Community groups: Employed should consider donating stimulus checks
We have a modest proposal to some of the 3,622,200 people holding jobs in Massachusetts.
Most of us are getting $1,400 stimulus checks on top of the $600 stimulus checks we received in January and some households will get two or more such checks.
Some of us getting these checks do not really need this extra $1,400 if we’ve been paid our present salaries. But, we know those who work for low wages or are financially supporting others or have major student loans cannot afford not to keep this money.
There’s 241,100 estimated unemployed in Massachusetts. Additionally, many tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants have lost their jobs and don’t legally qualify for unemployment benefits. And there are several hundred thousand people who were already poor before the pandemic earning low wages or on disability. That adds up to so many stories of hardship.
So if you are working now
— unless you are earning low wages or are currently facing eviction or foreclosure or supporting other people or had to leave the workforce to take care of your children or relatives — our modest proposal is that you donate some of your $1,400 stimulus check to help others in need. Really.
We all are hurt by COVID19, this economic recession and the racial injustices in our criminal justice system and other institutions, so let’s reach further to help neighbors and strangers in need.
Please go to these links for groups to donate some of your $1,400 stimulus checks to. Or come up with your own list of organizations to donate to locally, nationally or internationally.
■ The Massachusetts Undoc Fund (massundocufund.org/donate) provides support to 250,000 undocumented immigrants in our state, none of whom are eligible for unemployment benefits under current laws.
■ The Mass Redistribution Fund (redistributionfund.org/) supports 27 local community-led relief efforts for COVID-19 across Massachusetts.
The 11 community foundations around the state accept donations to special funds to give emergency food and rent assistance. And many communities have food pantries to donate to.
We know so many have done so much, including all the essential workers, first responders and front-line workers. We who write this have been trying to do our part for both pandemic emergencies and on systemic change issues. Gladys Vega is leading emergency pandemic aid efforts in Chelsea and beyond. Monica Cannon-Grant is leading this in Boston. Beth Huang has worked for maintaining MBTA and Regional Transit Authority service in this period. Lew Finfer has worked on the eviction and foreclosure moratorium efforts.
Gladys Vega is executive director of La Colaborativa; Monica Cannon-Grant is the founder of Violence in Boston; Beth Huang is executive director of the Massachusetts Voter Table, and Lew Finfer is the executive director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network