Privilege prevents progress, and until the realities of our entire community are acknowledged, disadvantaged communities will remain the scapegoat for those who don’t have to think about the cost of their $7 latte while sitting in the drive-through at Starbucks.

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A part of Arp’s trope is valid, though, but in a way he presumably didn’t intend: The only thing that resembles a circus act is the high wire balanced daily by those who are disadvantaged.

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Being poor isn’t for the weak. Nor does economic suffering warrant moral castigation. For more click here.

Income disparities weaken our democracy and, I contend, are our moral obligation to address. You may not be struggling to make ends meet, but thousands of your neighbors are.

Platforms and agendas rife with issues that impact only a fraction of residents all too often prevail over the needs of the greater community.

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I implore current and future officeholders not to forget about the 130,000 facing the challenging decisions of whether to pay utility bills or put food on the table for their families on a daily basis. They're your constituents.

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This was me not too long ago. It could be you next. For more click here.

Many of our neighbors experience housing insecurity daily and in a variety of ways – skyrocketing rent, a mortgage or rent burden requiring more than a third of their income, insufficient housing stock or homelessness.

Our community must commit to substantive change to address this dire situation; that includes elected officials. This is why it's a part of my political platform for the new House District 82. For more click here. 

A total of $10,262 is allocated to educate a single child in Indiana. However, this amount presumes all people's circumstances are equal. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

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Such an ideology only works in a perfect world where all things are equal. It's shortsighted to expect similar results in student success when there's an inequitable investment in public education. For more click here.  

There are 1,478 nonprofits in Allen County, and 373 are human services organizations that provide direct service to the needy. Human services organizations, such as my employer (Wellspring Interfaith Social Services), constitute the second-largest employer sector in Allen County. For more click here. 

I run hard in everything I undertake...not stepping aside for someone to have their turn because they or others believe they're entitled to it is a privileged notion that counters the very nature of our survival skills as a species. I don't feel the world owes me anything; in fact, conversely, I feel I owe the world everything. For more click here. 

Relationships have the ability to transcend our differences and allow us to arrive at deference - humble submission and respect...The 'social' is as  critical to our shared humanity as is oxygen. For more click here. 

The love and support I've experienced from so many of you is the sort of compassion I want to remember most about this experience, not the invisible monster that will persist if people continue to choose ego over the well-being of humanity. For more click here. 

"Everyone deserves a life where their basic needs are met, and the onus is on us to make it so. I do not think it is about paying it forward, as much as it is about being a good human." For more click here. 

I'm encouraged that one day there will be a unified civic commitment to immigrant/refugee integration in Fort Wayne...successful immigrant integration is more of a reflection of one's community than of national policies. For more click here. 

Understanding what food insecurity is theoretically versus the reality of your neighbor not knowing where their next meal is coming from are two very different things. For more click here. 

Faith is a verb and building intentional relationships across different sectors is critical for the vitality of the community.  For more click here. 

What better way to show how welcoming our community is than by recognizing the accomplishments of immigrants, refugees and providers in the Fort Wayne area?  For more click here.

Regardless of one’s professional calling, I believe we need more old school relationship-building. The ongoing education I’ve received over the years has lent to a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. For more click here.