GlennFrazier.com

So I got another letter from my buddy Ken Mehlman. He writes me quite regularly. I've written back a couple of times, but he seems never to actually get what I'm saying to him.

Our relationship is pretty straightforward. I gave the RNC a lot of time and money in 2004, because I believe in President Bush's vision and I believed that a Republican Congress would give me the best chances of seeing this vision carried forward. Ken likes that I gave a lot of time and money, and he thinks it would be great if I would give even more money this year. Here's an excerpt from the beginning of the latest of his missives:

On November 2, 2004, President Bush and our Republican candidates scored a sweeping and historic victory. ...There can be no doubt: Americans have spoken ... and their trust and confidence in President Bush is crystal clear. ...But despite these tremendous accomplishments—the fight for America's future is far from over. In fact, the real battle is just beginning ...

Now here's my problem: I pay for RESULTS. As I see it, I payed, but I got no results. What's the point (I occasionally ask Ken in my unanswered letters) in a Republican majority if that majority includes RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) like my own Senator Arlen Specter? What's the point in having a Republican majority if Republicans don't act like they have a majority.

I payed and I campaigned, and all I see from "my" party is a fetid pile of namby-pamby good-old-boy network political cowardice. All Ken's talk of "battles" and "fights" is insulting. The results of the GOP's mishandling of Presidential appointments and nominees looks indistintuishable from what we would have got from a Democratic majority.

I pay for results. Until I see results, I'm not paying another penny. I'm directly supporting Senator Rick Santorum's reelection campaign, because he has the integrity to take tough stands on issues he believes in that I think are important. The rest of the party can hang.

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Years have gone by, and I still subscribe to what Pejman said, when he wrote, "Never!"

Barbarismus delenda est.

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CiA (no, not that CIA...nor that CIA)—Charity In Action has been working very hard to help Hurricane Katrina victims in the Gulfport/Longbeach region of Mississippi. Here are some more details and updates to add to what I blogged earlier:

First, they have accomplished three relief shipments, so far. The first was a collection of goods to a church in Mississippi being sponsored by the Ivyland Church in Ivyland, Pennsylvania. The second was a tractor-trailer full of food, clothing and equipment to the Seabees unit I mentioned earlier. (Remember, the one my friend is chaplain for.) Third, the first team of volunteer workers was sent down, along with a small trailer of additional supplies. Here's a photo of this week's team just before departure:

The second bit of interesting news is this letter from the chaplain, Lt. Martie Johnson to Charity In Action:

Way to go! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Somehow, we arrived with a perfect delivery just in time for a feeding center to be set up at America's Thrift Store's parking lot in Biloxi. The forklift operator unloaded the truck, and the store manager couldn't believe the great mix of stuff you guys put together. Wow! The pork and beans, chile, Infamil, soy milk, apple juice, and the Dole mixed fruit, and there was an especially great cheer for the peanut butter and tuna. In other words, GREAT job! You knew exactly what they needed.

My Seabees were also ecstatic. Here's a direct quote from Chief Perry: "Hey Chaps! Where did you get these 8 great ladders?" I said, "Hey guys, the CIA in Philadelphia is looking out for you!" They responded, "The CIA??" I said, "Charity in Action. It's a great group of folks in Bryn Athyn, PA." The ladders were distributed to the tiger teams (groups of 5-10 Seabees who roam around ready to repair your roof and other holes in your house) immediately, and they are currently at work in Biloxi.

Lastly, I also really appreciate your "care to the caregiver" efforts. Our Seabees are also victims here, and I look forward to getting gift cards from Lowes, Home Depot, and Sam's Club so that they can rebuild their lives as they rebuild Mississippi.

God bless you, and thank you, and let's keep it up! I'll catch up with you, now that we've worked out the kinks, to make this even smoother.

P.S.
My battalion is responsible a number of Biloxi schools and 8 schools in George County Mississippi. Get ready for how you can help us help them.
Thanks again CiA!

Martie's unit is Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 (NMCB-7), Magnificent Seven (mission, "We Build, We Fight!"), stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi. They have an illustrious history, including multiple instances of providing disaster relief after numerous hurricanes in a number of places and also deploying to help Sri Lanka after the recent tsunami. Additionally, NMCB-7 was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for their participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a part of Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) I. Now, they are helping people in Gulfport and Biloxi and surrounding areas dig out, find shelter, and eventually rebuild. This time, however, they also have their own homes (and their base) to dig out and repair, too.

Finally, on a related note, the next truck has arrived at Bryn Athyn Cathedral and is ready to begin loading. Everything going on the truck will go to Rev. Johnson and the Seabees of NMCB-7 for use in southern Mississippi relief work.

If you would like to contribute, head over to the Charity In Action website. Financial contributions are now tax deductable (under the auspicies of the Bryn Athyn Society of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, a 501(c)3 non-profit, private church organization), and will go towards the cost of purchasing and transporting more relief supplies to the Seabees for distribution. Every cent goes directly into relief efforts; CiA has no paid employees. All work in Mississippi is done under FEMA authority and in cooperation with the U. S. military and the Salvation Army.

[Technorati tags: flood aid, hurricane katrina]

Posted by Mac at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

I have three updates on Charity In Action, mentioned here earlier today.

First, I have an email from them with the following additional information:

Charity In Action is working in direct conjunction with the contacts in effected areas. We are coordinating our Relief Deliveries with FEMA, the U.S. military and the Salvation Army. We have warehouses and a military base standing by to receive our supplies and the Salvation Army ready to manage and distribute them.

This is something that makes Charity In Action stand a bit apart from many other faith-based efforts. If you want to have an immediate and direct impact on specific shelters' needs, this is an excellent organization to do it through. In the email, I'm also told that the Salvation Army tells us that the shelters we're working with are in desperate need; so far they have received nothing but refugees at these facilities. The first Charity in Action truck is rolling today.

Also, the Charity In Action website has been updated with some new information:

Charity In Action has been in communication with our contacts at FEMA, the Salvation Army and the military this morning. They are counting on us for Relief Deliveries by tractor-trailer. The need is overwhelming. The Salvation Army Shelters are filled with people, but no food, clothing or supplies. The military base has a warehouse ready to receive and distribute the supplies we bring down.

A truck has been procured. Our coordinator in charge of large supply procurement has been working with Sam’s Club – they estimate it will take about $40,000 worth of goods to fill one truck. The Salvation Army needs supplies to be palletized as much as possible. Cash donations will help fill this truck by enabling us to purchase full pallets of items from Sam’s Club.

Donations of food and supplies will go on the Ivyland truck. (See Relief Deliveries pages for more information).

Michael Peters, the Salvation Army Long Beach Shelter Coordinator in Mississippi told us this morning, "The need is so great...God bless you". We have told him we plan to bring multiple trucks.

An important note about clothing donations – there is a real need for XXL size clothing; Women’s size 22 and larger. Used but clean clothing and bedding is great. New packages of underwear appreciated.

Regarding food donations, they have no refrigeration. Ideally they need foods that don’t need to be cooked. High protein products are needed, i.e. canned stews. #10 cans please.

Go to Charity In Action now to find out how you can help with this and other related efforts.

Finally, good news on the topic of tax-deductability: Charity In Action is now able to accept financial contributions thanks to the non-profit status of its sponsor, the Bryn Athyn Society of the General Church. They desperately need this money in order to fill up their trucks with pallettes from Sam's Club, as well as to pay for truck rentals and gasoline. Also, they are now using the Bryn Athyn Cathedral as a primary drop-off point for donated goods.

Posted by Mac at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

According to their website...

Charity In Action is a recently conceived, rapidly evolving organization dedicated to helping those in need. Our immediate mission is to contribute to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Our current base of operations is in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania; however we are coordinating with a wide network of church groups, military bases, federal, state and local agencies.

We are a group of volunteers, many of whom are associated with the Swedenborgian faith. The Bryn Athyn Society of the General Church is currently sponsoring some of our activities. We welcome any and all to join us.

Charity In Action is just getting off the ground. They are not yet registered as a non-profit, and are principally focused right now on acting as a coordinating body. (Stay tuned, though, as they very well may become a tax-deductable fund raising organization as well.)

Among the efforts that Charity In Action is coordinating are the following:

• Sending a truck of supplies from the New Christian church in Ivyland, Pennsylvania to a pastor in Mississippi overseeing a shelter;


• FEMA- and U.S. Military-approved truck shipments full of relief supplies and Home Depot and Lowes gift cards from Bryn Athyn to various shelters in Gulport and Biloxi—including Orange Grove Elementary School, Bel Aire Elementary School, Gulf Port Central Elementary School, Seabee Memorial Chapel, and Gulf Port Salvation Army Shelter—under the coordination of a Navy Chaplain (attached to a Seabees unit in Gulfport) who is also a New Christian minister;


• Short-term shelter and long-term housing planning for some of the people displaced into the Philadelphia area; and


• Cards, notes, pictures, etc., for those effected, created by children wanting to provide comfort and sympathy.

As their site says, this is a faith-based organization whose organizers are members of the New Christian (Swedenborgian) religion—specifically the Bryn Athyn Society of the General Church. If you're unfamiliar with New Christianity, you can learn more at NewChurch.org. If you are a reader of Swedenborg or merely someone who wants to help their neighbor, if you are in the Philadelphia area or a thousand miles away, if you want to volunteer time, supply goods, provide transportation, or donate money or gift cards, there's a need at Charity In Action that you can fill.

For more information and details, go to their website. To join the effort immediately and get on their mailing list, send an email to subscribe@CharityInAction.org.

[Technorati: flood aid, hurricane katrina]

Posted by Mac at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (3)