We are the family and members of the Hopewell Book Club who read Barbara Ehrenreich’s book On (Not) Getting By in America and were disturbed by her account of the extraordinary difficulty hard working Americans had in affording housing.. Ehrenreich traveled, chronicling her experiences working as a hotel maid, waitress, nursing-home aid, house cleaner and retail salesperson while living in the least expensive lodgings she could find. She saw the problems fellow workers had finding affordable housing or accumulating enough money to afford a security deposit.
Ehrenreich’s account alerted the book club members to a problem that existed around them. They realized that many Howard County residents needed assistance when even a temporary financial crisis hit. There’s nothing that sets these board members apart from anyone else, other than that they took the initiative and found a way forward. With the love and support of so many, they were able to bring this idea to fruition…and keep it going.
Our Board Members:
- Linda Blakeslee
- Joy Calvert
- Mike Calvert
- Anne Dodd
- Mary Klett
- Arlene McCoog
- Wren Cronan Morgan
- Ann Neale
- Jane Parrish
- Rebecca Politzer