There are many things I find terrifying about the time we are living through. As someone who has been trying to raise awareness about economic inequality through my 1500 Stories project for years and years now and as someone for whom teaching about inequality is literally my day job, the economic devastation that so many are experiencing, including my own students, is at the forefront of my mind alongside the health risks, suffering and loss of life. I know that everyone is facing different circumstances economically right now. Some of us are suffering more than others during the COVID-19 crisis and will not get the help they need from the stimulus package. And some of us are receiving money even though our income has not been affected. If you fall into this second category, this message is especially for you. During this time of uncertainty we are holding two sometimes contradictory thoughts: how can I protect myself and my family and how can we help people who have been systematically excluded from resources? I think of this as the share versus hoard dilemma and as you can imagine I come down pretty firm on the the share side of that dilemma. While we may be afraid of scarcity, I am asking you to act from your courage and generosity rather than your fear. How can we make the world we want to live in? How can we take care of one another and of the most vulnerable members of our community? In this time of terrible challenge, there is something you can do. I don't know about you but my feelings of powerlessness contribute to my anxiety and I find it very helpful to BE helpful right now because that is what keeps me sane and cuts down on the insomnia that has returned with a vengeance.

I and others are pooling our stimulus checks (or donating anyway if we make too much money to receive a stimulus check) to give directly to folks who are left out of the federal safety net. And we’re working with Sacred Heart Community Service to make it happen. We can make this money meaningful by sharing it with those most vulnerable in our communities. You can redistribute justice by making a donation at https://donate.sacredheartcs.org/COVIDcheck

Please share with others if you feel so moved. P.S. I did the graphic design for this flyer.