Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Susan Mortimer and Betty Reid Mandell from Survivors, Inc. talked about the humiliation visited on welfare recipients by case workers and legislators. Both talked about trying to mobilize the fight against poverty and injustice and not against poor people.
Mary Woodman Amato read out part of a poem: "The only war we need to win is the war that intends to deny what we all witness each and every day: the injustice of poverty and hunger."

Article from WBZ on Kip's Hunger Strike

She is a hero among the homeless. And now 82-year-old Kip Tiernan is putting her health at risk to help again.

The founder of Rosie's Place is on a three day fast to raise donations and awareness for poverty and homelessness. "We love what were doing and love what has to be done and we're never gonna stop," says Tiernan.

Inside the Old South Church in Boston Tiernan, along with others from the Poor People's United Fund will not eat for three days. It is not easy, but they say it has never been so bad for the needy. "Our children are suffering, our old ladies and men and dying and they are looking at canned dog food, but even that's too expensive," says Tiernan.

Her friends and supporters say Tiernan is amazing. "She is very courageous. For anybody to go on a fast is something… for her to do it after all these years is really something" says her friend Mark Harvey.

They have had calls of support and e-mails from people all over the country who say they are fasting for the cause as well. "We felt like we had to say something. We couldn't stand by anymore," says Fran Froehlich with the Poor People's United Fund.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
From WBZ TV
http://wbztv.com/local/kip.tiernan.strike.2.1027282.html