The Stars Will Sing Of It

Judas: dare

Bushwick 6th grader Ciro Ortiz has been spending the last few Sundays with a stand at the Bedford Avenue L stop, giving straight talk advice to straphangers the way only an 11-year-old can.

Like any superhero, Ortiz has a tragic backstory, which in this case is that he’s bullied by asshole kids at his middle school. Even in the face of that though, Ortiz’s mother says that he takes his profits and buys food and snacks for kids who can’t afford them. Truly, this is a child too good for both middle school and this Earth

source

Be the change, Ciro. From one bullied kid to another, you are doing the exact right thing. I love seeing young POC doing things like this. Proud of you! 

Welfare fraud looks less like “cadillac and mansion” and more like:

a disabled person lies about their level of mobility because medicaid will often only cover wheelchairs if you need them in the house, not if you need them to go out or do anything outside of the house

a poor woman claims her boyfriend lives separately from her because the amount he contributes to her and their kids counts against her less if it’s listed as childsupport instead of part of the household income and that small difference can be enough to keep the children from going hungry

a poor person sells part of their food stamps and lives on things like instant ramen because almost nobody gets cash assistance anymore and they need things like toilet paper or tooth paste

a disabled person who could not hold down a regular job sells $100 a month in homemade crafts and doesn’t report it because they might have to spend months or even years re-fighting their social security case if they reported it

a homeless person makes more than $20 a month begging but lists their income as zero because that’s less confusing

other things like that

On December 12th, over 100,000 people in East Aleppo were trapped in a 5 square kilometer range as they were being bombarded by airstrikes from Russia and the Syrian government to attempt to overtake the rebel-held area. “The Russia-backed ground offensive, which began on November 26, followed an intensive aerial bombing campaign that knocked out most of the medical facilities, targeted civil defence and municipal vehicles and blocked roads with rubble.” The world is sitting and watching a genocide happen before their eyes as civilians are being massacred. Families posted on various social media platforms to say their final goodbyes.

Donate to:

Syria Relief: They work to provide many life-saving essentials including food, medicine and medical care, winter provisions including warm blankets and bedding, as well as an orphan support programme. 88.8% of your donation goes into relief, the remaining go into raising money, and a small portion into admin.

https://www.syriarelief.org.uk/donate/?aleppo-appeal

Save The Children: Provides food and water, helps repair water systems, supports hospitals, helps schools, and provides emotional help for children. They have helped over 500 000 children in besieged areas so far. 88% of your donation goes into relief, the remaining goes into fundraising efforts. 

https://secure.savethechildren.org.uk/donate/emergency?sourcecode=SA4006001&_ga=1.158660734.551543489.1481608383

Islamic Relief Worldwide: They distribute food packs, clothes and medical supplies to communities under siege within Syria and displaced people along the Turkish border. They are also running or supporting camps and providing livelihood programmes, education and psychosocial support for refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. 90% of your donation goes into relief and development, the remaining goes into delivery of relief, campaigning, and generating future income.

https://donations.islamic-relief.com/?   (Click Current Appeals and donate to Syria Crisis Appeal)

Karam Foundation: An NPO that develop Innovative Education programs for Syrian refugee youth, distribute Smart Aid to Syrian families, and fund Sustainable Development projects initiated by Syrians for Syrians. They distribute clothes, food, water, flour, blankets, infant formula and other basic necessities. 100% of profit goes into building programs, providing relief, and sustaining development.

https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/m084arkxtho