Jamie Ryan, JVC, Social Service Assistant, Bean's Cafe, Anchorage, AK Bean's Cafe meets the basic human needs of Anchorage's homeless and marginal populations. We recognize that beyond food, clothing and shelter, every person needs to be loved and treated with dignity. Like any home, Bean's Cafe is a place to stay warm, to eat a meal, to receive mail, to make a phone call, to meet a friend, to read a book, to get a band-aid, or to share a story. I have learned a great deal this past year at the Center and in my experience of living as a part of a JV community. Probably the most powerful thing I have been through is the spirit of generosity.
People give all that they have.
Brendan Walsh, JVI, Teacher, Pohnpei Agriculture and Trade School, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Traditionally, PATS has been administered by the Jesuits as a trade school emphasizing skills training in construction, agriculture, and machinery. In the morning, students take academic courses, which are mostly taught by the JVs, and in the afternoon they specialize in one of the trades. It is located on a beautiful lagoon. I work with women and children who have been lucky and strong enough to escape domestically abusive situations. Despite their horror stories, they endure, they hope, and they keep the faith.