White Paper - Proposal For A Womens Center at Christ Church Rochester Rev 3.01

White Paper for a Womens 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 Mothers 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 More
1
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/


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 Womens 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 World
2
.
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


needs of indigent women in the immediate neighborhood of CC (described further below), the
drop-in center idea was further refined into a Womens Drop-in Center or Womens
Center.

2.13. Research: Over 220 of the authors man-hours have gone into establishing these
particular specifications to date for a Womens 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 BSs 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 Womens 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 womens life on the
streets and the particular risks they face and their fears. Her website is very instructive:
Arlene Hodge Photography
3

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 Josephs House, Paul Frazier of St. Joes 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 years 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. Pauls, and many others, plus advice from Ron
Vukman on insurance issues as well as Jean Pedersons 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 Womens 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 Womens

3
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 Womens 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. Womans Drop-In Center: The Proposed Plan

3.1. The following details of a proposed Womens 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 Womens 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 Womens 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, Christs 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 Womens 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 patrons 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 Womens 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 Womens 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. Wed 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 Womens Drop-In Center. Wed pay David Jencek (and possibly Rhondo Neri
or others) $10/hour to stay on for the womens 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. Womens 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 womens 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. Joes 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. Joes
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 Churchs 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. Ive had numerous discussions with Ron Vukman on insurance issues relating to projects
such as the Womens 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 Womens 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 Churchs insurance policy. Carlos is the best person to look into this.
5.6.4. But in general, Ron thinks that any further investigation isnt 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 dont 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
womens 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 Fears
4

4
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 Womens
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 Womens 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 womens 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 Womens Center are allowed access to the Guild Room (now the
Womens Center) by means of the doorway to the Guild Room that is located at the end of
the passageway that leads to the nearby womens restroom.
5.11.4. The greeters table is now reoriented so as to protect the entrance to the Womens
Restroom and the Guild Room entrance next to the womens 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 Womens Center and other
events, such as with birthday parties, is easily solved, by either delaying or cancelling
Womens Center operations on that particular day. This is an advantage of having the
Womens Center under Christ Church ownership rather than under a separate entity. As a
separate entity, the Womens Center would have a binding contract with Christ Church
and the Womens 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 Womens Center rather than a social hour, coffee hour or
activity hour?

5.13.1. This is functionally a womens 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
Womens Center rather than a Womens Drop-In Center is due to Rhonda Neris
suggestion: she suggested that the term drop-in center was demeaning and she was the
one who suggested the name Christ Church Womens 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. Pauls, 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
Womens 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. Pauls.

5.14.3. Although St. Pauls may have more resources than Christ Church, a Womens 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 Pauls would be as a source of volunteers to a Christ Church (or other) Womens Center.

5.14.4. A Christ Church Womens 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 Churchs immediate neighborhood.

5.14.5. St.Pauls, 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 Womens 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 Womens Center project.

5.14.6.3. Does Christ Church discern that it is to physically and pastorally host a Womens
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 Womens
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 Womens 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 Rectors 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 rectors
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 Womens Center was originally conceived as a pastoral supplement to the existing
A Meal and More Program. Its 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 Womens 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 Womens Center plan to interact with the participants to achieve
the desired outcomes?

5.17.1. From inception, the Womens 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 Womens 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 Womens Center with an initial core group of members:
Rhonda Neri, Shana Clark, and Sheree Williams. This initial core group would meet and
discuss what theyd 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 Im 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 Womens 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 Womens Center.


5.21. Just feeling good about something is not a reason to devote other peoples
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 womens 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. Joes 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 Womens
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 Womens Center.

5.24.4. The Womens 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. Im 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
Womens 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 doesnt seem reasonable to presume that the addition of a
Womens 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 Womens Center Operations

Figure 1 Guild room during WC

6.2. Figure 2 Guild Room After Womens Center Operations

Figure 2 Guild Room after WC



6.3. Figure 3 Womens Center Physical Layout Entrance and Security

Figure 3 WC Physical Layout

Theodore W. Lechman
Rochester, NY
May 2014

White Paper - Proposal For A Womens Center at Christ Church Rochester Rev 3.01

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