Wednesday, January 13, 2010

MLK Potluck Celebration and Canned Food Drive


Photo from the NYCCAH Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Anti-Hunger Serve-a-Thon.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them.” King went on to say that “poverty is one of the most urgent items on the agenda of modern life.”

Therefore, as we get ready to celebrate his birthday and the importance of his legacy and life, let us use this weekend as well as an opportunity to remember the least among us, those who do not know from whence the next meal cometh. Please join the New Democrats, your friends, and neighbors as we come together, this Saturday, January 16th, in the spirit of brother/sisterhood, and with a heightened awareness of our social responsibility.

We can do this in an atmosphere that is festive, where the air is warmed by your laughter, and your appetite is filled to your heart's content with the potluck dishes that will brought by all to be shared with all.

However, more importantly, this is a great opportunity for you to bring some canned goods and other non-perishables to be donated to one of our local food banks. The shelves of many food banks are bare, so let us do our part to put some food back onto those shelves and back onto the plates of those who hunger. Our goal is to raise two tons of food--together, we can make it happen.

Come on out this Saturday and have some fun with your friends and neighbors while doing your part to address the problem of hunger. Remember, we cannot be content to see men, women, and children go hungry in the land of plenty.

Amelia and I look forward to being your hosts this Saturday, January 16, 2010 at our home:

535 West 8th Street

Plainfield, NJ

7:00 pm to midnight.

All are invited, so let the party begin and let the cans come rolling in.

Regards,

Adrian

ADDITIONAL NOTE: For those who would like to make a donation to the Haiti relief efforts that are being organized in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, here are two quick ways to donate money for medical supplies, water, food, and other immediate relief.

1) Text the word "Haiti" to 90999 on your cell phone and $10.00 will go to the U.S. Haitian relief fund set up be the State Department.

2) Text "Yele" to 501501 and $5.00 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through Wyclef Jean's foundation, Yele Haiti.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Welcome, Councilwoman Bridget Rivers!


January 1, 2010 marked a new beginning for the city of Plainfield as former Board of Education president Bridget Rivers joined the city council. I worked very well with former Councilwoman Joanne Hollis, Bridget's sister, when she served as 4th Ward council representative during the administration of Al McWilliams. Bridget brings to the council a genuine desire for positive change, the energy and work ethic that are needed at this time, and a passion for the city and the 4th Ward, which she represents. I do believe that as the 4th Ward goes, so will the city; no ward can be left behind.

Hence, we must do all that we can to revitalize the 4th Ward and to make it once again a driving force of the city's economic engine. We must find a solution to the many Brownfields that proliferate in the 4th Ward; we must clean them up and make them ready for development. I have long thought that the Brownfields in the 4th Ward were perfectly suited for conversion into shopping outlets. I am confident that Route 28 in the 4th Ward can be made into an outlet shopping destination for neighboring communities.

I stand ready to work with Councilor Rivers and the administration of Mayor Robinson-Briggs to address the needs of the 4th Ward. I extend to Bridget a heartfelt welcome and a wish for much success as she embarks on her new journey with us!

Regards,

Adrian