Help a good cause

I am not an overtly political person. I have my worldview, and my ideologies, and I willingly discuss these with family and friends. I tend to live at the level of questioning what I am doing to effect change in my world and to worry about accountability for my life. To this end, I give the support I can to the issues I care about and keep informed about the wider world around me. I have no idea when the semi annual sale is at Macy's and couldn't tell you the latest fashion trends, although HG did mention that everything is supposed to be a chocolate hue this fall-how novel is that? I do know the names of the leaders and the social policies and histories of a good deal of the world and I'm acquainted with the life styles and struggles of said populations-by no means exhaustively. I've volunteered and worked in the inner city of Minneapolis and possess just an inkling understanding of the challenge of inner city life.

I know just enough to know that this stinks. (I can't get the perm link to link so scroll to the story) I know you can't separate government money from politics, can you separate any part of our life from politics? Irregardless of your political philosophy, you can't help but be angered on behalf of the kids and families of the Gloria Wise center. Granted, Air America and MSM and the board of directors will be spinning faster then Lance to obviate the truth, and as irratating as that is, the real problem won't be addressed. The kids at this center are currently being shuffled around to other agencies because their center was closed. Given the operating budget of the center, I suspect they served a lot of kids. I love google, here's the break down:
Gloria Wise Community Center By the Numbers

The Gloria Wise Community Center is one of the largest social service organizations in the Bronx; it manages:
4 Early Childhood Education centers.
27 Youth centers
1 Sleep away camp
5 Senior centers

Annual Participants:
300 children ages 3 and 4 years.
Over 10,000 youth ages 5 to 21 years.
Over 1,500 older adults, age 55 or better.

Program services began:
Pre-school, 1972
Youth services, 1977
Senior services, 2000

Staff:
181 full-time
548 part-time

Budget managed:
$17.2 million
Budget distribution:

Pre-school: 22%
Youth services: 48%
Camp: 3%
Older Adults services 12%
Administration: 13%
Development: 2%

How much political s@#* does it take to drown 12,000 kids and seniors? I can guarantee the sage directors of this fraud aren't sitting with grandma or toddler for the afternoon so some single mom can go to her $8.00/hr job so she can come home and cook up the Hamburger Helper after a 10 hour day. So, she'll have to skip work and they'll have Helper for dinner tonight, wondering where teenager is because there is no place for him to hang out, but there are plenty of gang bangers and drug pushers looking for recruits, runners, pushers etc.

These families need these places, they are the rare insulator from all the retrobate living around them. Yes they are run with government money, but should they be destroyed by politics?

If you're irked as I am, please considering registering for the Castaway Club Triathlon. The proceeds of this tri benefit
this
and they have a good history of using their money well.

I've go a link to register in the side colume-just let me know if you do and I'll pick up your swag and mail it to you. You can register as a ghost runner, but you should let them know what you are doing.




If not this, consider contacting your favorite charity that has an affiliate in the Bronx, as they will need help in these days as they will have to pick up the slack for GWC.

Ok, rant done
Have a good weekend