Focus Groups have BEGUN!!!

Hey everyone,

Well this will be a fairly short email at least compared to the others.

Devotion was led by Liv Larsen Andrews and quoted passages from Luke 16 and used the analogy of the great chasm between Heaven and Hell to compare this with the gap between rich and poor and how SALT has given her hope and hopefully others the belief that this gap can be bridged.

Kathy from United Way presented a certificate for the excellent work done by VU students at the annual Day of Caring (4th year). This marked the first year VU students participated and this will become an annual event for SALT and the campus to get involved in each year from the magnificent display of hard work and turnout.
---She also mentioned that every 3 years, the United Way unveils a county needs-assessment and this will be occuring on October 18th at the Porter County Expo and she hopes someone from SALT can act as a representative, contact her at Kathyb@unitedway.org for more information.

Katie Martin

Gave a brief overview of why SALT takes the issue of immigration so seriously through three main topics:

LIRS = Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Dream Act = bill since 2001 that continues to be tabled
--encompassed within the bill is that any immigrant youth that reached the United States 5 years ago or before that at the age of 15 or younger would be given 6 years residency (as long as their record was clear)
--then during this 6 years they must devote 2 years towards further education or military service and then after the 6 years they would be granted permanent residency...which is actually what Pastor Jim is from "OH Canada"--just a little fact I thought I'd throw in there

The final topic is advocacy which is the hope to seek structural reform by voicing our opinions through letters, meetings, etc

Email Katie.Martin@valpo.edu if you are interested in more information about any of these

The main thrust of the meeting was devoted to breaking up into the Focus Groups:
which have the main topics of:
1) Medical Related
2) Environmental
3) Poverty
4) Human Rights

*We really need to think of more creative names for these!!!*

Enjoy the one-on-ones with your focus groupmates and bring back a lot of the great ideas to next week's meeting so the focus groups can get rolling....

Finally the big event for the weekend is CROP WALK.
Location: Chapel
Time : 12:30

EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP AND STILL WANT TO WALK TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE COME ON OUT!!

There is still plenty of time to get more donations and can register online at www.cropwalkonline.org
email Mallory.Dignin@valpo.edu for more information or any questions

Thanks everyone,

Jeff Field

Theology of Social Justice

Hey everyone,

Another fun-filled meeting and I really can't believe how much we fit in
during one hour. The devotion was lead off by Anna Smith and focused on
enjoying our work and took references from Romans 12:3-6.

Thank you to all those that came out to help with the Day of Caring, it
was HUGE SUCCESS AND A GREAT TIME!!!!

The meeting consisted of hearing from three different prominent figures
on this campus, Pastor Jim, Professor Jamie Skillen and a new professor
Justin Pocher (hopefully that is spelled right).

To sum things up, there were two main foci of the theology of social
justice. 1) find your role that you can play in making a difference and
2) be able to start conversation on pressing issues and talking with
other religions/denominations, etc about issues that face humanity as a
whole

Lutheran Perspective:
--God justifies sinners through grace by faith
--There are two kingdoms, a right and left
In regards to the right, God is revealed through Jesus Christ and
with his sacrifice and our continued sacraments express our unity as
Christians. If we share with Christ at the communion table, we should
naturally express unity in all other aspects by sharing with all.

In regards to the left kingdom, God's role is sustaining creation and
remains hidden from the world and uses masks. Those masks are "us" and
God allows us to work together to sustain creation by working through
us.

Reformed Tradition: God's Sovereignty--Authority over the World
Creation>Fall>Redemption
--God's Grace is for all Creation and keeps sin in check
---Jesus conquers sin/death = provides hope (particular grace)
--particular and common grace find common root in God

Catholics- Society = organic whole
--Rerum Novarura- 1891 -- system of mutual obligation, started the whole
idea of social justice in terms of a common word in society
--started some of the things that we have still in system
today....minimum wage, private property, worker's rights

the whole idea for Catholics is establishing Social Order

Kind of hard to put three different lessons into an email, but there is
a summary and hopefully most of you were able to attend the meeting

AT THE END OF THE MEETING WE VOTED ON THE FOCUS GROUPS FOR THIS YEAR AND
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!! If you couldn't tell by the capital letters
I will send out an email on Monday to give you the four groups that were
decided so we can all come prepared to the meeting on Tuesday.

Finally something I will do with all of these emails is to always put at
the end the contacts of people and what events are coming up, so
fast-forward to these if you were at the meeting.

Shake, Shake, Shake it up!
The first SALT Shaker is in the works – if you're interested in writing
an article or being a part of the work to put together our social
justice newsletter, contact: Alan.Holderhead@valpo.edu

Eco-Hood
Willing to take a pledge to be more environmentally friendly this year?
Contact Mallory.Dignin@valpo.edu

WRC Applications are out!
Know a great organization that could use $10,000 to do some good? Pick
up a World Relief Campaign Application and pass it on!
Contact: Tezra.Jennings@valpo.edu

Doctors Without Borders Refugee Camp – 9/19-9/23, Grant Park, Chicago
What would it be like to live in a refugee camp, to be fleeing for your
life and to find yourselves stuck in a new place with thousands of other
refugees? Wednesday-Sunday – Doctors w/o Borders will be setting up a
refugee camp. Interested in checking it out, e-mail:
Rebekah.Schmerber@valpo.edu
Or check out, for more info:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/education/refugeecamp/chicago/

Also if you are looking for a bigger role in Salt and becoming a leader
of certain projects, contact Libbi.Bartelt@valpo.edu and here are some
of the opportunities

• Yoplait Lids – For the past few years Yoplait has had a program
where they donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen for a Cure – Fight
against Breast Cancer - for every yogurt lid that is sent back for up to 1.5 milion dollars. Needed: someone to make fliers, put up
plastic bins in the cafeterias, and then collect and send them off
periodically through December.

• Trick for Papergoods – Homeless shelters and food pantries often
get donations of canned goods and non-perishable items, but they often
run out of things like toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, and feminine
products. A couple of years ago a few students decided to change this
and go trick-or-treating for papergoods. Needed: someone willing to help
people by dressing
up and asking people for TP on Halloween, and
advertise and organize the evening!

• Fair Trade Fair – Do you love your Grinders fair trade coffee?
Passionate about being a conscious consumer and interested in how our
market makes it harder for millions to live, especially in third world
countries? Needed : Grab a friend or two to lead the 3rd Annual Fair
Trade Fair sponsored by SALT (perhaps in early November?)!

• Peace & Social Justice Symposium – Are you stoked about social
justice and eager to learn about reconciliation? Needed: Someone willing
to serve on the PSJ Symp. committee (meetings once a month) and help
organize this year's event [mark your calendars – Nov 9 & 10]!

Thanks everyone for the continued attendance and keep getting the word
out to others.

Jeff Field

Great First Meeting!!!!

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the excellent turn out for the first meeting of the year and we hope to have as many or more each week. If you were unable to make the meeting here is a general view of the topics covered.

James led with an excellent devotion focusing on the second word in the acronym of S.A.L.T- ACTION. He drew upon different scriptures to show God's belief in us to do great acts and be the current disciples in today's world. If you would like to look at these scriptures, Mark 2:23, 1 Chronicles 11 and John 14.

Then Hannah and a wonderful video prepared by returning SALT members discussing what SALT actually is and the basic way to describe it is putting our Passions into Action.

An important part of establishing a community capable of creating action in the local Valpo community, the region, the nation and the world the group must be one cohesive unit. This is hopefully achieved by the process known as 1-on-1's. Hopefully everyone that was at the meeting can accomplish a great 1-on-1 in this following week. Hopefully gaining insight to why people want to participate in SALT and what passions they have to help change the lives of others for the better.

The next topic was to discuss some of the past activities that SALT has participated in:

-a lot of direct community volunteering, including a great opportunity coming up already on September 15th which is titled the Day of Caring and if you have this Saturday free and want to help a women's shelter repair some blinds, doors, painting, etc and get to know women that have had past abuse and for the ladies give some manicures/pedicures please email Hannah.Cartwright@valpo.edu.

-H20- hydration 2 others was a project last year that focused on water quantity issues around the world and water scarcity for almost 1 billion people

-World Relief Campaign-- is the annual large project that takes all of our smaller passions and puts them towards one large endeavor to raise $10,000 towards a self-sustaining project either domestically or abroad.

-Another event already in the planner is the Crop Walk, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 30th at 1pm--more details about location but will be on campus or very near it.
--the Crop Walk is a national event that raises awareness and funds towards relieving World hunger
--852 million people are currently hungry around the world
--every 5 seconds a child dies from hunger are just a few facts
--A crucial part of the Crop Walk is that 25% of the donations stay in Porter County, while the other 75% goes to multiple countries that the Christian World Services works with (about 80 countries)

In order to make this event a huge success word needs to be spread on the campus community and also the Valparaiso Community. Some of the ways brainstormed included:
--a facebook event, entertainment at the event, raise $25 and get a free t-shirt (already part of the event), corn on the cob at the end?, fast before>feast afterwards, competitions during the event (corn shuck?, hunger awareness meal, walk through corn field, signs, chalking, torch article, other organizations spread the word, sports teams involved and please think of more for next meeting and be ready to start implementing some of these.

Finally some of the other events already planned and people to contact if interested include:

-- the Salt Shaker, find one and read (bright green title), and if interested in writing please talk with Alan.Holderread@valpo.edu

--social justice books are available to borrow if this topic really turns you on, which I hope it already does because you are interested in SALT

--volunteering at Gloria Dei, a tutoring opportunity to work with kids in an hispanic neighborhood working on different subjects but mainly spanish....contact katpeters2@gmail.com

--Eco-hood, a sustainable living pledge for the school year and hopefully to create habits for the future, creating awareness about efficiency, simplicity, sustainability and any other things that end with a Y...contact Mallory.Dignin@valpo.edu for more information

--Partners 4 Peace is conducting a March for Peace at the upcoming Popcorn Festival on Sept. 8th..if interested in participating please contact Holly.Nelson@valpo.edu...glad to have anyone come out support peace in Iraq

Swooh, I think that is it for the events and as you can tell already a ton of things going on.

Until next week here are some things to think about...
What are your passions and what would you like to be seen done in SALT this year as we will be creating a HUGE list!!!!
Also think about what needs does the Valparaiso community need to have tackled and what can SALT do to help with those needs

Thanks everyone,

Over and out---Jeff Field

The Valparaiso Community!!!!

Hey everyone,

If you are reading this, then you must have been able to make it through my first email and enjoyed it so much that you just couldn't wait for the next one, so here it goes....

Also if you went to the meeting and just want some of the information from websites, etc; this will be located at the end of the email.

Yet again, James ushered a fantastic devotion that had a perfect SEGUE (pronounced segway) into the focus of tonight's meeting. The role of Valparaiso University with the community of Valparaiso and how this needs to be a two-way road in order to be successful in tackling the challenges of social justice in this region.

I'm going to try and keep these as short as possible but as you all know a SALT meeting just has so much information to share.

Members of SALT, Pastor Jim and Cat Peters (VU alumni, class of 2006) shared some valuable information about the city of Valparaiso.

Pastor Jim shared about the history
-late European settlement in relative terms to the rest of the region as this area was formerly surrounded by marsh/wetland areas to the south in the Kankakee region and to the north the dunes. Land was mainly settled by Native Americans and actually all of the highways in place (30, 6, 12, and 20) are all old Indian trails. The industrial revolution helped the region grow with large steel mills, and what continues to be the largest oil refinery in the United States in Whiting, IN. As these economies lost economic prowess, the minimum wage workers, mostly minority groups of African-American or Black descent and Latino/Hispanic inhabited certain regions and whites inhabited others. This started the racial segregation still present today in Lake and Porter County.

-Porter County is mainly inhabited by whites, but the hispanic/latino population continues to grow recently...reported around 40% in the past 6 years.
-Lake County also has a majority of whites, but the African American or black population contributes a substantial amount of about 25%
-Even though diversity continues to grow, regional diversity is masked by continued segregation with about 80% of African-Americans living in Gary and almost 90% of Hispanics live in the East Chicago/Hammond area.

Job Opportunities in terms of ranking of number of jobs offered by different organizations go as follows, 1) Porter Memorial Hospital, 2) VU, 4) Valparaiso Public Schools, 5) Walmart

Racism still plays a prominent role in our society even though we tend to believe it has been placed in the past. Valparaiso is no different both in the community and on the campus. A recent article about a VU professor at the Law School moved from the area after her children, one of which was in high school, felt they weren't safe in this area from racial persecution. Something to think about as you walk around this campus and this community....

Even though a lot of the problems that we wish to resolve in our world seem to be insurmountable there are a lot of good people in this world that are doing great things including many organizations in our backyard...
--the Christian Community Action group works to solve homelessness, healthcare...the Spring Valley Shelter
--NWI Coalition for Peace-- peace in Iraq and has worked with Partners 4 Peace
--Project Neighbors- founded to address the needs of the Valparaiso Community, works especially in the Hilltop Neighborhood and focuses on sustainability of the local area
--United Way- funding over 30 different organizations; works as the umbrella or overseer to help smaller organizations
--NWI literacy- basic skills, reading, writing English as a second language

Cat Peters closed everything by stating the 4 traditions of action
1) Relief
2) Improvement of the Situation
3) Justice
4) *Civic Engagement---focusing on this 4th tradition as the idea that the local community members want to have a voice and that a dialogue must be struck by both sides to find out the true problem and possibly the more sustaining answer for the future

After talking about Valpo we channeled all of this energy to develop our passions list which we will be narrowing next week and I hope everyone can be there next week as it will be very important to start focusing our passions!!!!

Ok that was it for the meeting, but here is some more information about things to get involved in and who to contact.

Crop Walk--- Mallory.Dignin@valpo.edu
online donations can be used by going to www.cropwalkonline.org

If you are interested in sharing your transition to college and sharing this wisdom with college bound seniors, please contact Laurie.Snell@valpo.edu
--this will take place Wednesday, September 19th, from 6:45 a.m-11a.m. If you are worried about classes, the Professional Educators Partnership who is in charge of this service project will contact your professor about the reason you will be missing their class.

Also there are some open spots for the Day of Caring this Saturday, where some general housework (painting, yardwork, etc) will take place.
--For more info contact Hannah.Cartwright@valpo.edu

Swooh,
That's all folks

Jeff Field