'I'm making a contribution'
Why Melanie takes WW to her food coop
By Leslie Feinberg
"After the U.S. invaded Afghanistan I really wanted to do
something," Melanie says with conviction. "I needed to feel
like I was making some kind of contribution."
As she talks by telephone about when and why she began
getting a weekly bundle of Workers World newspapers to
distribute locally, she amuses her toddler Mauro by playing
with a ball.
"I saw an article in Workers World about somebody who
delivered the paper to various places like laundromats," she
recalls, "and that gave me the idea."
The article was an interview with Terry, a Teamster truck
driver in Buffalo who gets a bundle of Workers World newspapers
every week and drops off papers at local campuses,
delicatessens, restaurants, newsstands, coffee shops,
bookstores, food coop and other locations. ["Tips on getting
out the truth," WW, Nov. 15, 2001]
Melanie lives about three hours away from Terry, in Ithaca,
N.Y.--a college town, home to Cornell University.
"Initially I was very ambitious and made a list of all the
laundromats," Melanie explains. "But I began to notice that the
ones I dropped off at the coop grocery store were going very
quickly. Even if I dropped off 75, they were all gone within a
few days.
"I was pleased that all those newspapers were getting picked
up. So after the second baby came, I decided to simplify life
and drop off at the coop market."
Melanie leaves 60 copies on Mondays. "I guess people have
gotten used to the idea that they can get it there because the
following Monday all of the previous issues have been picked
up.
"There's more demand at some times than at others," she
observes. "It seems to be partly the university school cycle,
the time of year and what's going on in the political scene and
around the world."
Everyone in Melanie's household--who's old enough--reads
Workers World newspaper. "The person who reads it the most
faithfully is my husband. And one of the topics we've been
particularly interested in is Haiti, as well as Latin
America."
Melanie adds, "I can't let my 9-year-old son read the
regular newspaper--it's too traumatic--photos with blood and
gore.
"But I can let him read the Workers World newspapers. I
don't have to hide them. One thing that he's interested in and
I'm encouraging is the pictures of demonstrations. He reads the
signs and the slogans. And he is able to see that there are
lots of people who feel like we do."
Raising two young children means, "I can't travel to New
York City or Washington to demonstrations," Melanie explains.
"This way, I feel like I'm making a contribution." It's a big
contribution.
Melanie sends this final message: "Thanks to everybody there
for sending the bundle to me."
Bulk orders of Workers World are available for distribution.
Just e-mail: bundles@workers.org or call (212) 627-2994 for
more information.
Reprinted from the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
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