Editor's Note: From the Friendly Towers of Jesus People USA (formerly the Chelsea Hotel) to Keystone Ecological Urban Center, Uptown has seen its share of Intentional Communities. Wikipedia defines an intentional community as "a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political or spiritual vision and are often part of the alternative society. They also share responsibilities and resources. Intentional communities include cohousing, residential land trusts, ecovillages, communes, kibbutzim, ashrams, moshavs, and housing cooperatives. Typically, new members of an intentional community are selected by the community's existing membership, rather than by real-estate agents or land owners (if the land is not owned by the community). Though intentional communities do not claim to be utopias in the sense of perfect places, many do attempt to live a different and better sort of society, and as such many draw on historical utopian experiments or ideas in utopian fiction."
AP writer Martha Irvine explores this concept with an interview of a woman at Keystone. For complete article and photos, go here, here or here (each version of the article has different pictures).
Living simply provides economic shelter
By MARTHA IRVINE AP National Writer
CHICAGO - Keri Rainsberger isn't rich. She works in the nonprofit world for a relatively low-profit salary. Yet, as many Americans are scrimping for every penny, she hardly feels the pinch. She still tithes 10 percent of her income to her church, even as other members have cut back. She rarely worries about rising gas and food prices. And she never bothers to balance her checkbook, because she doesn't come close to spending what she has. "I live so far below my means that it doesn't really register," says Rainsberger, a 31-year-old Chicagoan with a wiry frame and unusually sunny outlook. "I don't have to think about money." How is this possible?
To find out how, go to: Living Simply
1 comment:
I remember the Jesus people in Uptown Growing up.
They've been around a long time. The first encounter I ever had with one of them was about 1969 on sheridan off windsor where i lived. I was standing in front of my building, and this guy passes buy and tells me Jesus loves me as he keeps walking. I was 6 and so i think to myself "Hey an adult who i can pick on", so i threw a bottle beside him, and it broke . He looked embarrassed. bad Frank. No wonder they kicked my butt in stewart school everyday.lol if you remember my Stewart school post you know what i'm referring to.
Other encounters i had with them was when i worked at the A&P grocery store on clark and wilson for 2 weeks in 1980, a year before it closed down. I was 15 then, and The jesus people used to come in and shop there weekly. They Bought like 20 carts of groceries,I guess for all the people living in their community housing. They seemed friendly enough. Andways that's 10 years later after the bottle incident when i was 6. They were always telling people Jesus loves them. Not a bad thing.
The little cartoon tracks they use to pass out were cool. They owned a building on Malden, and ran a roofing company. families could live there , but their fathers had to work for the roofing company for their keep. They lived and probably still do communally.I know they fed people everyday also.
I was never part of them, and heard stories like they are brainwashing people , and when you move with them they try to persuade you not to leave. Nothing like the jim jom jones thing though.
They seemed nice enough though. The resuurection band i quess was part of them.
When i worked at Jewel foods on Sheridan and montrose in 1989 still another 10 years later after my emplowment from A@p I met the Jesus people again Shopping At Jewel now. They use to insist on bagging their own groceries , because they had so many, and the jewel baggers were messing their orders up. Looks like grocery stores were my profession.
The only recent thing I know about the Jesus people Is what I've read Online. I read the other day that they just took over Some shelter that they were closing down hence saving people from the streets. seeing the Jesus people were street christains themseves at one time it's cool Don't know where their head Quarters are now days. I know they Moved from Malden Years Ago. They've been around a long time. Every since My first encounter with the one guy in 1969 telling me Jesus loves me.
I think I read they orinated first from Milwaukkee the city And transferred to Chicago. First hippie christain group i ever met. peace man,and don't forget jesus loves you. I know I,ve shared probably nothing new on them, but my personal experienses with them.
Uptown is so different now. Well Just sharing another of my uptown experience from your jesus people topic Frank
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