Community Service in Plaquemines Parish
Posted by Josh McConaha on April 21, 2006 at 11:55 AM
Yesterday, I took a trip Plaquemines Distribution Center outside of New Orleans. I went with three great DNC members -- one from Alaska, one from Delaware, and another from northern Wisconsin. The Center's a distribution point run by a fantastic woman from the United Way, who has worked to turn what was once an abandoned machine shop into a type of department store. The staff -- who aren't volunteers, but paid locals who have lost their homes and jobs -- organize donated goods and work with the community to be sure everyone has what they need (there are records kept of how often you "shop," and what you get).
When we got there, we were quickly put to work -- one helping keep records of who got what, one helping organize items individuals had donated, and two of us -- including me -- sorting cleaning supplies that had been sent by Islamic Relief. We were told there was a constant need for a specific set of items, in particular linens and paper products.
The center doesn't have a reliable electrical supply. They rely on a generator to power a strings of lightbulbs streched above the warehouse. There's one large fan to cool the place, which seemed to help (though it wasn't nearly as humid Wednesday).
Posted below are some of the photos. There were still DNC memebers staffing the center today, along with staffing other community service projects around the area. Save for a scheduling change, I'm headed with Governor Dean to an ACORN project in about an hour...I'll post photos when I get back.





Comments (15) «
The Democrat web site has no poverty agenda or blog? Is this lack of attention sending a message? Photo-ops do not feed the poor or pass needed legislative assistance!
No blog? What do you think you are posting on right now? A Republican controlled congress doesn't feed the poor either.
Tim
Just wanted to leave a quick post on this non-existent blog to say thanks to all the DNC workers helping out at the Community Centers.
and forthepoor is now posting as Clarence on the Open Thread...
Thanks for caring about us low income folks. You know I was referring to a community blog for poor people to air their critical issues like other groups have here. Disabled, small business community, etc., the people link above. I as an American of low income would like a low income blog for the low income community. We are 30% of the American population and deserve recognition as people just like other communities of people are granted.
I am a lifelong liberal Democrat, I have 30 years of working on poverty/disabled issues. I worked on welfare reform and passing several laws with the Legal Services Admin., I only post as forthepoor.
One more thing. Republican failures can no longer be excuses for inaction by our party. We have moral duties to the American people to address issues that affect large numbers of the American people. Republicans not feeding the poor does not excuse Democrats ignoring and not feeding the poor.
Thank You Democratic Party for all that you are doing for this nation.Thank you.
to the retarded troll:
1.THIS IS A BLOG THAT ADDESSES POVERTY. (duh)
2.OKAY, SO THEY JUST TOOK PHOTOS OF FOOD AND DIDN'T FEED ANYONE RIGHT?
3.YEAH,SO HOWARD DEAN AND THE BUNCH JUST DRESSED UP IN THOSE OUTFITS TO TAKE A PHOTO.IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?
4.SO THE LADY GETTING THE FOOD IS A MANIQUIN OR SOMETHING?
JUST BECAUSE REPUBLICANS ARE FAKE WITH ALL TALK NO ACTION,DOESN'T MEAN THE DEMOCRATS ARE.I WILL EVEN GO AS FAR AS TO SAY THE DEMOCRATS ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE REPUBLICANS WHEN IT COMES TO CHARITY.WHY?
A. REPUBLICANS SHOW UP TO TAKE A PHOTO,GIVE A SPEECH AND HEAD BACK HOME/DEMOCRATS SHOW UP TO HELP,ASK YOU WHAT YOU NEED AND GIVE IT TO YOU.
B.REPUBLICANS LIKE TO TALK AND TALK AND TALK ABOUT HOW HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS THEY ARE/DEMOCRATS DON'T LIKE TO TALK AT ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY "DOING"
C.REPUBLICANS TAKE FROM POOR GROUPS AND GIVE THE MONEY TO THIER RICH FRIENDS.DEMOCRATS ASK OF THIER RICH FRIENDS AND GIVE TO THE POOR
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE OPPOSITES IN MANY WAYS.
Retarded troll? Get off your elitist attitude.
This blog just addresses one issue that affects the poor. It is an admirable effort to both help the Katrina victims and to bring the Bush administration's abandonment of these victims into the media spotlight.
However, I think ForthePoor has some good points. There should be a poverty forum. It isn't just the Katrina victims who have been abandoned by the Republicans, but working poor, elderly, and disabled throught the country.
Not everyone on line has money. A lot of us have internet capable computers and either dial-up, or high speed from cable, or go to libraries and use the free service there. You can buy internet capable used computers at Salvation Army and GoodWill stores, which are in the price ranges of many poor people.
Too many poverty programs have been dictated by the people who are not poor and think they know more about what poor people want and/or need then the people whom they fail to consult. These lead to failures of the programs, because they aren't the best answers to the questions.
There needs to be a forum where the working poor and the elderly, and disabled can have input on programs that affect them.
The working people and the poor are the traditional base of the Democrat party and deserve a voice, bottom line.
It would be a way for the Democrat party to get back in touch with it's roots. It would be a positive way to show concern for those people. That would be progress.
to the gal who wants a separate thread just for the poor, let me say first of all, HOW MANY of the poor you know, either have a computer or would be actively working on that issue?
It is UNDERSTOOD that the Democratic party is the party of the poor, the middle class, the working man, women,disabled, children, gays, blacks. This party started on and continues on a path for these groups. All in the party embrace these groups, and will contnue to work to make sure of equality for all. The party Address the reasons for poverty! i.e. joblessness, healthcare, childcare, good educations, etc.
So if you want a thread or place where the poor can come together and discuss being poor, know that this party is here for you all. It costs you nothing to go and volunteer for a local Democratic candidate or two, to phone bank, go door to door and drop literature, stand on a corner with his sign, mail bumper stickers out of his office, etc, etc. Get Dems in office and your needs will be met.
"how many of the poor do you know who have a computer?"
Well, appearantly there's at least two of us.
Computers and net access aren't that hard to come by. You can pick up an internet capable used PC at Salvation Army or Goodwill stores. PCs are also available at public libraries for free use. Duh, most job hunting anymore is done over the net. Listings at State employment offices are usually out of date and poorly maintained for the most part.
There are a lot of poor people who have access and use the net I actually know of several poor and/or fixed income people who use the net to stay in touch with family members, check out job listings, and find out what's going on in the world. There are also a lot of former middle class and IT people who have had their jobs outsourced. They have pretty decent PCs left over from their former lifestyle. So get over it.
As for the Democrats being the party of the poor, that's open to debate. The Democrats started straying away from their base which are the working people and the poor back in the 70's. The party is now viewed as either Republi-lites or out-of-touch pie-in-the-sky elitist snobs. Why do you think they've been loosing elections? Wake up and smell the cappachino.
The true majority of voters are working people, and the Democrat party has allowed the Republicans to hijack them with single-issue-voter issues that con voters into voting against their own best interests.
A separate thread for the poor and to address the single-issue-voter issue obfuscations of the Republicans is exactly what the Democrats need at this point. At least, it would sound like the party was trying to rectify past mistakes.
The minimum wage issue is posted under the union community blog. What union can only increase their workers wages by raising the minimum wage? That is a poor persons issue, but there is no poverty community to post it under! Housing prices are increasing where I live at 20% a year. HUD spends more money helping middle income people buy houses than on poor people having a place to live! Section 8 has a several year waiting list and a five year limit on assistance. Public Assistance used to pay enough to rent a low income apartment, now the average check is $350 a month and the average rent is $750 a month. My state has always been controlled by Democrats but we had one of the toughest welfare reform laws passed. Cutbacks to balance budgets are commonplace. We have stories, many heartwrenching, but our party says "no thank you", you do not vote, we do not need your voices. Go away!
Think about all the poverty issues you see posted on these blogs (minus Katrina), near zero! Think about your knowledge of issues and support programs for low income people, probably also near zero. Poverty can be a good issue to help elect Democrats, if your knowledge on the subject is lacking you cannot create supportive arguments. Please post to support a poverty community (Those communities listed under the people links at the top of the page) so the poor community can have a voice here! Also, if you think poverty is a major issue in America, please post in support of poverty being added to the agenda items also at the top of the page.
Dear Butt,
Now I know how you got your name.
If poor people have computers and pay for internet access, I say good for them!
What would we have ever done if YOU had not had the ability to come in here and grace us with your presence????
As for your declarations that the Dems have drifted away from the poor, well I am well versed on the DLC and the attempt to move to the center by a certain segment of the Democratic Party. I rail daily to them and about them. You should too, if you do not like their adjenda. The Liebermans and the Clintons are Big parts of this group who think the only way to win is moving to the Right. BUT overall, this party and the true liberal base, is for and has always been for the working man, the poor, the disabled, for children and the elderly. And I have NEVER heard of any cases cited by forthepoor, that this party has ever said, NO to poor people.
forthepoor:
Clinton passed some Welfare reform laws during his administration . They were sorely needed, and with a Republican majority in congress, he had not much choice. One of my friends is on Section 8 help for rent. If your state is cutting back and giving you a hard time, then go up to "Local" at top of this page. Click your State and find your State and municipal party and start working on them.
I could cite a thousand cases of NO! That is not my request. I am asking for the right to have an equal voice with others on this site and in this party! I am asking for the right for me and my children to not be the unmentionable class, we are the poor, we live in poverty, we have worthwhile stories to tell! I am tired of being ashamed and for my children being made to be ashamed! I am tired of our main stream candidates refusing to even say the word, poor poor poor!!! This is the modern civil rights issue, Jessie Jackson saw this years ago when he formed the Rainbow Coalition! Economic equality is an issue and silence will not change that. Let my people speak!
Poverty Community, Poverty Agenda Item, these are the questions? Want specifics on issues, give us our voice and they will come!
Posted by forthepoor on April 24, 2006 at 04:28 PM
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You're so oppressed that you freely post it all over this website? Tell ya what,rather than complain that there's NO section for the poor (which is so not true) but if that's what you really think,then why don't you express yourself on the open thread? Can you NOT talk freely unless theres a section that specifically says (POOR FOLK) on it? If there was,there would be no guarantee that you would be able to actually post comments.Don't believe me? Go look at the "Black Folks" section.LOL.Do ya see me posting a million times how I can't comment on the Black Section? NO!.......but I certainly post about issues facing the Black Community EVERYWHERE on this Blog.He He.You are more than welcome to do the same on issues facing the poor. Although in all honesty,having a "Poor Only" section is like saying I wan't a "Human Being" section.If it's any consolation,many of us here qualify as the new class called "Working Poor",but we sure as hell aren't going to advertize it.:D
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