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On Today’s episode of The “Center”, we’re joined by Anne Hoiberg, author of the book Tears of War: Stories of Refugee Women. 

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research “Status of Women in the States Report, nearly 21 million female immigrants currently live in the United States, making up more than 13% of the entire female population in the US. These women take on multiple roles, including roles as students, teachers, many kinds of professional positions, and also are spouses, parents, and caregivers within their families.

During her 25-year career as a Research Psychologist with the United States government, Anne Hoiberg published two books and more than 130 scientific articles, book chapters, reports, and presentations. She currently serves as the President of the International Museum of Human Rights at San Diego, Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, and La Jolla Pen Women as well as Co-President of the American Association of University Women (San Diego branch), Chairwoman of the Nile Sisters Development Initiative, and Secretary of the Peace Resource Center. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, the Women’s Museum of California, the United Nations Association of San Diego, and National Women’s Political Caucus. Anne volunteered as an election supervisor in “emerging” countries (eight missions) and has organized local, national, and international conferences. In 2012, she was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame. Her book Tears of War: Stories of Refugee Women, was published by Montezuma Publishing in December 2022.

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On today’s episode of The “Center”, we will be joined by Shannon Sander-Welzien, Executive Director of the YWCA in Clinton Iowa, and Michelle Plasschaert, the YWCA’s Empowerment Center Director for a discussion about the proposed Supportive Housing program that the team at the YWCA has developed for Clinton, Iowa.

Permanent Supportive Housing is an evidence-based housing intervention that significantly reduces returns to jail and homelessness, reliance on emergency health services, and improves overall quality of life for those who participate in this type of program. According to the YWCA, in Clinton County, 1 in 3 people are at risk of homelessness due to poverty, and this has only increased with the impact of COVID-19. YWCA Clinton operates under the Housing First Model. Housing First is an evidence-based homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness, and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. The Supportive Housing Initiative proposed by the YWCA will provide a wider breadth of opportunity for the YWCA to provide solutions for vulnerable populations within Clinton and Jackson counties; complementing the services that the YWCA already provides to our neighbors facing homelessness.

This week’s podcast will focus on some of the talking points for the Clinton YWCA’s Supportive Housing Project, including information about the updated location for the proposed project, who the project will serve, the importance of the grant and other funding that has been received for this project, and the long-term benefits that this project will provide to the community of Clinton, IA.

After listening, if you’re interested in supporting the YWCA’s Supportive Housing Project, there are two ways that you can help out. The first is to contact your city council person to express your support. Also, on November 14th there will be a board meeting for the City Council. At this time the City Council will go into public hearing for the YWCA’s Supportive Housing project, and members of the greater Clinton Community will be able to speak.  After all public addresses, Clinton’s City Council will vote on the new proposed site for this Supportive Housing Project. Our listeners are encouraged to make a statement in support of this project; however, if making a statement goes beyond your comfort level, you are invited to stand in support of this project by being present at this meeting.

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On today’s episode of The “Center” we are joined by Dr. Christophe Ringer, associate professor of Theological Ethics, and Society at Chicago Theological Seminary.

Professor Ringer’s research interests include theological and social ethics, African American religion, public theology, religion and social sciences, religion and politics, critical theory and African American religion, and cultural studies. He is particularly interested in African American religion as a site for understanding the relationship of self, society and the sacred as it concerns human flourishing. Ringer’s research currently focuses on the religious and cultural meanings that sustain and rationalize mass incarceration and other forms of social death in American public life.

Please note: The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.

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On Today’s episode of “The Center” we’ll be joined by Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Police, James Ballauer, who will be talking about alternative policing tactics currently being used in Clinton, Iowa.

According to the US Department of Justice, community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.

In Clinton, Iowa, community policing includes social workers and psychologists riding with police officers up to three times per week to attend to non-violent calls including mental distress calls, drug use calls, vagrancy calls and other calls that are non-violent in nature so that help, rather than punitive measures can be administered to community members who need help. Please listen as today’s guest talks about the transformative nature of employing non-violent community policing.

The views expressed here are individual views that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.

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On today’s episode of The “Center” the staff of the Franciscan Peace Center will be sharing information about the good work that has been accomplished within the past year, events that are coming up – including the Second Annual Just Living Festival, and plans for future work sponsored by the FPC. 

Listen in as host Marsha Thrall, Director of Programming, Jennifer Kryszak, Director of Strategic Planning, and Laura Anderson, Director of Digital Outreach and Advocacy for the Franciscan Peace Center share the good news of active nonviolence and peacemaking work, and how it takes shape within their local community and beyond.

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On Today’s podcast, we will be joined by Sister Janet Ryan, OSF. 
Sister Janet has been a Franciscan sister of Clinton, Iowa since 2005, and is originally from Boston. She has been ministering at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation since 2014 and assists adults in earning their high school diploma, offers peace circles in the community and circle trainings at PBMR. Sr. Janet has a Communications degree from UConn and a Master's in Pastoral Ministry from St. John's Seminary in Boston. She is passionate about living and promoting Nonviolence and Restorative Justice.

Today’s conversation will focus on the ways in which Sr. Janet’s community at Precious Blood Ministries of Reconciliation will be celebrating both Campaign Non-Violence from September 21, 2023 to October 2, 2023, and also how Precious Blood Ministries will be celebrating the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2023. 
Welcome Sister Janet!             

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Today’s special edition of The “Center” is a conversation with Sister LaVern Olberding, OSF. Sister LaVern has been a member of The Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa since 1961. During her time as part of the Clinton Franciscan family, Sister LaVern has served as a grade school teacher, a high school teacher, in faith formation and campus ministry, and as the operations coordinator for the oldest solid surface company in Southern California. Sister LaVern’s current project is founding and serving as the president of the Franciscan Peace Connection in San Diego.

On today’s episode, join host Marsha Thrall, and Sister LaVern as they talk about the events that The Franciscan Peace Connection has planned to celebrate the International Day of Peace with their neighbors in the San Diego area.  

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Did you know that Iowa was once 80% covered in tall grass prairie land? 
But, currently, the amount of tall grass prairie land in Iowa is less than .1%. 
On today’s episode of The “Center”, we’ll be joined by Kurt Kreiter and Todd Seifert from Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center in Wheatland, Iowa, and also Sister Marie Cigrand from the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa for a meaningful and informative conversation about the importance of prairie land in the state of Iowa. Join us as we talk about the importance of the prairie for our overall ecosystem, the beautiful habitat that the prairie provides for our brothers and sisters who call it home and appreciate some prairie wisdom from those who are stewards of some of the prairie lands that are left to be cared for here in Iowa.

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On today’s podcast, host Marsha Thrall will be sharing with our listeners information about what human trafficking looks like in the state of Iowa, how local communities are working to squash the various problems that are systemic contributors to human trafficking, what work still needs our attention, and how we can work together as a community to bring positive change to the landscape of human trafficking in Iowa.

 Content warning: There are brief mentions of rape and sexual assault in this episode. Please be careful while listening.

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On today’s episode of The “Center”, host Marsha Thrall is joined by Sisters Ida Green, and Jeanne d’Arc Untz of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa to talk about the work that they have done to alleviate the problem of human trafficking within the community of Clinton.
This conversation will focus on what motivates these sisters to do anti-trafficking work, the impact that their work has had on their communities, and their hopes for a community liberated from the problem of human trafficking.
Content Warning: This episode contains brief mention of sexual assault.

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