True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.
-Martin Luther King
Dr. King had it exactly right. Many of us blog here because we care about changing our country so that there is less poverty and more opportunity. But, while we live in a society that leaves too many with too little, we have a duty to do what we can to help those who suffer.
Costa Constantinides (soon to be our new Councilman in Astoria) and I are organizing political volunteers to volunteer at the Trinity Church Soup Kitchen in Astoria, Queens this Friday at 6:00. If you are in NYC please join us! Here are the details:
Date: Friday January 25
Location: Holy Trinity 31-18 37th Street - (37th Street and 31st Avenue) and the main entrance to the undercroft is on 37th Street.
Time: 6PM
This event is sponsored by Democracy for New York City, One Corps, New Yorkers for John Edwards, and New Yorkers for Obama. All of these groups are sending volunteers to try to make New York a better place.
We are also quite happy to have the Clinton campaign co-sponsor -- I'm just waiting on an email that hasn't yet received a response (please -- this isn't an attack on the Clinton folks -- we have all missed emails. At least, I know I have.). This also goes for the Kucinich and Gravel campaigns and the Republican campaigns. In the real world, supporters of various candidates get along -- we all want a better country, we just differ about who can best get us there. And helping those in need should unite us, not divide us.
If you are in NY, please email me at jeremiah.freipearson@gmail.com to RSVP. Note that space is somewhat limited, so please don't show up unless you RSVP (or unless you are a DFNYC or John Edwards OneCorps member and you have already agreed to come).
Again, a lot of great folks are supporting this event, but here are some words about standing up for people in need that inspire me:-):