“Faith, for me, isn’t an argument, a catechism, a philosophical ‘proof.’ It is instead a lens, a way of experiencing life, and a willingness to act.” —Sara Miles, Take This Bread:
A Radical Conversion
On a beautiful sunny day in June, I drove
to Paris.
Ontario, that is.
I was headed for Paris Presbyterian—a castle-like red brick building in the centre of town. Once there, I met Rebecca Sherbino, who, along with friend Colleen Graham started The Raw Carrot about a year ago.
The Raw Carrot—with its tagline, “Peeling for Change”—is a soup-making business borne of the need to help members of the community find meaningful and lasting employment. The idea took root when Rebecca noticed how many unemployed people were coming to the church’s drop-in, and how their unemployment affected their overall health.
“They were bored,” she told me, noting how frustrating it is for someone to admit they have no job—and no prospects of finding one. “But we’ve seen a huge difference in the well-being of people who come to the drop-in when they work here. It gives them a sense of pride.”
Raw Carrot employees aren’t otherwise connected to the church, but they’ve found a church-type community in the basement kitchen where they come to work two days a week. Finding work and keeping a job in the mainstream sector is just about impossible for many of the Carrot’s employees due to challenges like mental illness and learning disabilities.
“But here they know that if they aren’t able to show up for two weeks, they’ll still have a job waiting for them,” said Rebecca.
Employees prepare and cook healthy soups made with locally-sourced ingredients and bake breadsticks which are then sold to the community. It’s a recipe for change that many people support.
“We thought that if we sold $5,000 in our first year, we’d be doing well,” Rebecca told me, as we watched the team of employees and volunteers from the congregation stand should-to-shoulder chopping veggies. “So far we’ve reached $20,000! That’s way more than we thought.”
A couple columns ago, I spoke about justice. The desire to make things right; to go beyond charity and make meaningful and lasting change in someone’s life. This is what The Raw Carrot is doing.
Both Rebecca and her husband, Rev. Joel Sherbino are no strangers to Shane Claiborne and his idea of “ordinary radicals.” Claiborne’s values of hospitality and community are two things the couple strive for both in the church and in their own lives. They served as missionaries in Malawi for several years before coming to Paris, (where they first got hooked on the idea of hospitality), and Joel leads the church in a way that I would say is different than many.
“We invest in people who otherwise would easily be missed,” he told me, noting that his main role is to serve struggling individuals in the community, rather than members of the congregation who already have each other. “And we’re seeing the benefits of that.”
Paris has become a hub for community activity and information. Government organizations and community groups come to the church when they have something to offer and are seeking partnerships, and people in the community who need help approach Joel or Rebecca for support.
“You have to be intentional,” Rebecca told me, “otherwise, it’s too easy for people to slip through the cracks.”
“I like to tell the story of first coming to Paris,” said Joel, admitting social justice was always “a bit of a blind spot” before Rebecca opened his eyes, “and thinking, ‘This church should be doing more!’ And my lovely wife said to me, ‘Well Joel, what are you doing?'”
***
Since this is our summer issue, I’m not going to propose a new challenge. Last month we talked about cultivating silence and asking God for guidance. I think I’ll try to continue in that vein, taking these warm days for reflection, reading and re-thinking.
That said, be sure to check my blog for updates—I’ve been busy! Evangel Hall in Toronto, Kerr Street Mission in Oakville (where I was serenaded with “Once in Love with Amy”—I like the 1952 version by Ray Bolger); and later this month I’ll be heading to a convent (!!!) for some quiet contemplation, and to the streets of downtown Toronto in the middle of the night during the Pan Am Games. Stay tuned for more on that.
Happy summer.
