Following Black History Month, I urge us to reflect on where we are with respect to racism today. One of the interesting issues African Americans often face is white people calling themselves colorblind, meaning it as a compliment to black people. But most resent it, because, by not admitting that we can see color, whites […]

Hopes of getting an increase to the piteously low federal minimum wage were dealt a serious blow last week when the Senate’s Parliamentarian ruled that it couldn’t be included in the massive COVID-19 relief package now moving through Congress. The announcement was widely expected, and the ruling from the strenuously nonpartisan arbiter threw a major […]

The Gathering Place is approaching its 10th anniversary, having first opened its door on Feb. 7, 2011, offering shelter, friendship and hope. I had attended a training class for volunteers but wasn’t assigned during the first week. But I showed up for week two and was a regular volunteer for the next nine years until […]

Talking to children about the reality of food insecurity can be difficult. How do you explain why some children at school get different food at lunchtime? Why is the school doing a food drive and why do some people need help getting enough food? Why does my refrigerator look so different than that of my […]

The U.S. has only one political party. The Democratic Party. For almost a century, the country has been given a choice between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. But that has changed – radically. When Donald Trump entered the GOP primaries in 2016, he faced a collection of traditional conservatives. One of the defenders of traditional […]