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About KWRUOur History, Mission, Goals and Tactics Politics of
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About the Kensington Welfare Rights Union
The Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) is a multiracial organization of, by and for poor and homeless people. We believe that we have a right to thrive - not just barely survive. KWRU is dedicated to organizing of welfare recipients, the homeless, the working poor and all people concerned with economic justice.
KWRU was started by a group of poor women in April 1991. We came together out of necessity - our communities and the survival of our families were threatened by Governor Casey's welfare cuts and we came together to do three basic things: 1. Speak to the issues which directly affect our lives: poor people have been excluded from debates, such as welfare reform, which have huge impact on our families. We are committed to tell the stories of what is really happening in our lives and in poor communities across the country. We have testified at local, state and national hearings; we have spoken at welfare offices, college campuses, religious congregations, union halls, social service agencies, and anywhere we have had the chance. Our director, Cheri Honkala, was the only welfare recipient to speak during the Congressional welfare reform hearings. Recently a photo-exhibit by photographer Harvey Finkle, the book Myth of the Welfare Queen by David Zucchino and documentaries, Poverty Outlaw, Outriders, Battle for Broad by Skylight Pictures have helped us get our stories out to more and more people.
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KWRU has spearheaded the national organization the 
2. Help each
other, and all poor people get what we need to survive:
We are committed to seeing that all people have the basic necessities
of life - food, clothing, utilities, medical care and housing. We
have assisted over 500 families in obtaining housing and utilities.
We have set up tent cities when the shelter system was full and
we have established "Human Rights Houses" as bases for
emergency housing, free food and clothing distribution, and free
medical clinics. We assist poor and homeless families with whatever
problems they are having - all that we ask in return is that they
join the KWRU to help others and to build a movement to end poverty.
3.
Organize a broad-based movement to end poverty: We know
that there is enough to go around in this, the richest country in
the world. We believe that the American people are a just and loving
people and that we can build a movement, led by poor people, to
end poverty once and for all. We struggle everyday to teach and
organize poor people, and all those concerned with economic justice,
to create fundamental social change. KWRU is an organization of,
by and for poor people; however we work closely with the several
groups: KWRU is an affiliate of the National Union of Hospital and
Health Care Workers, AFSCME, AFL-CIO - this reflects the need for
unity between the employed and the unemployed around issues such
as workfare, downsizing, etc. KWRU has joined the
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Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
Technology training for KWRU provided by Human Rights Tech
