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Learning to Drink from the Monastic Waters


December 10th, 2023

By Paul Engler It’s hard to overstate the importance of “monastic retreats” and “meditation retreats” in my life. Not only have they been the source of some of the greatest conversions and most powerful mystical experiences I have experienced, but … Continue reading



2023 CWP Newsletter Summary


December 10th, 2023

As the year comes to a close, I can look back on many projects, writings, trainings, and conversations I’ve been a part of in the past twelve months. But one of the things that stands out most to me are … Continue reading



Coming Home


December 10th, 2023

By Garrett Allen I wrote this article after a year living/working at the Center, where my fellowship included a robust regime of spiritual discipline like Landmark, Vipassana and 12 Step.  I made it a habit this year to join a … Continue reading



2023 House Journal


December 10th, 2023

By Garrett Allen At the Center for the Working Poor some things are constant year to year. We have a steady stream of visitors from around the country and world pretty much every year. But other aspects of our house … Continue reading



2022 House Journal


December 19th, 2022

I’m happy to report that our community has stabilized at the Center for the Working Poor house. We haven’t had one person leave in the past year! A welcome contrast to 2021, when we had so many people come and … Continue reading



2021 CWP Newsletter Summary


December 15th, 2021

There is a big debate among economists about a curious phenomenon unfolding right now called “The Great Resignation”. We have an immense labor shortage because people are not returning to work as the experts expected (common after a recession). There … Continue reading



2021 Center Update: Ring the Bell of Hope… Again, and Again


December 15th, 2021

This fall, in one of my first trips to visit my coworkers from the Ayni Institute in Boston, I stopped by New York City to visit one of my closest friends, Eric Stoner. And I was sitting on his couch, … Continue reading



2021 House Journal


December 15th, 2021

The Center for the Working Poor was founded in 2006, but we didn’t move into our large Victorian house until 2007. Therefore, we have been in the house for 14 years now; and throughout this time, only Paul Engler has … Continue reading



The Story of Community Counseling


December 15th, 2021

Over the last year, we have started beta groups for a new model of mutual aid counseling, called Community Counseling that has engaged dozens in weekly small group counseling practice and training. In November, I went to Boston to lead … Continue reading



2020 CWP Newsletter Summary


December 17th, 2020

“Fine Personally, but Armageddon Pressing In” Dear Friends,  I remember in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, reading a facebook post from the writer Rebecca Solnit, where she said she’d been searching for a simple phrase that could sum … Continue reading



2020 Center Update: Surrender and Become Attentive


December 17th, 2020

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die …” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 “Surrender to what is dying, and become attentive to what is emerging.”  — … Continue reading



2020 House Journal


December 17th, 2020

The life of the house has changed dramatically this year due to Coronavirus. We normally have a steady stream of people coming in and out of the house who we provide hospitality for–activists, friends and family, and occasionally someone that … Continue reading



Vice Magazine Interview with Paul Engler


December 17th, 2020

In March, Paul was interviewed by Vice Magazine, who reached out to him to discuss how the Coronavirus might affect the political and economic situation in the United States. Below is an excerpt from the article, titled “Coronavirus Could be … Continue reading



2019 Newsletter Summary


December 27th, 2019

Hello everybody!  It has been an eventful year at the Center for the Working Poor. In our newsletter we have both our regular house update, in which you can get a small update on everyone living in the community over … Continue reading



These Activists Are Training Every Movement That Matters What does it take to make progressive change in 2019? A nonprofit with no office and only seven employees knows.


December 27th, 2019

By Tyler Kingkade This article appears in VICE Magazine’s 2019 Profiles Issue. This edition looks to the future by zeroing in on the underrecognized writers, scientists, musicians, critics, and more that will shape our world next year. They are “the Other 2020” … Continue reading



2019 House Update


December 27th, 2019

Hello from the Center for the Working Poor! This year there have been many memorable events, including an epic Thanksgiving dinner with many friends and family from our community. We have gone through a lot this year in relation to … Continue reading



Why Some LA Jewish Millennials Are Walking Off Their ‘Birthright Israel’ Trips


December 24th, 2018

Why Some LA Jewish Millennials Are Walking Off Their ‘Birthright Israel’ Trips BY AARON SCHRANK ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 11:00 PM in LAIST This summer, some L.A. locals with Jewish American activist group IfNotNow walked off their Birthright buses to … Continue reading



Resistance Guide: A Gift and a Struggle


January 22nd, 2018

Last year, during my senior year of college at Occidental, I was tasked with writing a senior thesis— a capstone research project that served as a graduation requirement for the Urban and Environment Policy program. I wanted this project to … Continue reading



House Journal 2017


January 22nd, 2018

It is amazing that the Trump election and inauguration was over a year ago. The Center for the Working poor (aka the Center), has been dramatically affected by these cycles of Trump and the protest movement. In the weeks after … Continue reading



Building a Community of Vulnerability and Common Struggle


January 22nd, 2018

We’re doing a three hour workshop called Get Empathy with students at New Roads, a high school in Santa Monica. It’s program is designed to create a space where people can learn how to tell their stories and listen to … Continue reading



House Journal 2016


January 9th, 2017

The House has been more active than usual—its seems like a renaissance of activity at the Center for the Working Poor that includes more centering prayer activities, collective social outings, and board games. Over the last year, we have had … Continue reading



99Rise Update for 2014


December 31st, 2014

99Rise was a program that was incubated and birthed from the Center for the Working Poor. At first, as a baby, it was very dependent on the Center for the Working Poor, Paul Engler, as it primary organizer. In the … Continue reading



The Care Bear Revolution: Get Empathy– the student anti-bullying and leadership program


December 31st, 2014

A few years ago, I was asked one day by the director of a prominent non-profit in the area, ”With a little grant money and a powerful position, what would you do to stop bullying?” Having been a middle school … Continue reading



Centering Prayer at Center For The Working Poor in 2014


December 31st, 2014

Monday evenings you will find a group of 5-12 people sitting silently, with eyes closed, in the living room of the Center For The Working Poor. Centering Prayer, a meditation practice rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition, was developed by … Continue reading



Center for the Working Poor House Journal Old and New Faces at the Center


December 31st, 2014

Paul Engler, in addition to administering the house and services of the Center For The Working Poor, has been writing a bit with his brother, Mark Engler. They are proud to announce they have a book deal from The Nation … Continue reading



Plan For the Revolution, But Keep Everyone Washing the Dishes: A New Year’s Update


December 31st, 2014

Dear Friends, I started the Center for the Working Poor in 2006. I donated all my money and my car, and slept on the floor of my shared, cramped apartment with our first full time volunteer, Clayton Perry. We ate … Continue reading



When the pillars fall — How social movements can win more victories like same-sex marriage


July 14th, 2014

When the pillars fall — How social movements can win more victories like same-sex marriage Mark Engler and Paul Engler July 9, 2014 Originally appeared on Waging Nonviolence. Not long ago, same-sex marriage in America was not merely an unpopular … Continue reading



Can Frances Fox Piven’s theory of disruptive power create the next Occupy?


July 14th, 2014

Can Frances Fox Piven’s theory of disruptive power create the next Occupy? Mark Engler and Paul Engler May 7, 2014 Originally appeared in Waging Nonviolence. Social movements can be fast, and they can be slow. Mostly, the work of social … Continue reading



Would Saul Alinsky break his own rules?


July 14th, 2014

Would Saul Alinsky break his own rules? Mark Engler and Paul Engler April 2, 2014 Originally appeared in Waging Nonviolence. Although Saul Alinsky, the founding father of modern community organizing in the United States, passed away in 1972, he is … Continue reading



Did nonviolence fail in Egypt?


July 14th, 2014

Did nonviolence fail in Egypt? Mark Engler and Paul Engler February 21, 2014 Originally appeared in Waging Nonviolence. Three years ago this month, the 82-year-old president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down amid historic protests against his dictatorial rule. News … Continue reading



When Martin Luther King gave up his guns


July 14th, 2014

When Martin Luther King gave up his guns Mark Engler and Paul Engler January 15, 2014 Originally appeared on Waging Nonviolence. Few are aware that Martin Luther King, Jr. once applied for a permit to carry a concealed handgun. In … Continue reading



Hunger Strike for Philadelphia Public Schools


September 12th, 2013

At the end of June, a threat arose in the Philadelphia school district of budget cuts that would eliminate many workers. I would like again to congratulate the parents, and staff, with UNITE HERE local 274, for their amazing 14 … Continue reading



The Future of the #Occupy Movement: Solidarity and Escalation


December 14th, 2011

The Future of the #Occupy Movement: Solidarity and Escalation The movement can propel significant changes. But #OccupyWallStreet and its allied occupations still have a ways to go before realizing their potential. By Mark Engler Published on October 21, 2011. A … Continue reading



How #OccupyWallStreet Is Evolving and Gaining Power


December 14th, 2011

How the anti-corporate protests have evolved into the populist force now sweeping the nation. By Mark Engler Published on October 5, 2011. #OccupyWallStreet is evolving. Now in its third week, the protest movement not only continues to grow—it is maturing … Continue reading



Sample Resource Post


December 8th, 2010

This is an example of a post that shows up on the Resources page by selecting the category called resources.



How Costly Is Too Costly? Finding the tipping point for Vietnam — and for Iraq


November 27th, 2007

By Mark Engler Published on February 23, 2006 In the center of the CostOfWar.com home page, an upward-racing ticker, presented in a large, red font, keeps a steady tally of the money spent for the U.S. war in Iraq. Every … Continue reading



Looking For Flowers In The Dumpster


May 17th, 2007

I am still running the Center for the Working Poor (aka the Burning Bush Community), delivering food to families of the working poor, writing and speaking about issues of poverty, and supporting local living wage and immigrant rights campaigns. In the last seven months, there have been some big changes at “the Center.” Then again, the whole journey thus far has been a whirlwind. Continue reading







We will All Become Pilgrims: 2022 Newsletter Summary

December 19th, 2022

By Paul Engler Whenever I write my newsletter, I am afraid a subtle or not-so-subtle repetition will be noticed—I fear I write the same thing over and over again! Generally the theme has something to do with change, uncertainty, and … Continue reading

Liminality is a Recipe for Navigating Winter: Becoming a Pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago

December 19th, 2022

Whether you’re in a midlife, quarter life, or general life crisis, the proverbial crap hits the wall. You break up with your girlfriend, your community starts falling apart, your movement dies, your organization goes bankrupt, you lose the political campaign. … Continue reading

2022 House Journal

December 19th, 2022

I’m happy to report that our community has stabilized at the Center for the Working Poor house. We haven’t had one person leave in the past year! A welcome contrast to 2021, when we had so many people come and … Continue reading

2021 CWP Newsletter Summary

December 15th, 2021

There is a big debate among economists about a curious phenomenon unfolding right now called “The Great Resignation”. We have an immense labor shortage because people are not returning to work as the experts expected (common after a recession). There … Continue reading

2021 Center Update: Ring the Bell of Hope… Again, and Again

December 15th, 2021

This fall, in one of my first trips to visit my coworkers from the Ayni Institute in Boston, I stopped by New York City to visit one of my closest friends, Eric Stoner. And I was sitting on his couch, … Continue reading

2021 House Journal

December 15th, 2021

The Center for the Working Poor was founded in 2006, but we didn’t move into our large Victorian house until 2007. Therefore, we have been in the house for 14 years now; and throughout this time, only Paul Engler has … Continue reading

The Story of Community Counseling

December 15th, 2021

Over the last year, we have started beta groups for a new model of mutual aid counseling, called Community Counseling that has engaged dozens in weekly small group counseling practice and training. In November, I went to Boston to lead … Continue reading

2020 Center Update: Surrender and Become Attentive

December 17th, 2020

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die …” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 “Surrender to what is dying, and become attentive to what is emerging.”  — … Continue reading