Five good examples of citizens and philanthropies filling void of the US government shutdown
11 replies, posted
[quote][quote][B]Death benefits[/B]
It is called the ultimate sacrifice, but a soldier giving his or her life for the United States wasn't prompting the Pentagon to deliver benefits to surviving family members.
So, stepping in is an organization that few Americans outside the military had heard of until now: the Fisher House Foundation.[/quote]
[quote][B]$5 gift cards[/B]
An East Coast grocery chain on Thursday began distributing $500,000 worth of $5 gift cards to food banks in three cities in North Carolina because the pantries expect long lines in the wake of a suspended federal program serving low-income pregnant women and new mothers with children under age 5.
The suspended federal aid is part of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, called WIC.[/quote]
[quote][B]Impoverished preschoolers[/B]
It took a billionaire couple to keep Head Start classrooms open for 7,000 low-income children in six states.
Laura and John Arnold are giving $10 million to ensure the early childhood education program remains open in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi.[/quote]
[quote][B]Feeding the furloughed[/B]
A food bank is coming to the rescue of more than 2,200 workers at one of the shuttered U.S. parks -- the Grand Canyon National Park -- as well as 1,200 employees in the private hospitality sector who depend on an open park for business.
Non-mandated federal employees don't have a paycheck. And workers in nearby hotels and restaurants are also hurt by the loss of tourism.
So, the St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix has begun weekly distribution of emergency food boxes to workers strained by the Grand Canyon's shutdown.[/quote]
[quote][B]Volunteer lawn mower[/B]
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington needed a landscaper, so Chris Cox of Charleston, South Carolina, brought a gas mower and trimmed the grass while holding his home state's flag. The other hand pushed the mower.
The moment was captured on a CNN iReport video by passerby Darrel Stroman, who said: "I get caught at the light and see a man cutting the grass at the Lincoln Memorial. I didn't know what was stranger at the moment -- the fact that he was cutting the lawn or that he was holding the South Carolina state flag while cutting.[/quote]
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[url]http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/us/shutdown-five-good-examples/index.html[/url]
Goes to show that there are still some generous people still out there.
This is the real America, not those stupid fucks in our Government squabbling like children.
Republicans will use this as justification to cut spending on everything.
The worst of times bring out the best of people.
[QUOTE=luverofJ!93;42517459]This is the real America, not those stupid fucks in our Government squabbling like children.[/QUOTE]
Actually they are both "the real america"
Wishful thinking doesn't help anyone.
Just wait until these new institutions grow in influence as they take on more and more responsibilities of government. Soon enough BANG new government.
At least thats how it has worked previously in history, individuals and committees always cover a governments weakness and then gradually become more influential than said government (e.g. people who joined coffee shop committees in 1700-1800 London).
[QUOTE=mcattack1092;42517178]Goes to show that there are still some generous people still out there.[/QUOTE]Now lets get THESE people into government.
Seriously though, its nice that there are still some good people out there.
I'm sure this is what supporters of the free market with no gov always say will happen.
But I'm not one of them.
Its amazing how much you can get done without the gov't.
it's all about the profit
[QUOTE=MR-X;42520768]Its amazing how much you can get done without the gov't.[/QUOTE]
These guys did more in one week than what the gov't have done this term.
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