Print

Occupy Hartford: A Community-Supported Endeavor

By Kerri Provost

October 10, 2011

A woman requesting to remain anonymous donated $100 worth of gift cards from a local deli to Occupy Hartford. She works for a company in the neighborhood where activists have set up camp and does not wish to draw attention to herself. A small group of women came to the park on Monday afternoon to donate soup and a blanket. Others have dropped off vegetables and volunteered to cook for the cause.

Marla, who has been involved with Occupy Hartford, is no stranger to requesting donations. She started Bright Star Vision in 2005 as a way to help a village in Ghana. Her organization has established a library and built a kindergarten, among other things, in the Volta region of Ghana. When we spoke this afternoon, she expressed her desire for there to always be greeters along Farmington Avenue, explaining that all types of people walk by, including those who would like to contribute. Another activist with the group agreed that to a passerby, it might seem too intimidating at first. They understood how a few friendly faces could make the organization more accessible.

Occupy Hartford now has a website, providing more reliable access to information about meetings, as well as a list of ways that people can help. The wish list ranges from tarps to glass jars to chairs. Tents are on the list as well. As they have said before, they do not know how long they will be occupying the park, but packing it in after only a few days does not seem to be on the agenda.