Debate Watching At The Madonna Senior Center And Residence

I love my job as Advocacy Coordinator here at St. Anthony Foundation, and one of my favorite things to do is to talk politics with the women who live at St. Anthony’s Madonna Senior Center and Residence. Last month, I asked our Madonna residents if they’d like me to organize some non-partisan debate watching parties in the recreation room at the center. I wasn’t too surprised when they accepted my offer, and  I prepared for the party by trying to figure out which type of snacks would go best with our evening of political discourse.

Our Madonna residents don’t pull any punches, and they certainly aren’t shy about speaking their minds! The opinions and comments that were flying around the room while we watched the debate were significantly more entertaining and informative than the debate tracking graph at the bottom of the television screen.

 I don’t think that anyone in the room was watching the debate in order to decide how they wanted to vote on election day.  So, why did we make a special effort to watch the debate together? I didn’t ask that question of our Madonna residents that night, but I think I know the answer. One of the cornerstones of St. Anthony Foundation’s service model is the value of community. We understand that the services we provide (food, housing, health care) are important, but we also know that our services have the most impact when they also fulfill our guests’ spiritual and emotional needs. Our debate watching party was about much more than politics and voter education. It was a chance for us to strengthen our relationships with each other and to understand our connection with the millions of other prospective voters across the country who were also watching the debate that night.

At the end of the night of the first debate, I asked the participants if they’d like me to come back for the three remaining debates. Their answer was an overwhelming yes!  As they thanked me for organizing the party, I reminded them that their presence was as much a gift to me as my party organizing skills were a gift to them.