters do at St. Joseph's Place. A sign featuring a smiling St. Joseph, sleeves rolled up and carpentry tools in hand, welcomes visitors. Smaller posters on the center's plate-glass window announce parish festas, food pantries and a prayer group for victims of violence.
If guests are in need of a service that the sisters aren't equipped to handle, they refer people to the appropriate office or agency.
"We have a resource book we put together," said Sister Linda.
The center is located in an old building that once housed the traffic division of the Schenectady police. The two sisters made the former sergeant's office into a chapel, noting the irony of the "boss watching over his officers." The main room has a table, chairs and snacks.
When new people come to the center, they are often cautious. Sister Linda noted that, at first, neighborhood residents would simply stand in the doorway. Slowly, people began to come inside to get coffee, eventually sitting down and talking with the sisters. The center now welcomes between 20 and 30 people a day.
"I was drawn into here," said Thaddieus Marcus Rouse, who has been to St. Joseph's Place a handful of times. "You get treated like a real person. You can see it in their eyes that they're not lying."
Others who visit echo Mr. Rouse's request to be treated with respect and dignity. "We are trying to see the needs of our people and to act towards those needs," said Sister Ann Christi.
Ms. King noted that people with drug problems tend to stay away from St. Joseph's Place. Area residents "are very protective of us," Sister Ann Christi said.
Volunteers do take safety precautions: The building has an alarm system and there are always at least two people working. "The main security here, though, is the people who say, 'Don't mess with the sisters,'" said Sister Linda.
Working at the center has caused Sister Linda to question what she called "my white middle-class mindset."
It "has really increased my love for religious life," Sister Ann Christi added.
The sisters hope to start a bereavement group. "One of our guests came in and her son had been killed on the street," said Sister Linda -- a tragedy the sisters say happens too frequently in the area.
Many guests arrive wanting to just talk or "get a prayer," said Sister Linda. "The people here really have great faith."[[In-content Ad]]
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