By Written by weekly house duty volunteer, Joan Meyer I began volunteering at Lydia’s House through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC). How wonderful, I thought! A chance to give back in thanks for all the blessings I have received. Well, like so many times when reality does not exactly align with our expectations, this has turned out to be yet another blessing for me! I am the one who has so greatly benefitted from this experience. Lydia’s House was the best option for my volunteer work through the IVC because I work full-time and Lydia’s House, unlike the other places, had
Taxes, taxes, & more taxes
Written by Meridith Owensby: In my mid-twenties, I had a vague sense that there were certain skills I needed to learn to fully realize adulthood. One of those skills was how to understand taxes. As a college student I’d paid hundreds of dollars for H&R Block to tell me how much I owed to the IRS for my scholarships, and I felt certain I could do the calculations myself if someone taught me the basics. It was on a spring day in DC that I saw the flyer advertising volunteer income tax assistance. I went to the tax clinic
The Warmth of Other Suns
A book review By Honna Brown One positive fruit of limited life at Lydia’s House (due to the pandemic) is that we have been able to set aside some time for shared reading. Together as a staff we have been reading Isabel Wilkerson’s book “The Warmth of Other Suns.” The book follows three main characters on their journey during a time in American history known as The Great Migration, which is one of the most underreported stories of the 20th century. The book, based on more than a thousand interviews, retells the story of each character and why he or
The gifts of Mary
Meridith Owensby, our co-founder, presented the following reflection at our Virtual Women for Women prayer service: Tonight I’m here with you to spend time reflecting on the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, as described in the Gospels. I’d like to start, however, with a Mary that is inspired by the book of Revelation. This is one of my favorite t-shirts to wear to yoga because I love the fierceness of this Mary. She needs nothing from anyone. She is powerful and victorious and is not going to let any dragon or snake swallow her newborn. I should note
A Year With Lydia’s House
by Bethany Kurtz The last weeks of November had us all stuck in a Covid quarantine. The days seemed to last for years and the nights even longer. But as I spent that time by myself I was able to reflect on the year at Lydia’s House, just as my time was coming to an end. Coming to Ohio was a huge decision for me. I spent most of life in NY and when I landed in West Norwood, it was a leap of faith. It’s been one incredible year working here at Lydia’s House. When I began working