Today's letters: our country needs to help Syria & HomeFront thanks Mercer County
Recently, the news has been filled with stories of refugees fleeing the war in Syria. We hear stories of boats being capsized in Libya, of bodies being found in Austria and of Hungarian police chasing refugees.
We cannot stand idly by and watch as our fellow human beings suffer. I am Jewish and am too familiar with this scenario. A little over 70 years ago, my grandparents had to flee the Nazis. Some of my family didn't make it. America finally opened up its borders and my grandparents were saved, and now I am here today. The situation these refugees are in is extremely similar to that of my grandparents: people fleeing war and death trying to find a new life.
We are such a powerful country. We can give aid to help make the refugee camps more livable. We can open up our borders and allow these people to find a new home. We can attack the heart of the problem and get more involved in Syria's war.
Let's not make the same mistake America made in the 1940s. We must give the gift of freedom to these refugees that my grandparents, my parents and I have enjoyed.
Yona Kornsgold
East Windsor
Each year at this time, I get the same feeling of pride about the community where I live and work. It's a community that really cares about others and is willing to help less fortunate families.
Once again, thanks to Mercer County residents supporting our Back to School campaign, over 1,100 homeless or children in need are going back to school feeling confident and good about themselves. They are off to school looking just like their classmates wearing new school clothes and carrying a backpack full of school supplies. They are laughing, playing and fitting in. They belong. If only you could witness their excitement!
Individuals, corporations, congregations and organizations made this possible by supporting homeless children in our annual HomeFront Back-to-School campaign. I sincerely thank you for all you have done for these children.
Each day we see struggling families who have lost their jobs, their homes--families who can't feed or clothe their children. Whatever we, as a community, can do to help these children get on the right track to help them stay in school, finish and become productive members of society, is critical to their long term success. These seemingly small donations make a huge difference in their day-to-day lives. In the long run, this is how we can fight poverty--and end it.
Together, we can make it happen, one child with a new backpack and a new pair of sneakers at a time. I truly thank you for all you do for these children.
Connie Mercer
Executive Director, HomeFront
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