The Grand Jury Report on Sexual Abuse in Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses: First Thoughts

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office released a redacted version of the Grand Jury Report on a two-year investigation into six Roman Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania investigating wide-spread sexual abuse of children and the institutional cover-up by the dioceses and the Vatican. I’ve discussed my history with Catholicism many times on this blog, […]

Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016

Dalia Sabae

As popular as they are, the #AMPLIFY posts don’t have the reach that my original blogging does which affirms my commitment to keep these stories intertwined with the rest of the posts. In between writing about the epidemics of violence, the harm of anti-poverty initiatives and some of my own personal experiences with negative factors, we all need the stories of lives lived in spite of those obstacles. I believe reading about the everyday experiences of LGBTQ people in their own words fleshes out the posts that I write about people who can no longer speak for themselves.

This Is How Food Stamps Benefit ALL Farmers Market Customers

A terrific program designed to help neighbors use their food stamps – SNAP – at local farmers markets has a wonderful benefit for all of us: the option to use our debit/credit cards at the same markets. Fresh Access Food Bucks offers SNAP recipients a chance to redeem their benefits for tokens that can be […]

Ten Most Popular Blog Posts of 2014

2014 In Review

  These are the posts that drew the most viewers in 2014. It is an interesting mix of LGBTQ specific information and human services/poverty stories. Most of the stories are local, but not all. I think this reflects some of the balance I strive for on the blog. 10. Toys for Tots Distribution Information  – this […]

UPDATED LIHEAP, Toys for Tots and Other Critical Cold Weather Info for Neighbors

Pittsburgh Winter

I often write about human service programs, poverty, and related topics so people find their way to my site looking for information on programs to help their families and households, especially during the cold winter months. I see that happening already this year so I’m going to go ahead and share the information I can […]

10 Things You Can’t Buy With Food Stamps

Food Stamps

My latest piece published on Huffington Post in the “Gay Voices” section …

Ten Things You Can’t Buy With SNAP (Food Stamps)

Personal Care Closet Pittsburgh

  I was terrible in Home Ec (8th grade) because I had little appreciation for how practical the skills would be some day. I regret not being able to sew for sure – how much money can we save if we could even do basic sewing? I also regret not learning more about cooking. I […]

How To Fold A Tote Bag (Project)

Tell us about a time things came this close to working out… but didn’t. What happened next? Would you like the chance to try again, or are you happy with how things eventually worked out? This is a prompt guaranteed to launch a thousand “what might have been” tales of woe and heartache. Once upon a time, […]

Unemployment Benefits Cut in Pennsylvania; Where LGBTQ Unemployed Can Turn

gay unemployment

73,000 Pennsylvanians stopped receiving emergency unemployment compensation yesterday due to the expiration of a federal extension launched under the Bush Administration. 73,000 of our neighbors without a job and with no income in a still terrible economy where Fight Club determines which person gets the PT barista job. I don’t really have a lot that’s […]

What Would a Million Dollars Worth of Tampons Look Like?

The Prompt: If you found one million dollars in the morning and had to spend it by nightfall, what would you do with the money? This is not a big challenge. 1. I’d pay off my outstanding debts – I guess I’d have to use online banking. Hmmm.I wonder if there’s a contingency for paying […]