Social Justice Project Bullet Point #5

Grace lives in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, a suburb of Providence just south of New Bedford. She grew up North Dartmouth. In the 50's she married David from Illinois. David became an economist and Grace became a nurse. David's job required their family, to move around the world to places like Washington, London, Boston, San Francisco, and New York City.  When their kids moved out, they moved back to Dartmouth. With this worldly view in mind, Grace practices charity within her community with jobs like the elected office she won as a town meeting member. Beyond that she volunteers at her church and library.

What do you do for your community?

I am on the Mission and Outreach Committee at church. We decide on yearly contributions from church funds to various institutions like local food banks, schools for disadvantaged youths, Salvation Army and schools in Africa for example. I am a town meeting member. We meet twice a year to vote on budget items and special projects for the town. It is representative town meeting so I had to run in a local election and am in the second year of a three year term. I go the public library once a week for about two hours and help arrange books in alphabetical order on the shelves.

What compelled you to do this?

The church committee and the town meeting membership are so I can have a voice in how my church contributions are spent as well as local taxes. The library book thing is fun in a weird way.

Did you do anything before this? If so what?

 I have usually participated to committee work at the various churches I have belonged to, volunteered for various political campaigns. The library thing, I thought would be fun and it is necessary.

What is unfair in the community and world?

Income distribution is hard to get right. It seems that those of us who are well off should contribute in various ways to those less fortunate. If we all helped a little, things would hopefully be better.