rich1's blog

Free Staters Live Their Principles and Deliver Help to Needy Families

More than fifteen Free Staters spent Sunday, November 20, distributing Thanksgiving baskets to 52 needy families in Concord. Video stories from the day can be found here and here, and an article here.

The event organizer, Amanda Boudin, explains: "I moved to New Hampshire from Texas in 2010. My dad and I used to do a Basket Brigade together in Dallas. The first year, he had only one basket to hand out, but it eventually grew to 400. My dad passed away from cancer earlier this year. When I realized there was no Basket Bridage in New Hampshire, I decided to start one here to honor him."

The original Basket Brigade was launched by motivational speaker Anthony Robbins more than 30 years ago. "Everyone has the need to contribute," his website says. "It is one of the six human needs. If you give from your heart, it will come back to you tenfold."

The Free Staters worked with local charities to identify needy families in Concord, many of whom are refugees. "I like that," says Boudin. "In some ways, Free Staters are political refugees, so it's a natural fit. This is a perfect example of living our ideals, since we believe private local charity is the best solution to community needs."