Page 21 - C.A.L.L. #37 - Winter 2013/2014
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Cherith Brook – Catholic Worker Community, USA
By Jill Wendholt Silva
The Kansas City Star - Jun 8, 2013
most of the members are not Catholic.
Bees buzz in a cloud overhead while 40 Nor does the group advertise its mission
heirloom-breed barred Rock and white or post a sign on its door. Like their
Brahma chickens scratch for food or lay mentor who advocated Christian values,
eggs. Vegetables grow in the neatly peaceful protest and started a movement
terraced front yard, and 26 fruit trees of communal living outposts during the
are grouped around the back and side Great Depression, members prefer to let
yard. their relationships grow organically.
The grounds around the turn-of-the- “It’s mostly word of mouth,” Pickrell
20th-century, rust-red brick home and a says. “Most folks who need us know about
former hardware store at 3308 E. 12th us.”
St. support an intentional community of
seven adults and two teenagers. The When it comes to providing for others,
house members are part of the Catholic the community members say they have
Worker movement, a global community learned not to sweat the math. A
started by journalist/activist Dorothy signature egg bake, a heaping square of
Day. The goals of the movement include sauteed vegetables fresh from the
addressing an unjust food system and garden and bacon donated by a friend, is
the violence of living on the streets by one way they have learned to stretch
offering hospitality to the poor and meals far enough to feed whoever
downtrodden. happens to show up.
Cooking for large groups and constant “It’s pretty beautiful (that) there’s just
rounds of laundry are just part of daily always enough,” Rozga says.
life at Cherith Brook. Four mornings a
week, the group invites 40 to 50 The group also takes pride in recycling.
homeless guests into its home for Members bike to a local grocery store to
breakfast, and about half of those stay pick up recently expired food, which
for a hot shower and a change of clean allows them to keep their grocery bill at
clothes. On Thursday nights they cook a about $400 a month. They compost most
community dinner for 50 and retire to of their food scraps, placing only two
the porch for a hootenanny. trash bags out on the curb each week. A
rain catchment system stores up to 1,500
“Hospitality is a big part of what we do,” gallons of water to water the gardens,
says community member Nick Pickrell, enough even in last summer’s drought. A
who has lived at the home for nearly five grant they received for the installation
years. “Because of a sharing, we have an of solar roof panels covers 65 percent of
abundance.” their electricity needs, while a wood-
burning stove provides additional heat in
The low-key, decentralized lifestyle does the winter.
not represent a specific church, and
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