Bursting Bubbles by Hector Avitia , Precious Blood Volunteer at pbmr
Precious Blood Volunteers
“ Oh man , I can ’ t wait to see their bubbles burst ,” I said with a chuckle as I sipped my chicory coffee . It was a nice April afternoon in the Back of Yards Mexican restaurant La Cecina . Tim Deveney and
Precious Blood Volunteer Hector Avitia I were discussing how the culture shock of working with marginalized populations was a “ bubble ” buster for many volunteers who just graduated college . The bubble symbolizes our worldview based on our experiences . A lot of folks who have been fortunate enough to have had most of their needs met and only known about suffering through books and film , have their world view , or bubble , broken open when they meet suffering head on . As someone who had already been in the workforce for seven years and personally experienced poverty , discrimination , and fear of authorities as a child , I believed I was better equipped to handle the problems that the families of south side Chicago were going through . I was going to be the wise old man that guided the other volunteers through the landscape of suffering and sit back with a bag of popcorn as their bubbles burst into a million pieces .
Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation ( pbmr ) is a place of hope , healing , and radical hospitality . In order to achieve these goals , we must establish strong , meaningful relationships with those we serve . It is a long road filled with tons of bumps and detours because the folks of these communities have been living through ongoing trauma almost all of their lives . Trust is a commodity in this place where even friends and family have turned on each other , sometimes culminating into gun violence . The natural response from the human mind when these things happen is to be cautious of whom to trust . When anyone new comes into their lives , even when their intent is to help , their automatic response is to be careful and put up walls to protect themselves . Because of my background , I believed I had a shortcut to this process of fostering relationships with the young men that I was to be case managing . I think pbmr should have a warning sign outside of the door that reads “ This is a place of hope , healing , and radical hospitality … Please leave your ego at the door .”
After only a few weeks into the volunteer experience , I had to come to the harsh reality that my own “ tough ” upbringing is nothing compared to the struggles of the people to whom we are ministering . One of my firsts tasks at pbmr involved helping a young family get on the road to stability . In order to protect their privacy , I cannot say much more , but I can say that I was completely overwhelmed by the obstacles they were facing . I imagined myself in their situation and what I would do to get ahead . Surely , I could give them great advice by putting myself in their shoes — but immediately I realized how their and my own scenarios were so very different . Even though financial resources were not always there , I always had around me a consistent group of people that loved me and who would do anything for me if I was in trouble . I never had to use their help because I didn ’ t have an emergency , and I became blind to the treasure that was my network of family and friends .
So , there I am , sitting in a room with a young family that was relying on my help and guidance to avoid homelessness with their young daughter . I was like a deer caught in headlights , stunned and unable to act . And this was supposed to be the “ easy ” case , something simple that would help ease me into dealing with tougher cases . If I was no good for them now , how was I supposed to be helpful to the rest of the guys I was case managing ? How was I going to develop relationships with these young men if my only “ Ace up my sleeve ” was my not-so-harsh upbringing ? I was too concerned with other people ’ s bubbles to see that my own bubble didn ’ t stand a chance .
While things seemed dark in this extremely young journey of service , God ’ s grace found a way to shine through . Fr . David Kelly gave a lecture to a group of continued on page 13
10 • The New Wine Press • November 2017