I have to admit that my heart has been with the Occupy movement since the first day of its appearance. The greed and chicanery that prompted our current financial mess has impacted the lives of many and I'm sick about it. Unfortunately, I can't be among the throngs who have resurrected the Hoovervilles of the past. I am frustrated that I haven't the courage to live my convictions by leaving my job and physically joining the movement but I feel that I have no option at this point. Living paycheck to paycheck doesn't afford me that opportunity and I am fearful of the repercussions.

What, then, can I do to demonstrate my solidarity with my fellow 99%, especially those who have been caught in the vortex of this recession? What can I do for those who have no hope of escaping from poverty or the newly poor or the too wealthy for assistance but too poor to pay for their mortgage/rent and food and transportation and, and, and...? I keep thinking that for those folks, I am one of the 1%. I have a job, health insurance, a home, a car, and, of great importance to me, a supportive spiritual community. I am wealthy. In that light, I feel that the least I can do is to share my wealth in any and all ways possible.

In addressing economic need, for the past several weeks I have been adding 1% of my daily net pay into Evolve Chesapeake's Change for Change jar. I take my net pay (the amount left after all the deductions), divide it by the days I worked (which vary for me) to find that pay period's daily net pay, and multiply that amount by 1 percent. For me, that translates to 65 cents a day and, since I'm currently working only three or four days a week, to $1.95 - $2.60 per week. However, if you were living below the poverty line, that $1.95 per week would translate to 6 - 9% of your weekly food allotment. (Could you easily feed yourself on $21.00 - $31.50 a week? Try it for a month!) The money in the jar, as does your giving to the Evolve Chesapeake Benevolence Fund, is earmarked for those in need. It has helped many and will continue to do so as long as we keep contributing to it.

Will you join me in a commitment to sharing our 1% on a weekly basis?