Friends, Marna and Dawn
of the DMZ Community Gardens

“How many poor people do you have as friends”? Jimmy Carter asked the question to a group of University students back in the late 80’s. It has haunted me since. At the time I had a friend who had two sons and could be called ‘poor.’ But he was on his way of moving out of poverty with a decent job. When we started to make ‘home visits’ with the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP), first in Madison and later here in Milwaukee, I met on our person to person visits a number of people in need, but I could not really call them ‘friends.’

However, after I retired about 11 years ago I got to know some persons in need that I really can now call friends. Visiting persons in need with SVDP was a blessing but these friends have provided me with countless blessings. As true friends they are there to support me in need and I try to be there for them.

In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. and others organized the Poor People’s Campaign. “The Poor People’s Campaign was motivated by a desire for economic justice: the idea that all people should have what they need to live.” Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated before the coming together of poor people of all races in D.C. However, the event went on.

Father James Groppi, a civil rights leader in Milwaukee, drove a school bus to D.C. with local people and we sent up camp on the Washington Mall, Resurrection City. There I got to meet people from all over the country, of races and creeds, many poor, united together in our struggle to “Stop the War on the Poor.” It was a powerful experience in my life and showed me the power of people to make change when they are united. Robert Kennedy was assassinated during this time and afterwards the spirit of poor united seems to have faded away.

Now in Milwaukee, a very small group of us are trying to organize people in need to reform the gigantic powerful agency St. Vincent de Paul in Milwaukee. Over the years it has lost its way and now has become and agency, raising money in name of poor but building an empire that serves people not in need.

At my old age and tired experience. I am not the community organizer that I used to be, I feel the need to do something about this with my friends. Also my friends who are in need are struggling themselves to survive and do not have time to organize. This poor people’s campaign to reform the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Milwaukee is limited but we must try. Raising money in name of poor and not using it to serve their needs, as is the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul is an injustice. Whereever there is an injustice, especially with poor we must break the silence, unite and fight it. Anyone interested contact us at
We are all brothers, sisters and friends with the Poor.

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