Category: Articles
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1st in a Series by Jim Schenk, April 1985
I left Covington Community Center in 1978, not out of disillusionment or for a better job; rather, I felt what we were doing did not reach the source of the problems we were treating. The poor were obviously suffering, but so were the staff and volunteers who came to serve the poor at this neighborhood…
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Spirituality – 2nd in a Series by Jim Schenk, July 1985
When the full moon comes each month, I find myself creeping out the back door of my home with a group of friends to stand in our backyard to hold a full moon celebration. I admit feeling uncomfortable talking to Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, and Father Sun. Who knows, my neighbors might hear us as…
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3rd in a Series by Jim Schenk, October 1985
Here I am, a male in our society, without a job. Neighbors tell me now and then of jobs available, not quite accepting it. Not quite a househusband, as Eileen has been home much of the last five years. It is difficult when people ask me “What do you do?”; I know they don’t mean…
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4th in a Series by Jim Schenk, April 1986
I have cut my sugar consumption in half – I’m now down close to the national average. Though I might do a little better than this, it is still a problem. I do know two facts about sugar: one, processed sugar is not good for the body; and second, it is addictive. Our family has…
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Community Village/Neighborhood – Sixth in a Series by Jim Schenk, August 1986
Some years ago, I attended a conference featuring a medical doctor who was also committed to yoga. Someone in the audience asked her if she believed we have free will. She answered, “I believe we have free will, but I think it is pretty limited. So my recommendation to you is to use it wisely.…
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Work – 7th in a Series by Jim Schenk, November 1986
Our primary criteria in determining our work must be: care for the Earth and its people, and how our work will leave both better for what we have done. We live in a culture that doesn’t see Earth as valuable in itself, but only as it can be manipulated to serve our individual needs and…
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Earth Awareness – 8th in a Series by Jim Schenk, February 1987
I’ve made one New Year’s Resolution this year, to take a walk in the woods every day. Not real difficult, woods right in our backyard. Yes, difficult, I don’t do it. It’s harder for me than doing yoga and meditation. Here I am, a farm boy, always have loved being outside. As a kid, I…
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We Are Earth – 9th in a Series by Jim Schenk, May 1987
I haven’t kept my New Year’s resolution to visit “my” tree in the woods every day, but do get there frequently. The other day, after reading the above in quotes, I contemplated the notion that the tree is on “our property”. I had sat under the tree for a little while and then climbed the…
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New Beginning – 12th in a Series by Jim Schenk, February 1988 
It really is an appropriate theme for this quarter. For the newsletter and First Thursdays it is a new beginning. Up until now, I have basically been responsible for both; with of course, some help from my friends. With this quarter, we are making a significant change. Others are taking over this responsibility. I was…
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Community Must Blossom – 13th in a Series by Jim Schenk, May 1988 
“Studies in England and Wales show that men who’ve lost their jobs in communities where unemployment is high, score better on mental health tests than unemployed men living in areas where unemployment is low.” This quote, taken from “Men’s Health” newsletter, emphasizes our need to be accepted, to be a part of the community to…
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