My first day in Vilnius, Lithuania
So much of our lives are built on patterns. Our homes are often familiar places that change slowly as we…
It is not okay to hurt children!
As I do my work each day, I watch the current federal administration dismantle federal programs, devolve some responsibilities to…
Acronyms, jargon, and technical speak: Oh my!
An adage in organizing for justice is that while our opponents may have more money than we do, our power…
Squish and Mr. Fender invite Jason over for dinner.
Mr. Fender suddenly mumbled, “Oh no.” “What?” Squish asked. “Did you buy groceries for dinner?” “Nope. I thought you did.”…
treasured advice from my mom
Years ago, when I was running the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, my mom gave me some invaluable advice. I…
a tribute to Richard Sondah
Today, I found myself thinking about Richard Sondah, someone I worked with during my years as executive director of the…
Have we become numb to homelessness?
Poverty sucks. And, as many of you know, I believe one of its cruelest forms is homelessness. Every night in…
America’s unhealthy food system, part 1
America’s food system is centered neither on health nor sustainability. It is not organized around providing people with healthy food…
songs about struggling with mental illness
A handful of days ago, I wrote about revisiting some of my favorite music and paying closer attention to the…
What are the benefits of forgiveness?
As this question notes, withholding forgiveness can function as a kind of self-harm. I just finished reading, The How of Happiness,…