Beth Hegedus's Blog

Suburban Snapshot

Suburban Snapshot chats with Mitch Albom

What do Project H.O.M.E., Sr. Mary Scullion and Mitch Albom have to do with politics? Plenty.

Suburban Snapshot had the opportunity to visit Project H.O.M.E., a shelter for homeless Philadelphians, and talk with Sr. Mary Scullion, Philadelphia’s angel of mercy who, along with Joan Dawson McConnon, co-founded this worthwhile organization in 1989. Along for the ride was Mitch Albom, world famous author, sportswriter, screenwriter, and across-the-bridge former citizen of Haddon Township, NJ, in town talking about his upcoming worldwide launch event for his new non-fiction book, ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”Have A Little Faith.” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” Albom” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s book involves him being asked to deliver the eulogy for an elderly rabbi, as well as creating a friendship with a reformed drug addict and convict, now a minister in his hometown of Detroit, Mich. Needless to say, the book touches your heart and soul just like ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”Tuesday” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s with Morrie.” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” And you can be part of ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”Have A Little Faith” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” for the book party next Tuesda at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City.

For those of you who have been hiding in a cave, Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright and radio and television broadcaster. His books have collectively sold over 26 million copies worldwide, have been published in 50 territories and 42 languages around the world, and have been made into Emmy Award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies. He writes a regularly-syndicated column through for The Detroit Free Press, hosts a syndicated radio show and appears regularly on ESPN” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”The Sports Reporters.” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”

Albom may have famous friends and celebrities, but the man that talked with some of the residents and workers of Project H.O.M.E. was not a celebrity or a star; he was the real deal. He was so impressed about a particular woman who came to the shelter approximately two years ago, now functioning and helping others whenever she can. He truly was involved in that conversation and was asking questions of others in the audience that included a pianist and a writer, all people who have benefited from Project H.O.M.E.

Albom, who was taught by his parents to do good for others, has formed an organization similar to Project H.O.M.E. called “S.A.Y. Detroit”, which had its birth during the February 2006 Super Bowl when he read a newspaper story that said the homeless in Detroit would be given a special Super Bowl “party” to keep them off the streets for the big weekend, but would be put back on the streets come Monday morning. Albom was disturbed by this and went public with a plea to do as much for the homeless the rest of the winter as the city was willing to do for a weekend. He spent a night in a shelter to call attention to the issue. The response was overwhelming, and enough money was raised so he was able to increase hours of shelter operation, buy a van, hire a medical professional, purchase beds, and build a day-care center for children of homeless women.

Considering he grew up in Haddon Township, Albom had heard of Sr. Mary Scullion’s work with Project H.O.M.E. He knew where to reach out to get some good direction, how to get the word out, how to make things better for the homeless citizens of Detroit.

I had a chance to ask him why, as a sportswriter, he is so into faith and spirituality. His response: “My parents always told me to do something good.” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” And, he told me that “Tuesday’s with Morrie” started him on this faith-filled journey.

In his latest story of delivery the late rabbi” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s eulogy, Albom insists on understanding this man of faith better, which transports him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. He becomes involved with a Detroit pastor—a reformed drug dealer and convict—who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

One of the underlying themes of Albom’s book is the importance of faith. And, although the texts, prayers and histories are different, the author begins to realize a striking unity between the two worlds and beliefs.

The end result is that Mitch Albom finally understands what both men were teaching all along—the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself.

” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”Have a Little Faith” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” is a book about a life’s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man’s journey, but it is everyone’s story. And, this story is told as only the inimitable Mitch Albom can. Rest assured you will cry, laugh, but your heart will fill with an overflowing love for humankind. And in today” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s climate, political or otherwise, we all need to ” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”have a little faith” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”.

Now, enough about the book. Let’s talk shop—politics, that is.

I asked Sr. Mary Scullion about the 2010 election. For those of you not familiar, Sr. Mary Scullion is direct and deliberate, and has a wonderful soul.

“I hope whoever wins the governor’s race next year realizes that Project H.O.M.E. has really helped in Philadelphia,” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” she said. ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”We need all the help we can get.” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”

Here” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s Albom on our national economy: “Imagine that you have a wallet and all your money is in it,” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)” Albom said. ” onclick=”return TrackClick(” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”" onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”,” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”)”Now imagine that you lose that wallet. You become distracted, and the only thing you want is to find that wallet. Nothing else matters. Then you find your wallet and you begin to breathe again and do things you normally would do. That is what I think is happening to our country and our economy. Once we get our wallet back we will get in better shape. We are in a transition period.

Check out information for Albom” onclick=”return TrackClick(”,’ttp%3A%2F%2Fmitchalbom.com%2Fnews%2Fnode%2F5595%2FAn_Intimate_Evening_with_Mitch_Albom_and_Friends’)”s even here.

September 24, 2009 at 4:46 pm

--Beth Hegedus