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| (Image by Paul Whiting ) |
Jesus Christ Is The
Light Of The World
Jesus Christ
Is The Light
Of The World!
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"
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My Writing About The Light Of The World: Jesus Christ is The Light of the world! –Paul Whiting (written April 14th, 2022 and revised December 4th, 2022)
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My Writing About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023) [April 9th, 2023 Update]: Happy Easter, everyone! I decided to make one-time donations today, April 9th, 2023, to charities who are helping those in need during Easter, which includes local nonprofits who are helping homeless folks (Union Gospel Mission, Portland Rescue Mission and Blanchet House of Hospitality), as well as nonprofits who are helping hungry folks, including a local food bank (Oregon Food Bank) and a national hunger-relief organization (Feeding America). And I was inspired to make these donations by an advertisement video that I saw on a news website recently, which was for one of the local nonprofits, here in Portland, Oregon, that I donated to today who are helping homeless folks! –Paul Whiting (written April 9th, 2023, revised April 13th, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023 and revised March 24th, 2024)
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My Writing Continued About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023) [April 9th, 2023 Update—Continued, Written On April 11th, 2023]: Happy Easter, everyone! I received a mailer from The Salvation Army Portland Metro today, April 11th, 2023, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Our pantry is almost empty!", which stated the following (by the way, I hand-typed the text below on my smartphone from the mailer's letter):
The Salvation Army
DOING THE MOST GOOD
Dear Mr. Whiting,
We have an urgent request — and we need your help.
Here in the Portland Metro area, requests for food assistance continue to come in. Surging inflation is causing more neighbors to turn to us in need. Their pantries are empty. They tell us: "Our family is hungry. Please help!"
It's heartbreaking.
Let me tell you about the kinds of people who come through our doors, desperate for help:
⋆ A single mom, working a job that pays minimum wage. She struggles to afford the rising cost of food and other essentials. Her paycheck just don't stretch that far. Her kids are hungry.
⋆ A widow learning to live on reduced Social Security benefits after the death of her husband. Taxes, insurance, and other necessary expenses leave her with nothing to spend at the grocery store.
⋆ A young family man, back at work after being laid off for several months. He continues to catch up with bills and other expenses, and worries about how he will feed his family.
(( Everyone who comes to our doors has a story ... some of them more tragic than others. But all of them have one thing in common: the basic need for food. ))
We try to keep a variety of food and food vouchers on hand, so people in need can feed their families. But with so many people coming to us for help, we are challenged to meet everyone's needs.
Please give now, and help us serve our neighbors who need help right here in the Portland Metro area. Your generosity will offer a love beyond crisis for families who are running out of food.
For people in need,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
Thank you and God bless you!
And so, I made a one-time donation to The Salvation Army Portland Metro, in addition to The Salvation Army USA, in order to show my support for helping The Salvation Army "serve our neighbors who need help."
Plus, here is the message that I wrote to The Salvation Army Portland Metro in the "Leave a comment" section on their donation page:
Dearest Salvation Army Portland Metro,
Happy Easter! This donation is for your "Our pantry is almost empty!" mailer, which I just received today, April 11th, 2023.
By the way, I am sorry that I didn't donate to you on Easter Sunday, but I am out of my apartment for a while, since it is being repaired for water damage due to a flood (which ironically happened on Christmas Eve at about 5:30 AM, and that is why I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" that night!) and I am only checking my mail about every seven days.
Yours very truly,
-Paul Whiting
Poet, Artist and Philosopher
Portland, Oregon
P.S.: I was so inspired by the letter that accompanied your above-mentioned "Our pantry is almost empty!" mailer that I also decided to donate to The Salvation Army USA, as well!
Thus, these donations are a part of my recent contributions "to charities who are helping those in need during Easter," as described above in my 'April 9th, 2023 Update,' which can be found above and that also appears as 'My Writing About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023)' on some of my blogs.
–Paul Whiting (written April 11th, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023, revised May 18th, 2023, revised July 22nd, 2023, revised August 14th, 2023, revised November 12th, 2023 and revised March 24th, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'my writing,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'my writings' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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My Writing About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024) [March 31st, 2024 Update No. 1, Written On March 24th, 2024]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 1, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs) was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
On Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, I made one-time donations to charities who are helping those in need during Easter, which includes a national veterans' organization (Coalition to Salute America's Heroes), and local nonprofits who are helping homeless folks here in Portland, Oregon (Union Gospel Mission, Portland Rescue Mission, Blanchet House of Hospitality and Blanchet Farm, plus Sisters of the Road), as well as an international charitable organization (The Salvation Army), in addition to nonprofits who are helping hungry folks, including a national hunger-relief organization (Feeding America) and a local food bank (Oregon Food Bank). And I was inspired to make these donations because of Jesus The Christ's loving message of "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024, revised March 31st, 2024 and revised May 6th, 2024)
P.S.: Please see my detailed descriptions—immediately after this 'update'—of the following Easter Sunday donations (that I made on Palm Sunday) for which I received donation requests through the regular mail!
The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
Union Gospel Mission: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
The Salvation Army: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
Feeding America: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
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My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024) [March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs) was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (CSAH) twenty three days ago on March 1st, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Heroes like this veteran [pictured on the envelope] sacrificed everything for our freedom. In their time of need, who will be there for them?", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
Coalition to
Salute America's Heroes
Portland Area 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive
Dramatic Increase in America's Catastrophically Disabled Veterans Who Cannot Afford Groceries — and Some are Losing their Home
Dear Mr. Whiting,
My name is [redacted]. I proudly served in the U.S. Army. While deployed in Iraq, I was seriously injured from a roadside bomb.
I suffered severe burns on over 35% of my body, losing my nose, ears, and some of my fingers. That's me to the right in a side-by-side photo before that bomb went off and what I look like today.
Even after spending 48 days in a coma and going through more than 75 surgeries, I consider myself lucky — three of my fellow soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and died in the bomb blast.
I've taken the unusual step of sending you the attached real $2.19 check. You may be wondering about the check amount. You see, the numbers 219 are important to me — I was severely injured on February 19.
I sent you the check to make sure you would not miss my letter. And here's why . . .
. . . Many of my fellow disabled War on Terror veterans are struggling financially — unable to afford the skyrocketing cost of food, much less the rising cost of utilities, rent or mortgage.
Mr. Whiting, the global War on Terror is far from over — as evident by the attacks in Israel and on U.S. service members abroad — and has resulted in many of our nation's servicemen and women returning home burned (like me), blinded, brain-damaged, paralyzed, or suffering from other severe wounds.
Disabled veterans call us each and every week with no place else to turn to for help. They are desperate to feed their families, stop their utilities from being cut off, or prevent an eviction from their home and becoming homeless.
Mr. Whiting, you can cash the $2.19 check if you like. But I hope you will not and instead find it in your heart to give to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. The Coalition is the nation's leading organization providing direct emergency aid to support our post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans.
We need every dollar we can raise to provide emergency aid to our catastrophically wounded heroes who fought to protect us in the global War on Terror but now are in dire financial crises. That's why the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes has launched its 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive.
The skyrocketing cost of food, and rising cost of gas, utilities, and to keep a roof over your head has affected everyone. But for our seriously wounded veterans and their families, it is devastating. You may be wondering why.
After being severely injured in the War on Terror, returning home, and being discharged from service, these wounded heroes had to wait on average six months — and sometimes over a year — to receive their first disabilities benefit check. Imagine going six months before receiving your first benefit check. It takes years for these severely disabled veterans to financially recover from the disaster caused by the Veterans Affairs backlog of claims.
I know you agree that America's post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans deserve much more than to return home severely disabled from the battleground only to be forced into a battle against financial disaster.
In addition to the emergency aid these wounded veterans desperately need, they also need to know their lifelong sacrifices have not been forgotten. That is why I have included with this letter an Easter Thank You and Get Well card that I hope you will sign and return. Coalition supporters have sent me Thank You and Get Well cards, and I can tell you that this show of support has helped in my road to recovery.
And your generosity can provide a wounded hero the peace of mind that they can feed their family, stay in their home, or avoid some other financial disaster — and maybe offer hope for the future.
Please send your generous tax-deductible gift to help our severely disabled troops who have already sacrificed so much.
Please do what you can to help. Thank you and God Bless you!
Sincerely,
Staff Sgt. [Name redacted], U.S. Army (Ret.)
[Title redacted] for the Coalition
"QR code message": SCAN ME
https://saluteheroes.org
P.S. I am sending these $2.19 checks to patriotic Americans like you who care deeply about America's wounded veterans. I hope you will tear up the $2.19 check and send your most generous tax-deductible gift to the Coalition's 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive, today.
Every call we receive from a disabled veteran is heartbreaking. Most of these post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans have nowhere else to turn to for help and are losing hope. Please do your part to help them with your best tax-deductible donation to the Coalition. And please return your signed Easter "Thank You and Get well" card so it can be delivered to a severely disabled War on Terror hero or hospitalized veteran.
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Portland Area 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive for Disabled Veterans in Need
Important Donation Reply to Staff Sgt. [Name redacted], U.S. Army (Ret.)
Dear [Name redacted],
Thank you for making me aware of the dire financial crises many of these veterans are facing and why. I will tear up the $2.19 check you sent me and am enclosing my signed Easter Thank You and Get Well card for you to deliver to a severely disabled or hospitalized veteran living in Oregon or elsewhere.
To help provide emergency aid to a wounded hero in need this Easter, I am enclosing my tax-deductible gift of:
[ ] $8
[ ] $15
If you can send this amount [of $15], it will do so much good to help a wounded warrior this Easter.
[ ] $20
[ ] $40
[✓] My best gift of $7.00
Mr. Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
Donation Requested By: 7 Days from Receipt
And so, I made a one-time donation to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes today, March 24th, 2024 (Palm Sunday), in order to support their 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive! Plus, I tore up "the $2.19 check" in addition to returning "[my] signed Easter 'Thank You and Get well' card so it can be delivered to a severely disabled War on Terror hero or hospitalized veteran." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024) [March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from Union Gospel Mission thirteen days ago on March 11th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "With your help, lives will change this spring!", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
UNION GOSPEL MISSION
The Path To LifeChange
March 7, 2024
Paul, you gave at Easter last year, will you give again?
Mr. Paul [Middle Initial] Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
Dear Paul,
I really enjoyed my first holiday season at the Mission, but if I'm being candid, I'm even more excited for my first Easter. After all, Easter and the new life that Jesus made possible are what the Mission is all about.
Will you help by sending an Easter gift like I see you did last year?
Because each $17.64 provides a day of life-changing care for one person, any amount you give again this Easter will make a difference, especially during the Easter season.
The empty tomb shows us that anything is posible with God, and nothing is too big for Him to overcome. Not drug addiction, not decades of homelessness — not even death. That's a message that the people we serve are desperate to hear.
If you can help, please send your gift today!
[Name redacted's] story in your newsletter is a great example of the life-saving, transformational impact you'll have when you give.
God bless you,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
P.S. Please respond by March 25 to help in time for Easter again this year. Every $17.64 you give can help change a life!
If you prefer, you can give online at https://ugmportland.org/easter
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CHANGE A LIFE THIS EASTER!
Yes. [name redacted]! I will help at Easter again this year! I'm sending a gift of:
[ ] $35.28 to provide 2 days of care.
[ ] $52.92 to provide 3 days of care.
[ ] $17.64 to provide 1 day of care.
[✓] $7.00 to help as possible.
When you give at Easter again thie year, every $17.64 provides a life-changing day of care for someone like [name redacted]!
Mr. Paul [Middle Initial] Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
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UNION GOSPEL MISSION
LIFE CHANGE LETTER
MARCH 2024
"Growing up, I always thought things like, 'I don't matter, I'm worthless, I'm not important'. . . But that's not who I am. I am a son of God. He loves me, and I have worth." -[Name redacted]
INSIDE:
• Whatever You're Doing, It Matters
• Discovering a Life Worth Living
• Change a Life this Easter!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
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DISCOVERING A LIFE WORTH LIVING
"It was a super powerful experience for me to get to know Jesus in a more intimate way without distraction." -[Name redacted]
A FEW YEARS AGO, [name redacted] wanted to die. He was stuck in his addiction and had reached the end of his rope.
"Every single morning I'd wake up just miserable," he says. "I even started having these thoughts of, "Maybe life would just be better if I wasn't here."
But something in him stopped him from taking the step to end it all. Instead, he cried out to God.
You might think the heavens opened and a bright light shined down. Or that [name redacted] heard angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus. None of those things happened. But [name redacted] woke up the next day with a new desire — to read the Bible.
[Name redacted] knew about God. He had even gone to church and volunteered at the Mission with his parents. But God hadn't been real to him.
Until now.
Knowing that his addiction was out of control, [name redacted] called his parents and told them his life had fallen apart. He was addicted, had no healthy relationships left and was losing his apartment. His parents encouraged him to call the Mission. On Sunday, when his parents were scheduled to volunteer. Kris came to the Mission with them. He joined LifeChange for Men just a few weeks later.
Through nourishing food, Christ-centered counseling, daily Bible reading and the other aspects of the program, [name redacted] began to see things more clearly. He remembers one day in counseling, the group was talking about false beliefs and [name redacted] realized he'd always felt worthless. His counselor encouraged him to tell God that he was worthless and see what happened.
"When I prayed that, it just blew me away. I realized that's not true. That's not who I am. I'm a son of God. He loves me and I have worth there. Suddenly I was just almost a new person, and it was such an impactful moment. So, doing that in a safe space was very important for me," says [name redacted].
"I think what sets UGM apart from a lot of other recovery programs is that interpersonal experience with others." -[Name redacted]
It's all about Relationships: With Jesus, Yourself and Others
"You can pray read your Bible anywhere. But getting that counseling here, and then having an issue and dealing with it in-house made all the difference . . . there's so many skills that translated to my life."
[Name redacted] graduated from the program but wanted to keep giving back. He became one of our Shepherds — a mentor to other men in LifeChange — and continued doing that for several years.
"LifeChange gave so much to me, that it's the least I could do to give back," [name redacted] says.
He also joined a church when he first started the program and he's still involved. In fact, he met his wife there. They were married in 2022. [Name redacted] also went back to school and earned a college degree. Now, because of partners like you, he's got a great job and is looking forward to seeing where God takes him next.
Your Easter gift today will help change another life!
"One thing that I just desperately needed. was a fresh start." -[Name redacted]
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Whatever You're Doing, It Matters
ONE OF MY FAVORITE things about working here at the Mission is that I get to see people like you acting as the loving hands and feet of Jesus in our community.
Long-time volunteers [name redacted] and [name redacted] are a great example.
[Name redacted] and [name redacted] have had the same Tuesday night route with UGM's Search + Rescue van for years. As they make their way from encampment to encampment they greet people with smiles, check in with them, serve them good food and ask if they can pray for them.
On the night I was with them, a gentleman in a wheelchair made his way over to them. They told me afterwards that he is usually happy and lighthearted but on this night he broke down in tears. Life on the street is hard and he'd had another setback. This time the pain felt like too much. [Name redacted] listened with a caring ear, provided for the gentleman's immediate needs and prayed with him.
The whole thing took just a few minutes but when that man left, his entire demeanor had changed. He knew he wasn't alone. Even better, he was loved.
Some people like [name redacted] and [name redacted] like to be on the front lines. Other people prefer to be behind the scenes. But whatever you are doing — whether it feels big or small — it matters. It matters because every time you partner with the Mission, you are being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Happy Easter!
Ways You can Get Involved this Easter Season
Volunteer your time:
We always need volunteers to serve meals, sort clothes, and provide administrative support. Visit ugmportland.org/volunteer
Donate food or clothing:
We are always grateful for donations of food and clothing to help us meet the needs of our guests.
Make a financial donation:
Your financial gift will provide vital programs and services to those we serve in our community.
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Change a Life this Easter!
The empty tomb is proof that with God all things are possible. No one is too lost in addiction or homelessness for Him to redeem.
Most of the men and women who come to our doors feel hopeless, and hearing that message changes everything.
They need to know that they can get off the streets, overcome addiction and live changed lives, just like [name redacted]. But they don't just need to hear it. They need to experience it.
They need to have people walk alongside them and support them with the right relationships and tools that will help them actually change their lives.
You can make that possible by sending a gift today.
Because each $17.64 is enough to provide a full day of meals and care for one person in our LifeChange program, any amount you give today can help change a life.
A lot of our partners give during the "traditional" holiday season. But we believe that Easter is the most important holiday of all.
Any amount you can give today will make a difference in changing lives!
Give instantly at https://ugmportland.org/easter.
Heart of Hope Partner
WANT TO MAKE AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT?
Become a Monthly Heart of Hope Partner
When you sign up to give monthly, you'll know you're changing lives every day while saving postage and administrative costs and making sure that vital Mission programs keep running.
To sign up or find out more, call [phone number redacted] or visit ugmportland.org/heart-of-hope
Through the transformative power of Jesus Christ, we open life-changing pathways to people experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse.
LIFECHANGE LETTER
A PUBLICATION OF UNION GOSPEL MISSION
And so, I made a one-time donation to Union Gospel Mission today, March 24th, 2024, in order to "CHANGE A LIFE THIS EASTER," which is why I donated "[$7.00] to help as [much as] possible." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024) [March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from The Salvation Army Portland Metro six days ago on March 18th, 2024—which included a greeting card, as well as a donation voucher—both of which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
[OUTSIDE OF THE GREETING CARD:]
Happy Easter
[INSIDE OF THE GREETING CARD:]
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade." —1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
Happy Easter from all of us at The Salvation Army!
Dear Friend,
Easter is a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejoicing. As you celebrate with friends and family, please also remember to feed the hungry just as Jesus did. May God bless you and yours this holy Easter season. Thank you, as always, for being a steadfast friend to our neighbors in need.
—Your friends at The Salvation Army
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[DONATION VOUCHER:]
THE SALVATION ARMY
My Easter Offering
To Feed Hungry People
Yes, I want to help feed our hungry neighbors In the Portland Metro area this Easter. I'm enclosing $7.00 to feed as many people as possible.
Your best gift here! → $ 7.00
Please make you check payable to The Salvation Army.
Your gift will be used locally.
From: Mr. Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
To: The Salvation Army
Portland Metro Donation Processing Center
[Street Address redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
[Blogger's Note: For The Salvation Army USA website, at which there's a local donation page for you to make a donation to The Salvation Army in your area, please visit https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn where you will see the "Donate Local" button at the top right-hand corner of their website! And thank you for considering making a donation to The Salvation Army, because "as you celebrate (Easter) with friends and family, please also remember to feed the hungry just as Jesus did."]
And so, I made a one-time donation to The Salvation Army Portland Metro today, March 24th, 2024, in order to celebrate Easter by remembering to "feed the hungry just as Jesus did." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024, revised March 31st, 2024 and revised May 6th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024) [March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from Feeding America today March 24th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Your gift can go TWICE as far to help rescue healthy foods like: ❏ fruits and veggies; ❏ milk and cheese; ❏ meats, beans and eggs", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
FEEDING AMERICA
$15 CAN BECOME ----> $30 to rescue EVEN MORE fresh produce.
$20 CAN BECOME ----> $40 to rescue EVEN MORE nutritious dairy products.
$25 CAN BECOME ----> $50 to rescue EVEN MORE healthy protein.
Return a Food Rescue Voucher today or give now at SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match!
Dear Paul Whiting,
For too many of our neighbors, getting meals on the table has become increasingly difficult. Challenges like the high prices of food and everyday necessities have left many facing hunger.
At the same time, farmers, retailers and food distributors have extra produce and groceries sitting in fields and warehouses because they can't move all of it. Unfortunately, much of this perfectly good food ends up in landfills. Every year, right here in America, 119 billion pounds of food are wasted instead of reaching families at risk of hunger.
Why? Local supermarkets may not be able to sell fresh fruit that's irregularly shaped. Or a box of cereal nearing its sell-by date can't be sold in stores—even though it's still safe to eat.
The truth is, we get food donation offers all the time, but without funds to move the food, we are unable to accept it. And what we can't ship, we lose. So rather than getting healthy and fresh food into the hands of neighbors who need it, it goes to waste.
That means food ends up in dumpsters instead of going to people like [name redacted]. After a heart attack 10 years ago forced him to stop working, [name redacted] began visiting his local food pantry, served by the Feeding America network. There, he was able to access the meals he needed.
You can help the Feeding America network rescue food that would otherwise be wasted so it's available for neighbors like [name redacted] when they need it.
Thanks to a $250,000 challenge match offered by our generous partners at [business name redacted], you can have TWICE the impact for people at risk of hunger. Simply return your enclosed Food Rescue Voucher and your gift's impact can DOUBLE to help the Feeding America network rescue safe, healthy food and deliver it to children and families.
Normally, every $1 you give helps provide at least 10 meals through the Feeding America network. But with the [business name redacted] challenge match, every $1 can help provide at least 20 meals, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Your support can help many neighbors facing hunger, like [name redacted].
For years, [name redacted] provided for his family through his job as a homebuilder. But after his heart attack, he worried about the future. Though the family was receiving SNAP benefits, they still couldn't afford enough food.
In search of extra help, [name redacted] turned to his local food pantry. "We would be in trouble, real bad, without this pantry," he said. The family has especially enjoyed the fresh eggs and breakfast foods they've gotten there.
From ears of corn to boxes of pasta, the Feeding America network is rescuing nutritious food and making it possible for people like [name redacted] to feed their families. With your support, we rescued 3.96 billion pounds of food last year!
I know that sounds like a lot...but it's just the beginning of what we can do with your help. Please join the challenge match right now. Together, we can continue to:
• Support food banks so they can meet growing need.
• Work with people at every step of the food production process to rescue food that would otherwise go to waste.
• Help our neighbors access this perfectly good food.
And it all starts with your Food Rescue Voucher. Please return it with your contribution today to spark a chain reaction that will help us rescue more food—and help people get the meals they need to thrive. I truly appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted], Feeding America
P.S. Remember, thanks to the challenge match from [business name redacted], your gift can help rescue food so more neighbors facing hunger can feed their families. Thank you for returning your Food Rescue Voucher with your donation today.
Your gift can help provide TWICE as many meals. Scan here or visit SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match
---------------------------------------------
YOUR GIFT CAN GO TWICE AS FAR TO RESCUE GOOD FOOD!
Every $1 you give can help provide at least 20 meals.
YES! I want to help Feeding America rescue more food for our neighbors. My gift of:
[ ] $15 can help provide at least 300 meals.
[ ] $20 can help provide at least 400 meals.
[ ] $25 can help provide at least 500 meals.
[✓] $7.00 can help provide as many meals as possible.
Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
FEEDING AMERICA
Give online:
SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match
And so, I made a one-time donation to Feeding America today, March 24th, 2024, because "[MY] GIFT CAN GO TWICE AS FAR TO RESCUE GOOD FOOD," since "$7.00 can help provide as many meals as possible." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing Notes:
The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: "Jesus Christ Is The Light Of The World!"
What inspired me to publish this poem, as part of my "For Easter Weekend" series on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog, was the massage that Jesus The Christ sent to all of us when He was crucified and then He was resurrected! You see, I truly believe that "We Are All A Part Of God."
Therefore, Christ was demonstrating to all of us that Jesus Is The Light Of The World! And that is why, when Christ was resurrected after He was crucified, He was still His Soul contained within His Body, but His Soul and Body were transformed into pure energy—forever—as light!
And this poem was only published on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog.
This poem was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
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April 9th, 2023 Update: [My Writing About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023)]: Happy Easter, everyone! I decided to make one-time donations today, April 9th, 2023, to charities who are helping those in need during Easter, which includes local nonprofits who are helping homeless folks (Union Gospel Mission, Portland Rescue Mission and Blanchet House of Hospitality), as well as nonprofits who are helping hungry folks, including a local food bank (Oregon Food Bank) and a national hunger-relief organization (Feeding America). And I was inspired to make these donations by an advertisement video that I saw on a news website recently, which was for one of the local nonprofits, here in Portland, Oregon, that I donated to today who are helping homeless folks! –Paul Whiting (written April 9th, 2023, revised April 13th, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023 and revised March 24th, 2024)
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April 9th, 2023 Update—Continued, Written On April 11th, 2023 [My Writing Continued About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023)]: Happy Easter, everyone! I received a mailer from The Salvation Army Portland Metro today, April 11th, 2023, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Our pantry is almost empty!", which stated the following (by the way, I hand-typed the text below on my smartphone from the mailer's letter):
The Salvation Army
DOING THE MOST GOOD
Dear Mr. Whiting,
We have an urgent request — and we need your help.
Here in the Portland Metro area, requests for food assistance continue to come in. Surging inflation is causing more neighbors to turn to us in need. Their pantries are empty. They tell us: "Our family is hungry. Please help!"
It's heartbreaking.
Let me tell you about the kinds of people who come through our doors, desperate for help:
⋆ A single mom, working a job that pays minimum wage. She struggles to afford the rising cost of food and other essentials. Her paycheck just don't stretch that far. Her kids are hungry.
⋆ A widow learning to live on reduced Social Security benefits after the death of her husband. Taxes, insurance, and other necessary expenses leave her with nothing to spend at the grocery store.
⋆ A young family man, back at work after being laid off for several months. He continues to catch up with bills and other expenses, and worries about how he will feed his family.
(( Everyone who comes to our doors has a story ... some of them more tragic than others. But all of them have one thing in common: the basic need for food. ))
We try to keep a variety of food and food vouchers on hand, so people in need can feed their families. But with so many people coming to us for help, we are challenged to meet everyone's needs.
Please give now, and help us serve our neighbors who need help right here in the Portland Metro area. Your generosity will offer a love beyond crisis for families who are running out of food.
For people in need,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
Thank you and God bless you!
And so, I made a one-time donation to The Salvation Army Portland Metro, in addition to The Salvation Army USA, in order to show my support for helping The Salvation Army "serve our neighbors who need help."
Plus, here is the message that I wrote to The Salvation Army Portland Metro in the "Leave a comment" section on their donation page:
Salvation Army Portland Metro,
Happy Easter! This donation is for your "Our pantry is almost empty!" mailer, which I just received today, April 11th, 2023.
By the way, I am sorry that I didn't donate to you on Easter Sunday, but I am out of my apartment for a while, since it is being repaired for water damage due to a flood (which ironically happened on Christmas Eve at about 5:30 AM, and that is why I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" that night!) and I am only checking my mail about every seven days.
Yours very truly,
-Paul Whiting
Poet, Artist and Philosopher
Portland, Oregon
P.S.: I was so inspired by the letter that accompanied your above-mentioned "Our pantry is almost empty!" mailer that I also decided to donate to The Salvation Army USA, as well!
Thus, these donations are a part of my recent contributions "to charities who are helping those in need during Easter," as described above in my 'April 9th, 2023 Update,' which can be found above and that also appears as 'My Writing About Donating To Help Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks During Easter (for 2023)' on some of my blogs.
–Paul Whiting (written April 11th, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023, revised May 18th, 2023, revised July 22nd, 2023, revised August 14th, 2023, revised November 12th, 2023 and revised March 24th, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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March 31st, 2024 Update No. 1, Written On March 24th, 2024 [My Writing About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024)]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 1, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs) was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
On Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, I made one-time donations to charities who are helping those in need during Easter, which includes a national veterans' organization (Coalition to Salute America's Heroes), and local nonprofits who are helping homeless folks here in Portland, Oregon (Union Gospel Mission, Portland Rescue Mission, Blanchet House of Hospitality and Blanchet Farm, plus Sisters of the Road), as well as an international charitable organization (The Salvation Army), in addition to nonprofits who are helping hungry folks, including a national hunger-relief organization (Feeding America) and a local food bank (Oregon Food Bank). And I was inspired to make these donations because of Jesus The Christ's loving message of "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Please see my detailed descriptions—immediately after this 'update'—of the following Easter Sunday donations (that I made on Palm Sunday) for which I received the donation requests through the regular mail!
The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
Union Gospel Mission: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
The Salvation Army: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
Feeding America: 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), which can be found below.
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March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024 [My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024)]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 1st, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs) was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (CSAH) twenty three days ago on March 1st, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Heroes like this veteran [pictured on the envelope] sacrificed everything for our freedom. In their time of need, who will be there for them?", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
Coalition to
Salute America's Heroes
Portland Area 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive
Dramatic Increase in America's Catastrophically Disabled Veterans Who Cannot Afford Groceries — and Some are Losing their Home
Dear Mr. Whiting,
My name is [redacted]. I proudly served in the U.S. Army. While deployed in Iraq, I was seriously injured from a roadside bomb.
I suffered severe burns on over 35% of my body, losing my nose, ears, and some of my fingers. That's me to the right in a side-by-side photo before that bomb went off and what I look like today.
Even after spending 48 days in a coma and going through more than 75 surgeries, I consider myself lucky — three of my fellow soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and died in the bomb blast.
I've taken the unusual step of sending you the attached real $2.19 check. You may be wondering about the check amount. You see, the numbers 219 are important to me — I was severely injured on February 19.
I sent you the check to make sure you would not miss my letter. And here's why . . .
. . . Many of my fellow disabled War on Terror veterans are struggling financially — unable to afford the skyrocketing cost of food, much less the rising cost of utilities, rent or mortgage.
Mr. Whiting, the global War on Terror is far from over — as evident by the attacks in Israel and on U.S. service members abroad — and has resulted in many of our nation's servicemen and women returning home burned (like me), blinded, brain-damaged, paralyzed, or suffering from other severe wounds.
Disabled veterans call us each and every week with no place else to turn to for help. They are desperate to feed their families, stop their utilities from being cut off, or prevent an eviction from their home and becoming homeless.
Mr. Whiting, you can cash the $2.19 check if you like. But I hope you will not and instead find it in your heart to give to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. The Coalition is the nation's leading organization providing direct emergency aid to support our post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans.
We need every dollar we can raise to provide emergency aid to our catastrophically wounded heroes who fought to protect us in the global War on Terror but now are in dire financial crises. That's why the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes has launched its 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive.
The skyrocketing cost of food, and rising cost of gas, utilities, and to keep a roof over your head has affected everyone. But for our seriously wounded veterans and their families, it is devastating. You may be wondering why.
After being severely injured in the War on Terror, returning home, and being discharged from service, these wounded heroes had to wait on average six months — and sometimes over a year — to receive their first disabilities benefit check. Imagine going six months before receiving your first benefit check. It takes years for these severely disabled veterans to financially recover from the disaster caused by the Veterans Affairs backlog of claims.
I know you agree that America's post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans deserve much more than to return home severely disabled from the battleground only to be forced into a battle against financial disaster.
In addition to the emergency aid these wounded veterans desperately need, they also need to know their lifelong sacrifices have not been forgotten. That is why I have included with this letter an Easter Thank You and Get Well card that I hope you will sign and return. Coalition supporters have sent me Thank You and Get Well cards, and I can tell you that this show of support has helped in my road to recovery.
And your generosity can provide a wounded hero the peace of mind that they can feed their family, stay in their home, or avoid some other financial disaster — and maybe offer hope for the future.
Please send your generous tax-deductible gift to help our severely disabled troops who have already sacrificed so much.
Please do what you can to help. Thank you and God Bless you!
Sincerely,
Staff Sgt. [Name redacted], U.S. Army (Ret.)
[Title redacted] for the Coalition
"QR code message": SCAN ME
https://saluteheroes.org
P.S. I am sending these $2.19 checks to patriotic Americans like you who care deeply about America's wounded veterans. I hope you will tear up the $2.19 check and send your most generous tax-deductible gift to the Coalition's 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive, today.
Every call we receive from a disabled veteran is heartbreaking. Most of these post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans have nowhere else to turn to for help and are losing hope. Please do your part to help them with your best tax-deductible donation to the Coalition. And please return your signed Easter "Thank You and Get well" card so it can be delivered to a severely disabled War on Terror hero or hospitalized veteran.
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Portland Area 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive for Disabled Veterans in Need
Important Donation Reply to Staff Sgt. [Name redacted], U.S. Army (Ret.)
Dear [Name redacted],
Thank you for making me aware of the dire financial crises many of these veterans are facing and why. I will tear up the $2.19 check you sent me and am enclosing my signed Easter Thank You and Get Well card for you to deliver to a severely disabled or hospitalized veteran living in Oregon or elsewhere.
To help provide emergency aid to a wounded hero in need this Easter, I am enclosing my tax-deductible gift of:
[ ] $8
[ ] $15
If you can send this amount [of $15], it will do so much good to help a wounded warrior this Easter.
[ ] $20
[ ] $40
[✓] My best gift of $7.00
Mr. Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
Donation Requested By: 7 Days from Receipt
And so, I made a one-time donation to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes today, March 24th, 2024 (Palm Sunday), in order to support their 2024 Easter Emergency Aid Drive! Plus, I tore up "the $2.19 check" in addition to returning "[my] signed Easter 'Thank You and Get well' card so it can be delivered to a severely disabled War on Terror hero or hospitalized veteran." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024 [My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024)]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 11th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from Union Gospel Mission thirteen days ago on March 11th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "With your help, lives will change this spring!", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
UNION GOSPEL MISSION
The Path To LifeChange
March 7, 2024
Paul, you gave at Easter last year, will you give again?
Mr. Paul [Middle Initial] Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
Dear Paul,
I really enjoyed my first holiday season at the Mission, but if I'm being candid, I'm even more excited for my first Easter. After all, Easter and the new life that Jesus made possible are what the Mission is all about.
Will you help by sending an Easter gift like I see you did last year?
Because each $17.64 provides a day of life-changing care for one person, any amount you give again this Easter will make a difference, especially during the Easter season.
The empty tomb shows us that anything is posible with God, and nothing is too big for Him to overcome. Not drug addiction, not decades of homelessness — not even death. That's a message that the people we serve are desperate to hear.
If you can help, please send your gift today!
[Name redacted's] story in your newsletter is a great example of the life-saving, transformational impact you'll have when you give.
God bless you,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
P.S. Please respond by March 25 to help in time for Easter again this year. Every $17.64 you give can help change a life!
If you prefer, you can give online at https://ugmportland.org/easter
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CHANGE A LIFE THIS EASTER!
Yes. [name redacted]! I will help at Easter again this year! I'm sending a gift of:
[ ] $35.28 to provide 2 days of care.
[ ] $52.92 to provide 3 days of care.
[ ] $17.64 to provide 1 day of care.
[✓] $7.00 to help as possible.
When you give at Easter again thie year, every $17.64 provides a life-changing day of care for someone like [name redacted]!
Mr. Paul [Middle Initial] Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
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UNION GOSPEL MISSION
LIFE CHANGE LETTER
MARCH 2024
"Growing up, I always thought things like, 'I don't matter, I'm worthless, I'm not important'. . . But that's not who I am. I am a son of God. He loves me, and I have worth." -[Name redacted]
INSIDE:
• Whatever You're Doing, It Matters
• Discovering a Life Worth Living
• Change a Life this Easter!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
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DISCOVERING A LIFE WORTH LIVING
"It was a super powerful experience for me to get to know Jesus in a more intimate way without distraction." -[Name redacted]
A FEW YEARS AGO, [name redacted] wanted to die. He was stuck in his addiction and had reached the end of his rope.
"Every single morning I'd wake up just miserable," he says. "I even started having these thoughts of, "Maybe life would just be better if I wasn't here."
But something in him stopped him from taking the step to end it all. Instead, he cried out to God.
You might think the heavens opened and a bright light shined down. Or that [name redacted] heard angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus. None of those things happened. But [name redacted] woke up the next day with a new desire — to read the Bible.
[Name redacted] knew about God. He had even gone to church and volunteered at the Mission with his parents. But God hadn't been real to him.
Until now.
Knowing that his addiction was out of control, [name redacted] called his parents and told them his life had fallen apart. He was addicted, had no healthy relationships left and was losing his apartment. His parents encouraged him to call the Mission. On Sunday, when his parents were scheduled to volunteer. Kris came to the Mission with them. He joined LifeChange for Men just a few weeks later.
Through nourishing food, Christ-centered counseling, daily Bible reading and the other aspects of the program, [name redacted] began to see things more clearly. He remembers one day in counseling, the group was talking about false beliefs and [name redacted] realized he'd always felt worthless. His counselor encouraged him to tell God that he was worthless and see what happened.
"When I prayed that, it just blew me away. I realized that's not true. That's not who I am. I'm a son of God. He loves me and I have worth there. Suddenly I was just almost a new person, and it was such an impactful moment. So, doing that in a safe space was very important for me," says [name redacted].
"I think what sets UGM apart from a lot of other recovery programs is that interpersonal experience with others." -[Name redacted]
It's all about Relationships: With Jesus, Yourself and Others
"You can pray read your Bible anywhere. But getting that counseling here, and then having an issue and dealing with it in-house made all the difference . . . there's so many skills that translated to my life."
[Name redacted] graduated from the program but wanted to keep giving back. He became one of our Shepherds — a mentor to other men in LifeChange — and continued doing that for several years.
"LifeChange gave so much to me, that it's the least I could do to give back," [name redacted] says.
He also joined a church when he first started the program and he's still involved. In fact, he met his wife there. They were married in 2022. [Name redacted] also went back to school and earned a college degree. Now, because of partners like you, he's got a great job and is looking forward to seeing where God takes him next.
Your Easter gift today will help change another life!
"One thing that I just desperately needed. was a fresh start." -[Name redacted]
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Whatever You're Doing, It Matters
ONE OF MY FAVORITE things about working here at the Mission is that I get to see people like you acting as the loving hands and feet of Jesus in our community.
Long-time volunteers [name redacted] and [name redacted] are a great example.
[Name redacted] and [name redacted] have had the same Tuesday night route with UGM's Search + Rescue van for years. As they make their way from encampment to encampment they greet people with smiles, check in with them, serve them good food and ask if they can pray for them.
On the night I was with them, a gentleman in a wheelchair made his way over to them. They told me afterwards that he is usually happy and lighthearted but on this night he broke down in tears. Life on the street is hard and he'd had another setback. This time the pain felt like too much. [Name redacted] listened with a caring ear, provided for the gentleman's immediate needs and prayed with him.
The whole thing took just a few minutes but when that man left, his entire demeanor had changed. He knew he wasn't alone. Even better, he was loved.
Some people like [name redacted] and [name redacted] like to be on the front lines. Other people prefer to be behind the scenes. But whatever you are doing — whether it feels big or small — it matters. It matters because every time you partner with the Mission, you are being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Happy Easter!
Ways You can Get Involved this Easter Season
Volunteer your time:
We always need volunteers to serve meals, sort clothes, and provide administrative support. Visit ugmportland.org/volunteer
Donate food or clothing:
We are always grateful for donations of food and clothing to help us meet the needs of our guests.
Make a financial donation:
Your financial gift will provide vital programs and services to those we serve in our community.
---------------------------------------------
Change a Life this Easter!
The empty tomb is proof that with God all things are possible. No one is too lost in addiction or homelessness for Him to redeem.
Most of the men and women who come to our doors feel hopeless, and hearing that message changes everything.
They need to know that they can get off the streets, overcome addiction and live changed lives, just like [name redacted]. But they don't just need to hear it. They need to experience it.
They need to have people walk alongside them and support them with the right relationships and tools that will help them actually change their lives.
You can make that possible by sending a gift today.
Because each $17.64 is enough to provide a full day of meals and care for one person in our LifeChange program, any amount you give today can help change a life.
A lot of our partners give during the "traditional" holiday season. But we believe that Easter is the most important holiday of all.
Any amount you can give today will make a difference in changing lives!
Give instantly at https://ugmportland.org/easter.
Heart of Hope Partner
WANT TO MAKE AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT?
Become a Monthly Heart of Hope Partner
When you sign up to give monthly, you'll know you're changing lives every day while saving postage and administrative costs and making sure that vital Mission programs keep running.
To sign up or find out more, call [phone number redacted] or visit ugmportland.org/heart-of-hope
Through the transformative power of Jesus Christ, we open life-changing pathways to people experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse.
LIFECHANGE LETTER
A PUBLICATION OF UNION GOSPEL MISSION
And so, I made a one-time donation to Union Gospel Mission today, March 24th, 2024, in order to "CHANGE A LIFE THIS EASTER," which is why I donated "[$7.00] to help as [much as] possible." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
---------------------------------------------
March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024 [My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024)]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On March 24th, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 18th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from The Salvation Army Portland Metro six days ago on March 18th, 2024—which included a greeting card, as well as a donation voucher—both of which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
[OUTSIDE OF THE GREETING CARD:]
Happy Easter
[INSIDE OF THE GREETING CARD:]
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade." —1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
Happy Easter from all of us at The Salvation Army!
Dear Friend,
Easter is a time of rebirth, renewal, and rejoicing. As you celebrate with friends and family, please also remember to feed the hungry just as Jesus did. May God bless you and yours this holy Easter season. Thank you, as always, for being a steadfast friend to our neighbors in need.
—Your friends at The Salvation Army
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[DONATION VOUCHER:]
THE SALVATION ARMY
My Easter Offering
To Feed Hungry People
Yes, I want to help feed our hungry neighbors In the Portland Metro area this Easter. I'm enclosing $7.00 to feed as many people as possible.
Your best gift here! → $ 7.00
Please make you check payable to The Salvation Army.
Your gift will be used locally.
From: Mr. Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
To: The Salvation Army
Portland Metro Donation Processing Center
[Street Address redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
[Blogger's Note: For The Salvation Army USA website, at which there's a local donation page for you to make a donation to The Salvation Army in your area, please visit https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn where you will see the "Donate Local" button at the top right-hand corner of their website! And thank you for considering making a donation to The Salvation Army, because "as you celebrate (Easter) with friends and family, please also remember to feed the hungry just as Jesus did."]
And so, I made a one-time donation to The Salvation Army Portland Metro today, March 24th, 2024, in order to celebrate Easter by remembering to "feed the hungry just as Jesus did." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024, revised March 31st, 2024 and revised May 6th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
---------------------------------------------
March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024 [My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter (for 2024)]: Happy Easter, everyone!
[Blogger's Note: This 'March 31st, 2024 Update No. 5, Written On March 24th, 2024' (that also appears as 'My Writing Continued Further Some More Than Before About Donating In Order To Help The Less Fortunate, Including Homeless Folks And Hungry Folks—As Well As To Help U.S. Veterans—During Easter...' on some of my blogs), was written on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2024, because I made my Easter charitable donations one week before Easter Sunday in order to, hopefully, get the charitable organizations to which I donated the funds that they need in time for Easter!]
I received a mailer from Feeding America today March 24th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "Your gift can go TWICE as far to help rescue healthy foods like: ❏ fruits and veggies; ❏ milk and cheese; ❏ meats, beans and eggs", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
FEEDING AMERICA
$15 CAN BECOME ----> $30 to rescue EVEN MORE fresh produce.
$20 CAN BECOME ----> $40 to rescue EVEN MORE nutritious dairy products.
$25 CAN BECOME ----> $50 to rescue EVEN MORE healthy protein.
Return a Food Rescue Voucher today or give now at SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match!
Dear Paul Whiting,
For too many of our neighbors, getting meals on the table has become increasingly difficult. Challenges like the high prices of food and everyday necessities have left many facing hunger.
At the same time, farmers, retailers and food distributors have extra produce and groceries sitting in fields and warehouses because they can't move all of it. Unfortunately, much of this perfectly good food ends up in landfills. Every year, right here in America, 119 billion pounds of food are wasted instead of reaching families at risk of hunger.
Why? Local supermarkets may not be able to sell fresh fruit that's irregularly shaped. Or a box of cereal nearing its sell-by date can't be sold in stores—even though it's still safe to eat.
The truth is, we get food donation offers all the time, but without funds to move the food, we are unable to accept it. And what we can't ship, we lose. So rather than getting healthy and fresh food into the hands of neighbors who need it, it goes to waste.
That means food ends up in dumpsters instead of going to people like [name redacted]. After a heart attack 10 years ago forced him to stop working, [name redacted] began visiting his local food pantry, served by the Feeding America network. There, he was able to access the meals he needed.
You can help the Feeding America network rescue food that would otherwise be wasted so it's available for neighbors like [name redacted] when they need it.
Thanks to a $250,000 challenge match offered by our generous partners at [business name redacted], you can have TWICE the impact for people at risk of hunger. Simply return your enclosed Food Rescue Voucher and your gift's impact can DOUBLE to help the Feeding America network rescue safe, healthy food and deliver it to children and families.
Normally, every $1 you give helps provide at least 10 meals through the Feeding America network. But with the [business name redacted] challenge match, every $1 can help provide at least 20 meals, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Your support can help many neighbors facing hunger, like [name redacted].
For years, [name redacted] provided for his family through his job as a homebuilder. But after his heart attack, he worried about the future. Though the family was receiving SNAP benefits, they still couldn't afford enough food.
In search of extra help, [name redacted] turned to his local food pantry. "We would be in trouble, real bad, without this pantry," he said. The family has especially enjoyed the fresh eggs and breakfast foods they've gotten there.
From ears of corn to boxes of pasta, the Feeding America network is rescuing nutritious food and making it possible for people like [name redacted] to feed their families. With your support, we rescued 3.96 billion pounds of food last year!
I know that sounds like a lot...but it's just the beginning of what we can do with your help. Please join the challenge match right now. Together, we can continue to:
• Support food banks so they can meet growing need.
• Work with people at every step of the food production process to rescue food that would otherwise go to waste.
• Help our neighbors access this perfectly good food.
And it all starts with your Food Rescue Voucher. Please return it with your contribution today to spark a chain reaction that will help us rescue more food—and help people get the meals they need to thrive. I truly appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted], Feeding America
P.S. Remember, thanks to the challenge match from [business name redacted], your gift can help rescue food so more neighbors facing hunger can feed their families. Thank you for returning your Food Rescue Voucher with your donation today.
Your gift can help provide TWICE as many meals. Scan here or visit SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match
---------------------------------------------
YOUR GIFT CAN GO TWICE AS FAR TO RESCUE GOOD FOOD!
Every $1 you give can help provide at least 20 meals.
YES! I want to help Feeding America rescue more food for our neighbors. My gift of:
[ ] $15 can help provide at least 300 meals.
[ ] $20 can help provide at least 400 meals.
[ ] $25 can help provide at least 500 meals.
[✓] $7.00 can help provide as many meals as possible.
Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
FEEDING AMERICA
Give online:
SupportFeedingAmerica.org/Match
And so, I made a one-time donation to Feeding America today, March 24th, 2024, because "[MY] GIFT CAN GO TWICE AS FAR TO RESCUE GOOD FOOD," since "$7.00 can help provide as many meals as possible." –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2024 and revised March 31st, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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November 6th, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In Any Way, Shape Or Form]: Due to Donald Trump winning the 2024 Presidential Election—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in any way, shape or form, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, and no longer sending letters to my Representative and Senators in Congress, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes. Full stop! I am also unsubscribing from any of the emails that I used to receive from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations. In fact, I am even cancelling all of my monthly political donations to the main Democratic fundraising and coordinating organizations, as well as to the USO (United Service Organizations), in addition to cancelling all of my monthly news organization subscriptions, or news organization donations, because I am absolutely terrified of this second Trump administration. And I fully expect that democracy in America as we know will be over! So, I am choosing to not engage in any 'activism' whatsoever—plus, I am not even sure that I will be exercising my 'civic duty' by voting in any upcoming elections because, as a (formerly) donating and a (potentially former) voting Democrat, I totally fear the retribution of President Donald J. Trump. Full stop! –Paul Whiting (written November 6th, 2024 and revised November 7th, 2024)
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This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 190 was edited on November 7th, 2024.
"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
