Nice letter to the editor from Fr Jud in Camden about BonaResponds!- Opinion

Letter to the editor - (Oct. 22) - Opinion:

"Father, can you build me a wheelchair ramp?'

Vinnie, an occasional parishioner at our church in Camden, St. Anthony of Padua, cornered me at a parish event. In Camden, N.J., one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in the United States, requests for help are frequent and often impassioned. I immediately gave Vinnie some stock responses: 'Have you tried the county office for disabilities?'; 'It's a very busy time, can you ask me again in a few weeks?'; 'Let me see if someone on the staff has any ideas.' I could tell from Vinnie's expression he had heard all this before, so I said, 'Let's pray that the Holy Spirit sends us someone who can build you a ramp.'

Within 48 hours, Professor Jim Mahar messaged me on Facebook: 'Given that the Northeast U.S. has been pretty lucky disaster-wise recently, BonaResponds has no clear-cut 'must help' site for our midterm break (Oct. 8-12) ... so I was wondering if you need any help? Would you like 15-20 volunteers for a long weekend of work? We could bring tools, are very skilled at wheelchair ramps etc...'

be sure to also read the second page!

Thanks Fr. Jud!