Brody's Notes... Governor Holds Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser After Catholic Church Yanks Funding For Homeless

Governor John Baldacci (D-ME)   
Photo By Pat Wellenbach The Associated Press 

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Apr 15 | John Baldacci's family recipe for spaghetti sauce was served up to over a thousand potential food critics at the Italian Heritage Centre in Portland, Maine yesterday. Baldacci, Maine's Governor, decided to hold the benefit dinner for the Preble Street's Homeless Voices for Justice program after he learned that the Catholic Church's Charities program had pulled funding for Preble Street because of Preble Street's support for same-sex marriage.

Event organizers estimated that more than 400 people were standing in the parking lot outside the centre waiting to get in & be served by the Governor and an army of volunteers. During a break from serving, Baldacci told reporters; 

"This (turnout) is a wonderful compliment to the work Preble Street does," Baldacci said during a brief break from serving spaghetti. "The bishop was within his rights to do what he did, but I saw a need and decided to step in to fill the void."

In a March 23rd article, Tom Bell, a senior staff writer for the Portland Press-Herald wrote:

Preble Street's Homeless Voices for Justice program has lost $17,400 this year and will lose $33,000 that it expected for its next fiscal year.

Officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Washington-based Catholic Campaign for Human Development say that Preble Street violated its grant agreement by supporting Maine's "No on 1" campaign last fall.

Catholics for Marriage Equality has begun an effort to replace the lost funding by raising $17,400 for Homeless Voices for Justice. Anne Underwood, a co-founder of the group that advocates for same-sex marriage, said Bishop Richard Malone is punishing the homeless because of politics.

"This is petty vindictiveness," she said. "After the election is over, suddenly the money is revoked from poor people because of a political opinion held by the bishop."

Underwood said that many Catholics in Maine will now think twice before donating money to the church to help fight poverty.

"People who are homeless should not be used in political games," she said.

Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the diocese, said the diocese requires agencies that receive funding to conform to the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church. She said Preble Street agreed to that requirement when it applied for the money.

"We regret the collaboration must end at this time," wrote Sandra Thompson of Catholic Charities Maine, who coordinated the distribution of the church's local anti-poverty funds. "Accountability to the Catholic community requires this."

Dennis Hoey a reporter for the Kennebec Journal covering the Governor's dinner fundraiser wrote:

"It has been very humbling," said Mark Swann, Preble Street's director, during the fundraiser. Donations from around the world have been pouring into Preble Street, he said.

Amy Bruning, the social service agency's finance director, said it would take at least another day to calculate how much was raised by Wednesday's event because the donations varied so widely -- from the suggested $5 to personal checks for $100 to $500.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills bused tables Wednesday night. A former waitress, Mills applauded the community for its support.

"This sort of event brings out the best in people," she said.