Positively Pittsburgh Live! Special Preview 43rd Annual Thomas Merton Award

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Time: 10/20/2015 07:00 PM EDT Episode Notes: Preview this evening of the 43rd Annual Thomas Merton Awards Dinner honoring U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee who serves the 13th District of Calfornia.| Event Planners for the event, co-founders of Celebrate and Share, JoAnn Forrester and Bonnie Di Carlo will join host Joanne Quinn-Smith, TechnoGranny this evening along with Thomas Merton Thrifty Store Manager Shawna Hammond. Shawna will discuss the mission of the Thrifty Store and the clients it serves.| She will also discuss the needs of EAST END COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE for volunteers and donated winter clothing. | If you have a mind to help over the holidays, please listen in and by all means share with others who may be able to help.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a forceful and progressive voice in Congress, dedicated to social and economic justice, international peace, and civil and human rights.

First elected in 1998 to represent California’s then-9th Congressional District (now the 13th), the Democratic lawmaker has established a reputation for principled and independent stands, unafraid to take on the tough issues and speak her mind for her constituents, for a more just America, and for a safer world. As a social worker by profession, being an advocate for people dealing with the federal bureaucracy has been a priority.

She has aggressively represented the needs of the underserved and vulnerable people in her district

and throughout the U.S., vigorously advocating for a wide range of social and economic concerns. In 2007, Congresswoman Lee (D-CA) joined with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Rep. Joe Baca of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to form the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus (COPC).  The Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus seeks to bring together lawmakers, organizations, community leaders, and other key stakeholders to find concrete solutions to end poverty.  The COPC is committed to increasing awareness about and finding bi-partisan legislative solutions to eliminating poverty in the United States.

The Congresswoman has been a strong proponent of safe communities, affordable housing, the homeless, low income energy assistance, job training, making health care affordable and universal, just immigration policies, the establishment of a living wage, and protection of the right of women to make decisions about their reproductive health. She is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.

In 2013, Congresswoman Lee became chair of the Whip's Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. The mission of the Task Force is to raise the awareness of Members of Congress and the American people about the ongoing crisis of poverty, the positive human and economic impacts of reducing and eliminating poverty, as well as the need for a comprehensive national effort to eradicate poverty and remove barriers to opportunity that prevent low-income Americans from reaching the middle class.

Her accomplishments are many, including authoring or co-authoring every major piece of legislation dealing with global HIV/AIDS issues since she was elected to Congress. This includes legislation that created the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the position of Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. She has secured millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS prevention, education, treatment and care services in Alameda County.

She gained national attention in 2001 as the only member of both chambers of Congress to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force in the wake of the horrific events of September 11th.  As an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War, the Congresswoman repeatedly proposed legislation seeking early U.S. troop withdrawal. In 2007, she successfully blocked funds from being used to establish permanent military bases in Iraq. Her 2008 amendment requiring that any U.S.

agreement to defend Iraq be expressly authorized by Congress or be included in a Senate approved treaty was stripped from a defense bill under the threat of a veto by President Bush. In September of 2013, President Obama nominated Congresswoman Lee to be a Representative of the United States to the Sixty-eighth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, making her the first African American woman to hold that position.

Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in the bipartisan effort in Congress to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, including the passage of legislation she authored to allow divestment from companies doing business in the region.

Congresswoman Lee began her political career as an intern in the office of her predecessor, former Congressman and former Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, where she eventually became his Chief of Staff.  Before being elected to Congress, she served in the California State Assembly and in the California State Senate. 

East End Community Thrift

The East End Community Thrift (Thrifty) is an all volunteer-run thrift shop, which provides quality, low-cost, used clothing and household goods, to the surrounding community.  Since its inception in 1993, Thrifty has worked with over 100 area homeless programs to offer their residents vouchers to shop free for items they need for themselves and their families.

We are a community service site for many nonprofit organizations, such as Renewal and Sojourner

House.  Senior citizens from The National Urban League (formerly AARP) are an integral part of Thrifty, overseeing many of the daily operations at the store.

This year Thrifty (a super project of the Thomas Merton Center) celebrated its twentieth year of service in the Garfield community. In the photo to the left is dedicated volunteers Alice Wilson, Thrifty Store Manager Shawna Hammond, volunteer Mig Cole (who also helps with bookkeeping at the Thomas Merton Center) and founded and manager Shirley Gleditsch. We are so proud of their kind and supportive work in support of everyone that enters their doors.

Thrifty gives a portion of all the donated clothing that they receive to people that are served at homeless shelters, half way houses, and low income supported housing arrangements. They do this by providing clothing vouchers to established nonprofits who then distribute them to their clients and participants. Over the past two decades thousands of homeless and low-income community members have benefitted from the good work of the more than 20 volunteers who have dedicated their time, resources and attention to helping others thrive in the face of adversity.

Thrifty is always looking for volunteers!  If you can volunteer your time and strength (or have a gently used donation), please don’t hesitate to contact us (ask for Shirley or Dolly) at (412) 361-6010. After hours and on Saturdays, you can reach Shawna Hammond at shawnapgh@aol.com or by calling (412)721-6811.

We appreciate your donations more than you know! But please do not leave donations outside the door if Thrifty is closed!

Shawna Hammond, 2nd from left.

L to R, Bonnie Di Carlo, JoAnn R Forrester