I used to be a community organizer but these days find myself with a lack of energy to organize. This letter I wrote to some local friends is not how to organize people but clarifies an issue of economic injustice that I feel compelled to speak out on.

Forty seven years ago Lucille Berrien and I, maybe some of you, traveled on a bus drive by Father James Groppi to Washington DC to be part of the Poor People’s Campaign. I have been on civil rights marches and peace and justice protest before but this was my first experience of being in solidarity with poor, people in need. The campaign was about economic equality for all. Being in solidarity with poor people, black, white and brown struggling for economic equality was a life changing experience for me.

Sadly income inequality has grown along with racial discrimination in Milwaukee. Even some very good organizations, with good intentions, like Children’s Hospital or Society of St. Vincent de Paul, are participating in this war on the poor.

I am writing you to ask you and your friends especially any that are poor, to join a rally to reform Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Milwaukee. I was a member of the Society for many years, in Madison and Milwaukee, and Pat and I enjoyed participating in the main mission of the Society, making person to person home visits to people in need. However, the Milwaukee Society of St. Vincent de Paul has lost its way and is no longer serving the mission or goal of this international lay Catholic organization. For more information of how and why this happened see article on Mission of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, especially Tale of Two SVDP Thrift Stores.

The Milwaukee Society of St. Vincent de Paul is controlled mostly by white suburban persons who think they “know what is best” for poor and marginalized. They claim to believe that building and operating a thrift store in Greenfield for millions of dollars will help serve the mission of Society “offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering” and purpose of SVDP thrift store: “Serving Christ’s needy is the primary goal of all St. Vincent De Paul Stores.” They have marginalized a few messengers, like is done with poor, and need to hear for wide variety of people, especially the poor whose needs are not being served because of this large investment in the suburbs.

So we ask you to join us for one hour on Tuesday, June 23rd, 6:30–7:30 pm to rally to reform this beloved Society and plan for a direct nonviolent action where the Voice of the Poor can be heard. There is a flyer attached and you can get flyers from contacting us at ,

If you belong to organization that are concerned about economic equality and justice for all please let them know and bring them with you. Again this is not the only organization to discriminate on race and income but it is one that professes to be of, for and by the people and one we can reform and make a difference. No more economic inequality.

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