It’s Like Asexual Reproduction

THIS IS AWESOME.

Bogged down sometimes in the avalanche of our world’s ugliness, it’s inspiring when people come together to help one another and serve those who have been historically and unjustly overlooked.

Who’s gotten together? A group of people here in the U.S. who’ve decided to MATCH all April donations toward Mission Year.

If you don’t know what Mission Year is check it out here. My wife and I began our journey last September, moving to Chicago to live and volunteer at various organizations in the inner-city. We live on donations alone, so you can understand, as we attempt to raise $24,000 (what the two of us live on; we get $33 a week for groceries), the importance of this MATCH idea.

How it works: You give $20, we get $40. Are we tracking? $20 from YOU, instantly becomes $40 for US. It’s like budding, how yeast and other organisms reproduce. Cells split and where one was, there is now two.

So if you want to give to an organization this month, or if you’ve thought about donating toward our year of service, April is the month to do it. Go here to donate now!

A few quick notes: It’s only through April (begins today) and it’s also only the first $31,000 raised. Which means the sooner you give, the better our chance of DOUBLING OUR MONEY.

Check out our blog if you’d like to hear about the things we’re learning and doing in Chicago’s West Garfield Park and North Lawndale communities.

Love Potion #’09!

this month is a season of materialism, commercialism, romanticism (and probably a few -isms I’m missing), which are all pretty contrary to the LOVE that valentine’s day is supposed to be about.

so this year, if you want to invest in some good, old-fashioned LOVIN’ check out Mission Year’s Annual Love Drive! this is a sweet (almost chocolatey) way to get involved with Allison and I as we seek to build and better community (as well as learn a whole heck of a lot about its very nature) in Chicago’s most underdeveloped neighborhoods.

Check it out here! https://www.missionyear.org/love/schulers

The sweetest deal of all? donate $50 or more and get a free t-shirt!

oh shoot, wait, doesn’t that promote materialism??? well, whatever — it wasn’t my idea. If you want to stick to the Man, donate $49 so you don’t get it. Or better yet, donate over $50 and then give the shirt to someone who needs it. That’s more in line with Valentine’s Day anyway.

Grace & Peace Always.

Map

The ex-Catholic cathedral on the corner is our map; its spire leads us home.
We say hello to those we pass, stopping a while to joke around with Zanay or chat with D, who both live on Washington like we do.
We met Wessie and her son the other day; she managed property and gardened, and he was a carpenter working on  Trump Tower.
T.Y. was very polite, if a bit incredulous.
I didn’t get to meet Birch, but I heard he was cool, just like all the gentlemen from the church, like Deacon Stewart and Brother John, who helped us get the yard mowed yesterday.
East of us is a long street of apartment buildings and beautiful houses; every few blocks one is boarded up.
We can turn north on Pulaski and find our local coffeehouse, run by Sherman, a good-natured guy who values community over everything.
If we go south, we have our Laundromat and Family Dollar.
East down Madison is Aldi, our grocery store, and anything else we need. Every other storefront has shoes on display. If we keep going that way we hit Garfield Park, a beautiful expanse of trees and grass, dipping low to meet the water of a small pond.
Walking west we see more people, some playing basketball, some just on their stoops. Jeremy’s house is across the street from the charter school by our church.
We are on the corner of Washington and Kildare.
Our house is beige brick, three floors including the basement, a huge yard. Inside we have brown carpet and cream-colored walls, which hold our sparse collection of art.
A skeleton climbs the Eiffel Tower.
Our whole living room cost about $70.