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The Willimantic
community is generally supportive of the Soup Kitchen, but there
certainly is a significant element that would prefer to see it
and poor people in general vanish. If it had to move, the Soup
Kitchen very likely would not be welcome in most of the city. This
is illustrated on the political scene by the choice of Frog Prince as
preferred downtown developer a few years ago. The dream scenario:
replace poor people and supportive housing with an upscale hotel and
upscale condos.
Reported comments
at public hearings on Common Ground's plans for supportive housing
(on a relatively non-visible site, far from downtown and the Soup
Kitchen) also were quite negative. For example, a proposed park was
rejected because it would just become a haven for drug dealers.
The Soup Kitchen
itself also made the paper. A letter to the editor published in the
Willimantic Chronicle (12/15/06) made statements such as:
Those
freeloaders like to hang out from breakfast through to lunch for free
food then go home with containers of take out for supper many of
whom do not do one bit of work to fill their bellies. This is not
right and should be stopped.
It goes on in that
vein. In the following week, the only response was mine (published
12/19/06):
Editor:
It would be easy
to preach a fire and brimstone sermon condemning views such as those
expressed in the letter by Marilyn J. Easton. Views probably shared
if not expressed by many in the community. Jesus preached
more than one of those sermons see for example the judgment
section of Matthew 25. Instead, I suggest we worry about how a
society as wealthy as ours can justify the need for a soup kitchen
that serves about 100,000 meals a year in Willimantic.
I would invite Ms.
Easton, and anyone else interested, to stop in at St. Paul's (where
the soup kitchen is located) on a Sunday morning, to discuss the
issues over a cup of coffee and refreshments. In fact, come on the
first Sunday of the month and have breakfast. Worship is at 9:00,
but if you prefer, just come to the parish hall for coffee hour, or
breakfast, a little after 10:00. You will be welcome, and you will
find quite a variety of people including some who depend on the
soup kitchen.
I know why some
people need the soup kitchen. If you're getting by on disability and
odd jobs, or working two jobs - but the rent and electric bill take
three quarters of your take home pay - there's not a lot left for
food. Actually, there are a lot of other reasons reasons that go
beyond just food and include community and support. I will end by
saying that I came to St. Paul's just a few years ago, and that one
of the things that attracted me and keeps me there - is its close
and supportive relationship with the soup kitchen.
Al Eggen
Ashford
The questions are
easy, the answers are not. The one sure thing is that as long as St.
Paul's exists we will support the Isaiah 58 ministry in any way that
we can.
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