"Take Over" Film showing in Detroit, Feb 15, 5:30pm

You are invited to a FREE showing of the independent film "Take Over" -- documenting the 1990 nationwide takeover of federal housing organized by the National Union of the Homeless and the National Welfare Rights Union. It will be shown Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 5:30pm sharp. (Discussion to follow.)  MWRO office, 23. E. Adams at Woodward, 4th floor (at Central United Methodist Church). For more info, contact MWRO at 313-964-0618.

Detroit's Most Activist Church Awards NAACP's Julian Bond

By Gwendolyn Gaines and Sylvia Orduño

Central United Methodist Church is located in the heart of Detroit, MI, at the north end of downtown and adjacent to the Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park and the Lions' Ford Field. The church itself has been designated a historical building and its membership includes some of the most active members of the community. It is also the building that houses the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, National Welfare Rights Union, and Westside Mothers offices.

In recent years, the church has been led by Rev. Edwin Rowe, and is well-known through the state for its progressive mission and activist congregation. Members of the church regularly participate in and outreach with groups on issues such as: anti-war/peace and justice, poverty, homelessness, hunger, and more.

Last week, Central United Methodist Church held its fourth annual Peace and Justice Banquet, a fundraiser for the many social services operated by the church. The keynote speaker and winner of the night's Dr. Henry Hitt Crane Award was Julian Bond, Chair of the NAACP.

Among other events of the night: Cheryl Chodun was Mistress of Ceremony, Mr. Herman Dooha presented the Maryann Mahaffey Award to Councilwoman JoAnn Watson; Ms. Chodun presented Mr. Rory Gamble and Mr. Philip Schloop the Labor Award; Reverend Edwin Rowe presented the Pastor's Award to Mr. Rudy Simons; and Reverend Wendell Anthony introduced Mr. Julian Bond. There were over 200 people in attendance for the dinner and awards. (We had chicken in creamy sauce, potatoes, mixed vegetables, rolls, butter, lemonade, coffee, cheesecake, and cake).

Election Jitters From Utah's Right

The usually unflappable Sen. Orrin Hatch from Utah seems worried. In an interview today on Fox News (open Yahoo! Video link), he told of the catastrophic changes that would take place under a President Obama administration. His passionate fears ranged from increased unionization, poor people's representation on the U.S. Supreme Court, and a return to "the old welfare system." Sounds good to us!

This is the same Sen. Hatch who refused to meet a few years ago with Utah welfare rights members, JEDI Women, in Washington DC. With the Welfare Made a Difference Campaign, JEDI Women and National Welfare Rights Union members tried to meet with the Senator to voice our concerns about problems with welfare reform legislation. We wanted to ask his support for college degrees that would allow more families to earn a better living.

In December 2004, Utah was given an 'F' on welfare for its failures on welfare policy and results. As a representative of low-income people, Senator Hatch deserves his own 'F.'

Note: Both the JEDI Women (www.jedi4women.org) and Welfare Made a Difference Campaign (www.wmadcampaign.org) sites are down.

Blog Action Day and Poverty

Today is Blog Action Day. Since MWRO has a fairly new weblog, we had no idea what that was until today. Apparently, it's a day when everyone who has a blog writes about the same topic to increase the international awareness and (hopefully) action around the issue. And today's theme is poverty, quite appropriate.

On the matter of blogs, we have found that in this election season our Google Alerts have jumped tremendously on searches for "National Welfare Rights Organization," "NWRO," and "welfare rights." It seems that there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of conservative bloggers in the U.S. who are writing about Senator Obama's community organizing work with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Alongside that, they are also writing about ACORN's early relationship with the NWRO and George Wiley, a scientist turned poor people's community organizer.

But these weblogs aren't informative or even accurate. They're mostly inflammatory, ignorant, and built upon discrediting Presidential Candidate Obama and ACORN, and assailing welfare recipients. Here are a couple of examples:
Obama the ACORN nut: From little things, Left Liberal Marxist Socialism Grows;

Obama, ACORN, and Connections to Terrorist William Ayers

Now leading in the polls, Senator Obama surely has a lot to worry about and contend with. And once again, some people in this country--this world--in times of economic crisis have chosen to assess it by launching racist and venomous assaults on poor people instead of critiquing the true villain--a failed capitalist system.

The mission of the NWRO then and the National Welfare Rights Union now is to fight for the rights of poor and low-income people, especially those on public assistance. It's well understood that capitalism relies upon a cadre of low-skilled, low-wage workers to move in and out of the workforce, thereby, creating a permanent pool of the unemployed. Welfare recipients are at the bottom of this abyss and know better than anyone that it's not a place you choose to be in!

We invite critics and naysayers to learn more about welfare rights, economic human rights, and the efforts of many other good organizations and people who are trying to fight poverty and build a better world. Check out the links on the MWRO weblog page.

(Image: Courtesy of Kensington Welfare Rights Union)

NWRU Board Drafts 8 Position Points to Dismantle Poverty in the U.S.

August 2008

America’s poor and disenfranchised are languishing in the misery of rising poverty, a circumstance mostly ignored across the country. A nation that does not have a concrete plan for the elimination of poverty is a country that is prepared to tolerate poverty, and is doomed to failure.

The National Welfare Rights Union's Eight Position Points to Dismantle Poverty in the U.S. were drafted, discussed, and unanimously voted upon at our recent retreat-conference. As the recognized representatives that speak for the victims of poverty, the NWRU respectfully submits them to the Presidential Candidates as the foundation on which to start addressing poverty in the U.S. The National Welfare Rights Union also believes that “8 is enough.”

National Welfare Rights Union Retreat, Board Meeting and Awards Dinner

Save the date!! Get registered!!
National Welfare Rights Union Retreat, Board Meeting and Awards Dinner
Friday, August 29-Monday, September 1, 2008
Detroit, Michigan
Topics include: What Has Happened to the Safety Net and Why? Childcare, Foster Care, Domestic Violence. Electoral Issues--What Will It Take? Technology in Today's World of Work. Where Do We Go From Here--Our National Plan?
Go to mwro.org for Tentative Schedule and Registration Form