Food Trends

Have you heard about Generation YUM? They are a large subset of Millennials or Generation Y. Those who were born between the early 80’s and the early 2000’s. In a recent interview on the AGENDA, host Steve Paikin spoke with author, Eve Turow Paul, a free-lance food, travel and culture writer. Her new e-book, “A Taste of Generation YUM” has just been released. The author admitted that it was her own curiosity which prompted her research into the reasons behind the changing relationships of Millennials with food. In her search for answers, she interviewed many of her peers and numerous food leaders. Her findings supported her initial observations that significant numbers of Generation Y are truly obsessed with all things food. ‘Foodies’ par excellence, she labeled Generation Y also as Generation YUM.

Rachel Greenburger, in her review of “A Taste of Generation YUM,” highlights, “Plenty has been written on Millennials, but not much on their relationships to food and certainly not what underpins it.” One point that I found particularly intriguing about Generation YUM, those who have grown up in a highly technological sphere, was the convergence of their obsession with food. Although Millennials are overly connected in the digital space, it appears they long for the connection and grounding that food offers. Food is their anti-technological antidote for what’s missing in their digitized lives. Food is their source of sensory stimulation beyond their eyes and fingertips. It provides real time face-to-face connection, a source of peer identity and a sense of control. To learn more about Eve Turow Paul’s findings, access the 15 minute interview between Steve and Eve at https://youtu.be/yzg0kPavj-Al. It’s well worth your time.

What might your own food choices indicate about your own relationship with food?

Nancy Wales, CSJ
on behalf of the Federation Ecology Committee

Bright Futures . . . Bright Youth

In 2002, the Sisters of St. Joseph began exploring how to use money given as a bequest for some initiatives around child poverty. We met with the Executive Director of the London Children’s Aid Society who shared with us that youth between 17--19 in CAS care suddenly found themselves with very few resources to continue any future education ideas. What we know from research data is that education is the best predictor of moving out of poverty not to mention moving out of despair.

As a result of that meeting, a fund was established at CAS to provide generous bursaries for youth. In time this became known as the Bright Futures initiative with many donors contributing. The bursaries are available to the recipient over the course of their years of education. Some of the course chosen are at hair dressing schools, community colleges, universities. We heard that some of the youth were the first in their family to move beyond secondary school education.

The celebration of 28 youth last night was profound, funny, moving and inspiring.  Either the CAS worker or the foster parent spoke about the young adult who was receiving the award. We heard non-stop stories of resiliency, courage and survival through tough times. Mostly, when you go right to the heart of the matter, we heard stories of love that are opening up new possibilities.

A collective community energy and emphasis on relationship is creating a brighter future for all of us.

Margo Ritchie CSJ

National Aboriginal Day

As I begin to write this blog, I find it is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since I stood chatting with former National Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (1985-1991), George Erasmas, in the staff room of St. Patrick’s High School in Yellowknife. Our conversation centred around the upcoming initial celebration of National Aboriginal Day. Rather a bit naive but none the less curious I questioned him as to the choice of June 21^st. He gently provided me its background. The 21 June was chosen for many reasons-including its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Aboriginal groups traditionally celebrate their heritage.

National Aboriginal Day was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, National Aboriginal Day was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups including more formally in 1995, within the recommendations of Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

The Northwest Territories is the first and only jurisdiction in Canada that recognizes National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday. The National Aboriginal Day Act, was passed by the 14th Assembly in November 2001. Events are organized across the country and in NWT communities to showcasing the Aboriginal culture through drum dances, traditional games, traditional foods, music and artwork.

Check local media sources or the Internet for events in your local area.

What Amazing TV!

Closely aligned with the spirit of National Aboriginal Day celebrations are the Indspire Awards televised on APTN or Global TV at 7:30 PM EDT on Friday, June 24^th. I encourage you to set time aside to tune in. As past award nights have shown you will certainly experience an evening of culture and celebration surrounding the stories of fourteen outstanding Indigenous achievers are told.

The Indspire website summarizes the evening as: “Each year 14 recipients are recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in various disciplines ranging from health, law, political science, culture, arts, and others, two of which are specific recognition to one outstanding youth achiever and one lifetime achievement recipient. The awards are recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the highest honours the community can bestow upon its own achievers.”

Indspire Awards

APTN or Global TV at 7:30 PM EDT on Friday, June 24^th

Nancy Wales CSJ

The Solutions Lab

London’s first Solutions Lab took place at Brescia University College on May 31 and June 1, 2016 with a group of ninety participants and facilitators. Earlier this year Chris Moss, one of sixty persons from forty countries had been immersed in a prototyping workshop for two weeks at MIT in Boston to develop her skills helping people to use “Theory U” to bring about significant change in organizations, governments, and groups of people. For the past two years Otto Scharmer and his Team at MIT had led an open on-line course with thousands of registrants from around the world. The Solutions Lab provided an opportunity for groups from eleven different entities in London to use concepts of “Theory U” to create solutions to challenging issues.

I joined the Coordinator and two volunteers from Our Sisters’ Place in London, who with guidance from the presenter, Chris Moss, and our competent facilitator, Lina Bowden, reflected on the goals and operations of the jewelry making program at Our Sisters’ Place in which women develop their capacities to become confident members of society as they learn how to transform discarded or donated jewelry into marketable new creations. Otto Scharmer, the author of “Theory U”, describes the disconnects in our modern world, the great divides in our ecological, social, and spiritual-culture realms which have led us into creating “results which nobody wants”.  Yet there is an inner shift in which many leaders are sensing and making present future possibilities.  In the Solutions Lab at Brescia, participants practiced listening at deeper levels in the process of creating prototypes—transformative solutions to old problems.   We experienced the challenges of attending not only to what others were saying, but to the difficulties of becoming aware and letting go of the inner blocks which prevent us from listening with open minds, hearts, and spirits. I was in awe of the changes that took place in each member of our little group and of the creative solutions which none of us had envisaged would occur. The original goal of the group focused more on helping the clients to attain success in marketing their products and becoming financially independent. As the group listened more deeply, they became far more interested in helping the women they served to grow personally, achieving wholeness rather than material gain. The coordinator and volunteers became animated as they identified ways in which they would work together to implement their new vision for the jewelry making program.

The Solutions lab had been made possible through the support of several groups in London, including Pillar Non-Profit Network, City of London, Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada, London Heritage Foundation, Innovation Works, Ontario Trillium Foundation, London Life, London Arts Council, and Brescia University College.  If you visit U-Lab on your website, you can find a huge number of sites around the world who are using Theory U to make present an emerging future that all of us want.

Pat McKeon CSJ

A Visitor at the Table of the Lord

Ruthann Fisher, a pastoral associate in Kitchener, used an unpaid leave of absence and a bursary award from the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada to participate in a “ministry to ministers” program at the School of Theology in San Antonio. Near the end of her sabbatical, she went to a structure on the campus which depicts the last supper and sat at this huge marble table surrounded by twelve chairs, one of them occupied by a statue of Jesus breaking bread. While Ruthann was reflecting and writing, a man she had passed sleeping on a bench an hour earlier joined her as she sat at this table of the Lord. Ruthann recounts their conversation.  

Visitor:  “Are you writing?”

Ruthann: “Yes. Would you like to sit down? I can go if you want?”

V: “No.  Stay.”

R: “Would you like the apple?” (One had been placed on the plate in front of Jesus.)

V: “Yours?”

R: “No. I did not put it there, but I am sure Jesus would not mind if you ate it.” 

     (He smiled then and sat beside Jesus, looking at me.)

V: “God is for you and for me.”

R: “Yes.”

V: “Jesus waits for us in the Kingdom.”

R: “Yes, he does.”

V: “You are a beautiful daughter of God.”

R: “Thank you.”

V: “We are all part of God, this beautiful place, everyone, every creature.”

R: “Yes.”

V: “You live here?”

R: “For a few months.”

V: “I like it here very much. Jesus gives us food and water without hands, with no feet, with just . . . .”  (He pointed at his chest and I say “heart”. He replied in Spanish a word I was not sure of and so I said “Soul?”)

V: “Yes, Jesus waits for our soul. What do you write?”

R: “I write for people like you and like me who work for Jesus. Like all of us. He gives us food and water.”

V “You listen.”

R: “I listen to Jesus; then I write.”

V: “You have the word.” (I asked him where he was from and he said Guadalajara (a location in Mexico). I told him I hoped his family was OK after the hurricane.)

V: “Jesus saved the poor people from the hurricane. The wind died before it came to the poor people. Jesus gave us his mother when he was on the cross. ‘This is your mother.’”

R: “She is the mother of us all.”

V: “We are in heaven here.”

R: “I believe we are in a bit of heaven here.”

V: “You are nice. You listen.” (He jumped up and began to run away, calling to me: “God bless you.” He was very happy when he left. I called after him: “God bless you too.” I think I had a visit with God today.)

Ruthann continued. So this then was my Sabbatical. I am still trying to keep hold of all I have learned about holistic living and taking care of my body, mind, and spirit for all the work that I do for and with God. This is still a challenge to balance my time, with the parish demands as well as my home life where I care for a 92 year old mom and a disabled sister. I am and was so very grateful that I was able to take the break I needed for me.

Guest Blogger: Ruthann Fisher