📚 Carrie's Cart: Every Day is Report Card Day

I grew up in a small town with one stoplight that is easily outshined by our community's sense of camaraderie. My mother was the school secretary, and she did NOT play about education. On report card day, to reach her desk, I waited in what felt like an infinite line to show her my grades because so many students were there for the same reason.

I may be one of her daughters, but she had many children.

In 2001, my mother lost her battle with cancer just a couple of months after my freshman year of high school. I learned so much about life during my few remarkable years with her. Two lessons in particular: 1) the importance of meeting people exactly where they are and 2) the ability to find beauty in the midst of adversity.

With this in mind...

In January, I celebrated my mother's birthday the best way I knew how: by honoring how she lived.

Named after the one who carried me and who cared for countless others in community, Carrie's Cart—a mobile library initiative for individuals affected by homelessness—officially launched!

Big LOVE and deep gratitude to Mr. Alfonso and Ms. Bertha for helping us start the journey.

In the past 3 months, Carrie's Cart has established a strong presence at Common Soles Foot Clinic–a sacred space at Church of the Common Ground where individuals experiencing homelessness can receive the care they so desperately need.

Did you know?

A person experiencing homelessness walks an average of 10 miles a day in pursuit of the essential resources. Even in the best of conditions–clean socks, comfortable shoes, and pleasant weather–this is still quite the feat.

Now, while parishioners wait to receive foot care, they can read books from Carrie's Cart and enjoy a cup of coffee. If they choose to continue reading their selected book outside of programming, we ask that they bring it back the following week.

I am fortunate enough to facilitate these sacred spaces. There's often a line for coffee (and conversation). As a street barista and (now, self-declared) mobile librarian, I am reminded of what it felt like to wait for my turn to see my mother on report card day, to be seen.

In a way, every day is like report card day when I'm in community. Much like my mother, I meet each person I encounter where they are, refilling both their physical and metaphorical cups with the fuel they need to tackle another day.

Guided by radical hospitality and grounded in shared humanity–this is Equitable Third Space.

Deep gratitude to my mother for showing me the way.

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I look forward to sharing more updates about my time as a street barista and how we can build Equitable Third Space together. If you enjoy my posts, like, share, and click the support button below so that others can find their way to my CAFE.

SJ ☕️🌱