Guess who's coming to my mother's rescue? COMMUNITY ORGANiZERS.

[Pab Sungenis]

For those who have been following the saga of my mother and her house fire (Thread 1, Thread 2, Thread 3) there's some very good news.

We've just found out that the new house we've made arrangements to get my mother into before the end of the year is getting an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" style makeover courtesy of...a bunch of community organizers.

http://www.ccaction.org/

We found a house for sale up in the area that she would be able to afford with a "loan" from me (although it's going to put a severe dent in my savings and completely wipe out what little she still had in hers) and hope to be going to settlement before Christmas.

Well, we just found out tonight that the people at Community Action will be going into the house as soon as she's in it, putting in new insulation, upgrading the wiring, putting on new siding, and making major repairs to the roof. All free of charge.

Why? Because it's just the kind of thing they do.

Community Action was formed as part of LBJ's War On Poverty back in 1965. Just a few of the programs they run (from their website) are:

• Weatherization Assistance Program


• Empower NY Low Income Customer Assistance Program


• Home Performance with Energy Star®


• Assisted Home Performance with Energy Star®


• Family and School-Based Youth Programs


• Homeless and Housing Support Services


• Emergency Assistance Programs


• Rural Preservation Program


• Home Improvement Program


• Food Pantry Network


• The Lighthouse Community Kitchen


• Nutrition Outreach and Education Program


• Summer Food Service Program


• Domestic Violence Programs


• Rape and Sexual Assault


• Crime Victim Assistance


• Violence Against Women Program


• Children's Services

...and they do this all for free. Why? Because they're a bunch of people looking to make their communities better, and help people up onto their feet.

These are the kinds of people that Shrub's dad was talking about when he rhapsodized about "1,000 Points Of Light." This is the kind of job our President-Elect was doing before law school, which the Republicans sought to ridicule.

These people, and people like them across the country, have done more for more people than every Republican officeholder in Washington. And probably more than every Democratic officeholder in Washington, too.

The next time a Republican starts bugging me about our "community organizer" President, I'm going to throw all this up in their faces.

By the way, thanks to the people here on DU who have chipped in and bid on my eBay auctions to help defray the incredible costs my mother is accruing because of this fire. And even more thanks to those here who donated to the Olean Red Cross to help the family that lost two young girls in the house next door. We owe you all more than you could ever imagine.

And if you really want to show some love, once the new Congress sits, write some letters to Eric Massa about these people and what they do. Make sure he keeps the funding coming for them. (Eric beat Randy Kuhl last month, to become the first Democrat representing that district in over 20 years.)

[annabanana]

1. That's WONDERFUL news!

What a great program, what wonderful people.

Your Mom deserved a break.

[Earth_First]

2. FANTASTIC!

Your mother must be upstate?

We were so ecstatic to watch and believe in Massa's campaign!

It's so great to see that his candidacy is helping individuals out everyday, like your mother.

Good luck!

[Pab Sungenis]

3. Yep. Lived in Olean, will be moving to outside of Franklinville.

Hauling herself up the mountain if all goes well.