The Center for the Working Poor is an inter-faith intentional community based off of the Catholic Worker movement and New Monasticism, which is committed to strategic non-violent social change. These are our core principles and programs: 1) Strategic Nonviolence 2) Voluntary Simplicity and Intentional Community 3) Hospitality and Service for fired workers 4) The Burning Bush Newspaper and website 5) Community Building 6) Spirituality and Faith in Action.
Some of our community members live and work as full-time volunteers at the Center, and other community members work in careers outside the Center. We all share a commitment to live in community, share a few meals a week, and a common vision of non-violent social change to benefit the most oppressed in our society. Volunteer members run the Center for the Working Poor, which is a non-profit that provides services for poor, and organizes protest and social movement activity. Our specialty is planning and organizing large protests, civil disobedience actions, hunger strikes, and other forms of strategic non-violence. We are a spiritual community which observes Christian contemplative practices; however, this is not a requirement for participation or membership at the Center. We have people of many faiths and beliefs in our community. We are looking for members that have occupations outside of the Center, who are interested in renting a room and in being in community with us.
Serving the Poor
Many of the families we serve have working parents who were fired after speaking up about poor working conditions. Many are illegally injured, blacklisted, and are denied unemployment and disability benefits because of the greed of corporations. We have a unique mission because we actually deliver food directly to people in their homes. We develop close relationships with the families, helping them find jobs, joining them at their kitchen tables to discuss their kids, their medical medical needs, and informing them about social services that can help them on the road to self-determination. We also keep them engaged as leaders in the movement to improve conditions in their workplaces and community.
Paul Engler Update: The Story Which Needs To Be Told
December 23rd, 2009
I apologize for the long wait for an update about myself and the Center for the Working Poor, the Burning Bush community. We have been very busy. This year we are serving more families than ever due to the economy, … Continue reading
December 15th, 2009
On Thursday, Sam Pullen was arrested at the Los Angeles offices of the insurance giant Blue Cross. He refused to give his information to police and vowed to remain in prison until Blue Cross agreed to hear demands that it … Continue reading
December 12th, 2009
Sitting in for Healthcare A new group takes the fight for a single-payer system directly to insurers—and politicians. By Diana Novak November 16, 2009 Since September 29, when Mobilization for Health Care for All organized its first sit-in at health … Continue reading
46 Million Reasons for Health-Care Reform
December 5th, 2009
The moral imperatives for change. by Jim Wallis, John DiIulio Jr., Carol Keehan, E.J. Dionne Jr., Janelle Goetcheus, Rose Marie Berger, Tom Sine, and Arthur Waskow printer-friendly version For the Healing of the Nation: 46 million reasons for health-care reform … Continue reading
What the Catholic Worker Believes
December 1st, 2009
What the Catholic Worker Believes The Catholic Worker believes in the gentle personalism of traditional Catholicism. The Catholic Worker believes in the personal obligation of looking after the needs of our brother. The Catholic Worker believes in the daily practice … Continue reading
Starting The Center for the Working Poor: Don’t Mess With God’s Crazy Plan
November 22nd, 2006
By Paul Engler The Summary I still run the Center for the Working Poor, delivering food to impoverished workers, writing, speaking at churches, and supporting living wage boycotts. While doing this, the House of Representatives passed a law designed to … Continue reading