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November 9, 2008

A quarter-century of loveAmate House celebrates with huge food drive

By Alicja Pozywio

STAFF WRITER

“Amate” means to love. Amate House is a program for young adult volunteers spreading love all around the Archdiocese of Chicago. The Latin verb “amate” suggests that this love is experienced in an action, not just through a romantic feeling. This is precisely the way in which every summer, since 1984 a new group of young adults understands love toward our neighbors.

They provide precious services to underserved schools and social service agencies in the city of Chicago. But, by helping others they help also themselves as well as the whole church.

“The mission of Amate House is to raise young adults as the leaders of the church and the world, to form them as good Catholics,” said John Lucas, the executive director of Amate House.

The volunteers come from all over the United States from many different universities and collages. They are recent college graduates who’ve each committed one year of theirs lives to a simple community life.

“Young adults typically don’t make their life decisions until they are in their mid 20s or 28 for boys, when they graduate from college. Amate House and other programs like it gives them some spiritual and leadership development opportunities as well as a supportive faith-based community,” said Lucas.

Their enthusiasm on the one hand, and people’s needs on the other hand, bring them together to work on various types of sites. “Once our volunteers worked at the Free Spirit Media teaching students from a high school how to broadcast local basketball games and how to interview people,” said Lucas.

Many ministries

They are also with those who form lines in front of the Catholic Charities building in order to get some food; they teach others how to overcome problems, how to get a job and how to keep a job. “We have our people also at Women & Crafts, which is a homeless shelter where women are being taught how to make paper. We supply them with white shredded paper, which they run through their system and make paper for wedding invitations and then they sell them and this how they sustain themselves,” said Lucas.

Working with the most powerless and marginalized in society can be very joyful but also very challenging. Lucas, who has been working at Amate House for the last three years and who also is a deacon, is convinced that joy and challenge are connected. The most joyful part of his ministry is seeing the growth of young adults. But he is also convinced that the volunteers get even more than they give in return from the poorest and neediest.

“There are so many instances when I thought that I was coming to help somebody else and in fact they were the ones who helped me. I remember particularly one time as deacon I went to bring Communion to a woman whose husband died the night before. As I was welcomed to the house I was served coffee and doughnuts. While I was there to give her some comfort, it was she who provided comfort to me. Her care and concern for me filled me with a depth of emotional gratitude that I will never forget,” said Lucas.

Currently, Amate House has four locations: on the North Side at St. Mary of the Lake Parish, on the South Side in McKinley Park at St. Maurice Parish, in Little Village and at DePaul University.

“We would love to expand and have a couple more houses in Chicago. We would be doing twice as much good and we would reach twice as many of the future church’s leaders. There is no limit to what we could do, it is just a question of resources,” said Lucas.

Raising funds

Amate House raises all of its own funds. Part of its budget comes from the sites where the volunteers work, but the larger part is raised the good old fashioned way. “We ask people for help and reach out to people who care about this cause — formations of young adults. We show them that what we really are doing is building the future of the church by supplying the church with its future leaders who are very energetic, caring, concerned and bright young people, with a great future,” said Lucas.

This year, Amate House celebrates its 25th anniversary. In the custom of being where people need them the most, they chose to celebrate and remain true to their mission at the same time by organizing “The 25 Ton Food Drive” in an effort to help ease the mounting need for food at food banks throughout the city and archdiocese.

“To collect 25 tons of food we have engaged 25 parishes, some schools, colleges and universities around the city by placing food boxes in their locations. This event will make an immediate impact on the communities served, as local food banks and residents in need will see and feel the contribution,” said Lucas.

The other major event facing Amate House is Amate Magic, one of the largest Catholic fundraising events held in downtown Chicago. The gala will include silent, live and super silent auctions, cocktails, dinner, awards and dancing May 1, 2009, at Navy Pier’s Lakeview Terrace and Grand Ballroom.

For more information please visit www.amatehouse.org