Vol. 73/No. 44      November 16, 2009

In Philadelphia and Seattle supporters of the fund raised their pledges by $500 and $800, respectively. That brings the amount pledged to $95,200, closing the gap that existed between the amount pledged and the fund goal. Around $12,000 was sent in this week. This puts the amount collected at $71,301 or 75 percent of the fund goal.

The party-building fund is needed to help finance the work of the SWP as it reaches out to working people, students, and youth with a revolutionary perspective in face of the greatest economic crisis that the vast majority of working people have seen in their lifetime.

The SWP is funded by the contributions of workers, students, and young people who support the party’s work and wish to help strengthen its capacity to respond to union struggles, fights for abortion rights, defense of the Cuban Revolution, and protests against the expansion of imperialist wars.

In Los Angeles supporters of the Militant reported that a young Black man donated $5 to the fund after looking at the introduction to the book printed as a supplement in the socialist newsweekly. “Here’s five more dollars for the cause,” he said. “This book is really needed now.”

Supporters of the fund are also raising contributions on the job by talking to their coworkers.

Rebecca Williamson, who works at the JBS Swift meatpacking plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, writes, “So far, I’ve collected two contributions from coworkers in my department, loin boning. One is $5 from a young Croatian woman who’s been on the job about four months working by me where we debone the sirloin. The other of $7 is from a Mexican coworker that I’ve worked with many times blade boning who’s also been a Militant subscriber for a while.”

In the last two weeks of the drive supporters in every area should emulate this example and expand the number of new contributors to the party-building fund.

Party-building fund: Week 6 of 8 (chart)