Sharing Witness

Signs of Progress in New Orleans

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:03:32 -0500

It's a miracle I was able to finish my oversized Po' Boy sandwich this afternoon at the Parkway Diner in New Orleans. It's even more of a miracle they were able to serve it. Like the entire neighborhood, the restaurant was flooded when the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina. But after being evacuated, owner Jay Nix and his sisters and nephew eventually fought their way back as have 288,000 others, about 63% of New Orleans pre-storm population.

Majority of Southern Public School Children Live in Poverty

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:03:16 -0500

As if public education isn't facing enough challenges these days, we're seeing more poor students today than we have in 40 years. More than half of all students in southern public schools live in poverty, according to a report by the Southern Education Foundation. 14 states in the US have such a distinction, and 11 of them are in the south.

Melinda Gates and the E Word

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:09:26 -0500

Two weeks ago Melinda Gates used the E word. I want to share what she said, and what Bill Gates said too, and why it is so directly related to the way we confront hunger and other seemingly unsolvable social issues.

America the Principled: Restore the Idea of Common Ground

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:10:48 -0500

America has been said to be the world's first "new nation." Before the United States was conceived, the boundaries of nations were formed around shared history or ethnicity -- each group set apart. In contrast, the American founding concept was occupancy of the same space.

Mayor Bloomberg Helps Fight Hunger in NYC

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:03:55 -0500

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg may not like fancy food but that doesn't mean he doesn't like the role it can play in ending hunger for New York's children.

A High School Student Finds the Role of Her Life

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:17:55 -0500

I thought I was a perfectly normal teenager. My life was schoolwork, sports, hanging out with friends and spending time with family. Then I discovered my superpowers and a secret identity.

American Values and Stature on the Global Stage

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:51:21 -0500

The much anticipated September report of General David Petraeus will refocus the national conversation on the level of our engagement in Iraq. The drawdown of American forces, whenever it comes, will bring with it developments we can't predict.

Two Years After Katrina, Still Struggling With Healthcare

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:46:13 -0500

I've just returned from New Orleans where I visited Share Our Strength's partners and friends to see firsthand the progress and challenges that the city faces two years after Hurricane Katrina.

Giving Something Up to Give Something Back

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:35:19 -0500

Like the many that have tried it before me, I found the Food Stamp Challenge to be quite a difficult undertaking. When I first read about some Congressmen trying it, I thought it was an interesting idea and a fine example of experiential learning.

Calling on Congress to Do More

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 10:57:56 -0500

Last month, a coalition of advocates celebrated the bittersweet 20th anniversary of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. At the time, it was viewed as the first step in a larger effort to eradicate homelessness, but subsequent efforts never materialized.

Reaping the Rewards of Community Service

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:54:26 -0500

As an employee of The Timberland Company, I am one of thousands of dedicated, civic-minded individuals who use our service hours to give back to our global community.

Reporting as the First Step

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:26:07 -0500

I can remember that night in late November clearly. Tossing and turning in my bed, unable to keep my eyes shut, much less fall asleep. Was it the heat of the Dominican Republic hotel room? Perhaps the goat meat I ate at lunch?

Bearing Witness in the ER

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:07:56 -0500

With media attention to gun violence in Newark, Chicago, Philadelphia and other urban communities beginning to increase, ABC News this week ran a story about a new program in the emergency room, created by a trauma surgeon, that is less about medicine than it is about bearing witness.

Ethanol's Dissonant Sounds: A Dirge for the Commons

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:54:09 -0500

I recently traveled to Iowa to visit an ethanol plant. Over the din of the machinery, here are the sounds that I heard:

Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:12:22 -0500

On Sunday the Washington Post published an op-ed by the director of the trauma unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.