“What a change! What an improvement! The place looks great!” These were some of the thoughts running through my head as I walked into the Los Angeles Workers Center for the first time in several months.
During my last visit, the renovation project of the Workers’ Center had just begun. Some work on the roof had been done, but not much else.
But now the place has a new look and feel. The meeting hall is sunny, the dining room has new comfortable chairs and tables, and the offices upstairs are air-conditioned, equipped with new computers and well lighted. All are inviting and modern spaces.
And to think, more will be done in the coming months. I can’t wait to get back to the West Coast.
The renovation project in Los Angeles is part of a larger project to establish three regional centers in New York, Chicago and L.A. These centers will educate and train activists for the struggles for social justice and socialism. They will house a variety of organizations and activities. They will be a place where people can sing, dance and recite spoken word as well as engage in spirited political discussions. And, of course, they will be a space to do what people’s activists like so much to do — eat!
To defray the cost of this ambitious project, the Chelsea Fund for Education and the Workers Education Society launched a capital campaign this spring. So far $350,000 has been raised, as people across the country responded with enthusiasm and generosity to the campaign’s appeal to take care of the future by investing in the present.
This outpouring brings the goal of $400,000 within reach by Labor Day. Of course, the remainder of the goal won’t raise itself. It requires the participation of readers of the People’s Weekly World who are concerned about the future of our country and our planet.
So please invest in these new centers that will educate and train tomorrow’s activists. Make a pledge today for a better future. I did and many others have as well. And after seeing the new center in L.A., I can vouch to you that it is money well spent.
Make a pledge or write a check to the Chelsea Education Fund, 235 W. 23rd St., New York NY 10011 or the Workers Education Society, 3339 S. Halsted St., Chicago IL 60608.
Sam Webb (swebb@cpusa.org) is national chairman of the Communist Party USA.
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