Now here's a great idea!

[theHandpuppet]

I loved hearing about this and it sounds as if everyone benefitted from coming together.

http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2006/08/06/news/local_news/1news_singles.txt

Singles day out

By LINDSAY NIEGELBERG
PDT Staff Photographer
Saturday, August 5, 2006 11:32 PM EDT

Single parents had their burdens eased yesterday during Christ's Community Church's third annual Single Parents' Day. Oil changes, bicycle repair, medical and legal services, crafts for kids, and make-overs and massages for parents are just some of the free services provided.

(snipping)

About 210 people preregistered, and organizers estimate that more than 600 people attended. Local mechanics, hairdressers, doctors and other professionals and hobbyists gave their time - some closing their businesses - to volunteer their skills at the event. Dr. Tracy Murray, a dentist in Portsmouth, closed his office for the day and accepted 28 patients for free. CRADLE, a crisis pregnancy center, gave away free children's clothing. Free scoliosis screening, hearing and vision tests also were available.

“There are a lot of single mothers who don't have a lot of money, and this helps them,” said Debbie Schackart, single mother of 15-year-old Kayla. The Schakarts took advantage of many free services, including hair cuts, an oil change and a free bag of age-appropriate school supplies. Kayla's, for high school, included a scientific calculator. More than 500 bags filled with approximately $1,000 in school supplies were donated by church parishioners.... MORE

[nosillies]

1. That was amazing -- thanks for sharing.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. What a wonderful example of citizens doing

what their selected government fails to do at times... what a wonderful story... thanks for sharing.

[theHandpuppet]

3. Yes, and there are some Dems who could take a lesson

I'm specifically speaking of Dems who deride those poor and/or rural folk whom they see as voting against their own best interests. It's an issue I once addressed in this post from my journal http://journals.democraticunderground.com/theHandpuppet/23 but this issue never goes away because the underpinnings are so poorly understood.

[terminal_concept]

4. They're good Christians

Since your speaking to me,because I was one who said they where voting against their best interest.There are some Republicans who would have the poor homeless and begging churches for help.What happens if we hit hard times and Church donations slow down?If we start cutting taxes on the rich do you think the Church will pick up all the slack?Will they handle housing and education too?How do we make sure the giving is fair?Isn't the Church's first priority itself?Do the rich churches leave their neighborhood or their state before they help the poor?This type of charity is inefficient unfair and I don't trust it.

"It's by adopting the image, rather than the substance, of the church that the Republicans have made such headway into previously Dem strongholds. "

From your own article .This is definately against their interest.The problem is image .While small churches are being overshadowed by Christian conservative televangelist megachurches ,Democrats are being overshadowed by a minority that are just as intolerant as people who they call intolerant.I have to confess,I'm not very socially liberal.I agree people should be free to do what they want ,but when we support extremism for the sake of a minority we're all going to lose.

[theHandpuppet]

5. I'll answer you point by point.

Okay, let's begin with:

"There are some Republicans who would have the poor homeless and begging churches for help. What happens if we hit hard times and Church donations slow down?"

Which is why we need social safety nets on a state and federal level. We need elected officials who will walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We haven't seen the likes of that since LBJ's War on Poverty.

"If we start cutting taxes on the rich do you think the Church will pick up all the slack?"

Of course not. I'm certainly not in favor of cutting taxes on the rich and I don't know why you would think that.

"Will they handle housing and education too? How do we make sure the giving is fair? Isn't the Church's first priority itself? Do the rich churches leave their neighborhood or their state before they help the poor? This type of charity is inefficient unfair and I don't trust it."

First question: No
Second: I don't know, I don't have an anwer for that. I think that it may be time to start taxing churches, but I worry about how that might affect the small, rural or inner city churches which are doing the lion's share of community service.
Third: That could be in of itself a very complicated discussion.
Four: I don't understand your question.
Fifth question: Neither do I, but the point is for many of the poor has been the only thing that's worked for them. THAT's the point. The government has failed them, time and again, be it a Republican or Democratic adminstration. In between elections they're always abandoned and the only thing left standing in their corner is their church. THAT'S the point.

'It's by adopting the image, rather than the substance, of the church that the Republicans have made such headway into previously Dem strongholds.' From your own article .This is definately against their interest.The problem is image ."

This is a strategy which has worked well for the Republicans and not just in garnering votes from the rural and poor. The marketing of "image" is a societal problem. America is all about marketing and who knows better how to use that tool than a party run by corporatists and ubercapitalists? Look at how they managed to sell wars by wrapping themselves in the false flag of patriotism. How they convinced the American public it was in their own best interests to sacrifice their personal liberties on the altar of this trumped-up "war on terror". How they get people to buy cars the size of school buses even as the planet melts beneath their feet. Americans buy into things that run counter to their own best interests all the time. The point is to find a strategy to counter the Republicans' marketing packages, ones based on substance rather than image. For instance, I've seen too may politicians on both sides of the aisle come into Appalachia loaded with armsful of promises, only to forget all about those same promises once elections were over and done.

Finally, I'm admittedly a bit confused about this last part of your post. Care to explain it to me in a bit more detail?

"While small churches are being overshadowed by Christian conservative televangelist megachurches, Democrats are being overshadowed by a minority that are just as intolerant as people who they call intolerant. I have to confess, I'm not very socially liberal. I agree people should be free to do what they want but when we support extremism for the sake of a minority we're all going to lose."

[terminal_concept]

6. heres what I'm saying

I think we agree these a good people who want to help.

"While small churches are being overshadowed by Christian conservative televangelist megachurches, Democrats are being overshadowed by a minority that are just as intolerant as people who they call intolerant."

When Democrats criticize religion they are usually talking about what they heard from Televangelists or at least the larger politically influencial churches.They're saying it's the apocalypse in the middle east.

When Republicans criticize liberals they are usually talking about people who are intolerant to religion.Like the war on Christmas was created using rare examples of what I believe are a minority.

"I have to confess, I'm not very socially liberal. I agree people should be free to do what they want but when we support extremism for the sake of a minority we're all going to lose."

I'm not very liberal socially ,poverty ,the war in iraq,corruption,The power of the corporate media .These are some of the most important issues to me.These are what I want Democrats to focus on.

[theHandpuppet]

7. Well then, we agree on a number of issues...

... however, I think you're bring a bit evasive with this statement:

"I have to confess, I'm not very socially liberal. I agree people should be free to do what they want but when we support extremism for the sake of a minority we're all going to lose."

I'm not very liberal socially ,poverty ,the war in iraq,corruption,The power of the corporate media .These are some of the most important issues to me.These are what I want Democrats to focus on.