Your thoughts re: an activist idea to help citizens in crisis?

[OneGrassRoot]

Last edited Thu Aug 1, 2013, 11:05 AM - Edit history (1)

As I mentioned in the most recent "Help a DUer" OP, it comes as no surprise that, even at DU, there are many more who are in need than those who are able to help, financially and otherwise.

In that OP I asked for your help:

I need your help to spread the word about Wishadoo! So much of this process of helping one another directly is about trust; even if you may not know another DUer directly, there is a level of trust involved if they are a long-time member. But I need help expanding beyond DU; there are more members in need than there are those who can help.

Would you please spread the word and invite people to join Wishadoo! and make use of the various tools there? Existing communities such as your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, any organizations to which you belong (Occupy!), any other online communities to which you belong, your place of worship, your school....anywhere and everywhere.

Nearly every Wishlist post in the crisis category is representative of MANY similar crises playing out across the country. We know this. The gross inequality and injustice manifesting in myriad ways all around is resulting in more and more citizens in survival mode, with fewer actually thriving.

It's overwhelming.

There are veterans, caregivers, senior citizens, teachers, students and others represented at Wishadoo!'s Wishlist. Most of the hardships people are enduring are unnecessary, but our current systems are creating these hardships. Poverty is created. For the vast majority of people suffering, it is NOT due to any poor choice made on their part. I realize I'm preaching to the choir here.

My first approach is always to try to find existing resources that may have been missed along the way before landing at Wishadoo! (This is time consuming; as the number of posts grow, I'm asking other community members to please help find resources, one of the many reasons I need help to grow the community itself. The more who gather....)

It recently dawned on me to take these individual situations (with the person's permission, and after failing to find existing resources) directly to our "public servants," so they can see the hardship their constituents are facing.

When no existing assistance can be found, what if I were to create a separate social media campaign of sorts for each crisis post -- providing information regarding the general issue in question leading to this person's crisis in order to highlight the bigger picture, as well as provide proposed solutions -- to engage others in bombarding local government officials' offices regarding the individual situation?

Perhaps this campaign could also be in the form of a Change.org petition, for even more visibility.

Recently a community member's foreclosure crisis was dealt with behind the scenes and didn't make it to the Wishlist post stage. In working on that situation, I discovered that some congressional reps do have "case managers" of sorts to help constituents facing crisis, such as foreclosure, and work with them to find solutions. But bombarding mayors and governors would be part of this bombardment as well.

Even if they wouldn't do anything, we could bombard them on social media, via the phone, fax, email, etc, just as we do when we're applying pressure regarding a legislative decision.

It could put a face on these various issues to raise awareness (and perhaps empathy and compassion as well), grow the Wishadoo! Community and engage other sectors of our communities (local/state government agencies, nonprofits, and the business community) to come together to address these situations at a grassroots level and help alleviate the current acute suffering as much as possible.

One person, one family at a time.

(I plan to contact the Moral Monday people -- since that needs to expand nationwide -- to see if there is a way to collaborate on this approach in some way, as well as Occupy. I've had a "Six Degrees of Compassion" project in mind for over a year now, and this may be the perfect way to launch it.)

Is this sort of social media/online action regarding these individual crises something you can see participating in?

Thoughts?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. Maybe an Angel Tree type idea

If every need became a campaign then the people you rely on to help might get burned-out by the constant campaigning but if you had a platform where you say, "So-and-so needs such-and-such for this-and-that" then the benefactors have a more meaningful and personal means of contributing.

Out where I live the local church has a "prayer chain." Sometimes the prayer is as simple as mowing the yard for the widow down the road. Recently they had a "prayer" for one of our neighbors who was recently paralyzed. The community -- including non-church members -- got together to refurbish his home to accommodate his wheel chair/mobility issues.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Not sure I follow....

The Wishlist is set up already with various categories, not all of them requiring financial assistance (though, unfortunately, most do given the state of things). When I speak of a campaign, it's with the intent of it targeting government officials -- not a campaign for each and every Wishlist post being sent to the Wishadoo community members. That would result in compassion fatigue for sure.

(I know compassion fatigue already happens within the DU community already, since there are indeed more who need help than those who can offer help. There is what I call a group of "DU angels" who have asked to be notified whenever a DUer does post in the Wishlist, in case they miss my OPs here.)

And I really appreciate what your church and other churches do to help one another, which is why I plan to engage the faith-based community as my top priority in the near future to make use of the tools at Wishadoo for their own community, spreading out beyond the church itself.

What I'm trying to gauge is whether or not a campaign (or just an effort, not sure what to call it) that targets government officials with the details of their constituents who are in crisis. Just as we contact them via phone, email, fax and social media when we want to get their attention about any number of issues, we could employ the same strategy to engage them about very specific constituents in crisis, which are no doubt representative of MANY constituents in crisis.

I was wondering if DUers feel that is a viable option and, if so, if they'd be willing to participate.

Thanks, Nuclear Unicorn!

[OneGrassRoot]

3. kick for thoughts n/t

[cate94]

4. You have more ideas about helping people

than I have energy.

I think it is a good idea. It might be more successful in some areas than in others. However, I think even in the areas where it wouldn't help a specific person, it might have a long term impact.

Our country has lost much of the empathy that made it a great nation. The vocal minority has been complaining loud and long about taxes and "welfare" and it has hurt all of us. Pointing out individual constituents, and their difficulties to our legislators might help open some eyes.

OTOH, it could very possibly be an exercise in futility. It may be too little too late. In which case it will be a head banging experience of epic proportions.

I write letters all the time. My forehead has a permanent dent from all the head banging I do. Of course I'd try to help...

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Ideas I have....

but I suck at getting others involved in order to implement them to a meaningful degree.

But, hey, I keep trying.

Thanks for your feedback!

[mmonk]

6. There are of course, Congressional politicians and their districts

and this could help with constituent services so to speak. Another added approach is if everyone could form legislative teams for each state and dig in from the state level as well on their constituent service needs.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Yes, thank you!

Always good to see you, mmonk.

[mmonk]

8. And you and your ideas for a better world.

[NewThinkingChance40]

9. It would be nice to see

something like this reach a national stage. A campaign to help those in need, and build a community in the world where people do not have to be afraid of each other. I would be on board to help however I can.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. "a world where people do not have to be afraid of each other."

THAT. IS. HUGE.

I absolutely agree. So much of the manipulation, corruption and destruction is a result of fear.

Fear of "the other." Those in power -- corporatists, politicians and media -- manipulate that fear tremendously and perpetuate it in many ways.

[mick063]

10. I contribute towards charity

knowing full well that it is the Republican preferred method of assistance.

I pick and choose. My current focus is in engaging youth in non criminal activity.


I walked through a grocery store yesterday that attempted to sell me a coupon toward an unspecified charity. They ring it up on the register as if it was a food item.

I declined.

Why?

In my opinion, it is the role of government to be charitable. It is the grocery store chain attempting to impose voluntary tax to super cede a traditional government role. They will add it to their resume as a success story of "doing it without the help of government". It adds to their narrative. It adds political weight to their agenda.

I refuse to contribute to charity through corporate sponsor. I contribute directly to the charity itself.

I find the latest advertisement by Walmart, offering two boxtops instead of one, especially appalling. They are literally assuming a government role and lord knows what schools they are helping. Private ones I'll bet. Meanwhile, their own employees require government assistance.

[OneGrassRoot]

11. So, you would agree with this idea of taking individual constituents' stories...

stories of individuals in crisis (of which there are obviously MANY, in each and every district), directly to the politicians' doorstep (local offices), right?

I hear what you're saying and certainly understand your approach.

Regarding my question posed in the OP, I think we're on the same page, but I'm not sure...lol.

[mick063]

13. Correct

It is time for the government to adequately distribute charity in an equitable way.

One should not be forced to attend church to receive charity. One should not display a political agenda to receive charity.

Corporate charity is charity distributed on the terms of the corporation. Perhaps good, perhaps well intended. I would much prefer that they are appropriately taxed and that representative politics determine charitable priority.


Think through the logic. Walmart refuse to pay an equitable wage, yet asks for help in distributing charity. Why is it that they may not simply pay some extra tax, instead of asking for charity?

Because it is a regressive tax. Regressive in the fact that Walmart consumers, typically low and middle class, are being asked to take up the charitable burden. Walmart has taken it upon themselves to assume a traditional government role and be the ultimate decider on where charitable priority lies. Further, with this regressive tax, Walmart can evade taxation themselves, all the while, claiming social responsibility.

[OneGrassRoot]

14. One of my mantras: Justice not charity. Agreed. :) n/t

[Logical]

15. Nice n-t

[Omaha Steve]

16. K&R!