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Visiting communities and the election in DC

On Tuesday, I returned from a 16-day journey to the Midwest to visit two Catholic Worker communities. The first was in Kansas City and the second one was in Davenport, IA, and I must say they are very different. I loved KC and I would probably want to live there if it was on the East Coast. They provide breakfast, showers, laundry services, and free second-hand clothes to homeless folks three times a week. In addition, they have a small urban farm, which includes more than two dozen egg-laying hens, honey bees, fruit trees, okra, bell pepper, and much more! I also think the four regular CW members: Jodi, Eric, Allison, and Lonnie are remarkable people. Davenport on the other hand is small, basically two houses of hospitality for long-term guests run by one amazing CW member, Michael. I will be upfront in saying that I developed quite a crush on Michael, but I think I am growing past that now. For a number of reasons, I don't think Davenport would be a great fit for me over the long-run. I also witnessed a lot of good resources for the homeless in the Quad Cities area, so I think that there are many urban areas with severe unmet needs, and I would be more drawn to those places. Also, there's a lot to be said for living as part of a larger group of f-t Catholic Workers. And, as for my early comment about the East Coast, I think with parents aging and becoming more vulnerable, I do feel called to be within a less than 10-hour drive of them. So with that said, the next two CW communities I will be visiting next month will be on the East Coast, and while not really close to D.C. -- significantly closer than Iowa or Missouri.

It is getting down to election time in D.C., and I have had the great pleasure of volunteering for Eugene Puryear's campaign for City Council. His public positions resonate strongly with my own views powered by my belief system. And the good news is he has a fairly good chance of winning! Early voting begins Monday. And I will be working closely with the camping during these last two weeks! This evening, I did a bit of outreach for Eugene at the mayoral debate at Anacostia High.
Anyhow, check out Eugene's Website. If you are progressive like me, I am sure you will love his candidacy.
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