Poverty in the Local Spotlight

I got an e-mail the other day from One.org, the anti-poverty advocacy organization founded by Bono (of the rock band U2). The group is organizing meet-and-greet opportunities in communities around the country to coincide with the August legislative recess, when U.S. senators return to their districts. The purpose of these meetings is to urge our legislators to take action in addressing poverty.

Also, there's this AP story, which ran in the Charleston Gazette this week. It turns out a handful of advocacy groups are coming here to discuss poverty in light of the ongoing recession. That's very timely. We can attest that there is a greater need in these times--and fewer resources to address them.

It's always good to see people coming together to shine a light on issues that are a daily reality for us at The Mission. While it's our belief that combating poverty, homelessness and addiction is best handled by private organizations like ours (and not the federal government), we hope our community is galvanized by these upcoming events, realizes the struggle many in our area face and, most importantly, that our community takes action. It's the old "think globally, act locally" mindset that we hope to see.

If that's your reaction, we hope you'll take some time to come see what Union Mission is all about--and how you can help.