Creating Change

I have special permission to post about a person named Dwayne. I've heard him while transcribing for about two weeks, and met him a couple times, so I feel like I know him a little. Jay, another QEJ staffer, told me more about him. In short, Dwayne was in the men's shelter and began going to the QEJ support groups about four years ago. Since then, he became a shelter facilitator, joined Q-Crew (a video blog production group) and the Welfare Warriors Research Collaborative (that's how I know him). He's now out of the shelter system and in his own place, on social security. According to Jay, and from what I've seen, he's a great guy, and volunteers for anything going on around QEJ.

QEJ is trying to get enough money to send Dwayne to Creating Change, the nation-wide annual conference held by the Lesbian and Gay Taskforce, this year in Dallas, Texas. I mentioned earlier that QEJ plans to release the Welfare Warrior's research report there, and Dwayne's been a crucial member in the group. He plans to lead the workshop there.

I feel a little uncomfortable asking people to donate something, (most of us are poor college students, anyway) but this cause is totally manageable. So far, QEJ has $265.00 in pledges, and they need $400 for roundtrip airfare and four days of meals. So basically, I'm asking anyway. If you think you can help (I'm donating $15, and it can even be $5 or something like that) send me an email. It's ahalpert @ oberlin.edu (the spaces are to stop spammers).


(Dwayne is on the left, Jay is on the right.)