Feb 7, 2023

Allentown's Father Flanagan


My mother was a tough cookie; but, about once a year, in the late 40's and early 50's, she would get misty eyed as the letter from Boy's Town arrived. It was that picture, the boy carrying his brother, with the caption saying "He's not heavy..." The twenty dollar bill would go into the envelope, and you wouldn't want to get in her way to the mailbox. Well it seems my mother wasn't the only one, Father Flanagan had rooms full of money. Here in Allentown, Gary Millspaugh of the Rescue Mission has his own special flyer... it shows a grisly man waiting for a turkey meal around Thanksgiving. Like the boys in Flanagan's picture who never get older, Millspaugh's guy never gets a shave and stays skinny. I guess what made me a cynic is my associates who actually donated apartment houses to the Mission, and the constables who evict people from them for not paying rent. I can't get my arms around a homeless shelter which makes people homeless. This posting could be the end of me. After all, Bobby Gunther Walsh makes meatballs by hand to raise money for Gary. My girlfriend's parents, in their nineties,look forward to Gary's talk at their church. Gary talks to all the churches in the West End. I gotta go hide now, I hear Bernie O'Hare pounding on my door...

above reprinted from May of 2008

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 7, 2023: You would think that as I aged, I would be less of a bastard...apparently not.  Back channel comments on yesterday's Promise Neighborhood post reminded me of Father Flanagan.  In fairness to Promise, I can't think of too many non-profits that I have any use for.

1 comment:

  1. It should be noted that Mr. Millspaugh was replaced as director of the Rescue Mission 4 years ago. The Rescue Mission does very important work.

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