On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy many former Peoples
Temple members reunited for the first time since the deaths. That reunion
served as the inspiration for the creation of “The November 18th Living
Memorial Food Fund" with the San Francisco Food Bank.
The purpose of this endeavor is trifold: 1) to honor the humanitarian intentions
and ideals of the people who perished in Jonestown and Port Kaituma; 2) to
provide a fitting and concrete avenue for those who lost friends, family,
and loved ones - as well as those who are simply empathetic - to pay their
respect; and 3) to help meet the needs of the ever-growing numbers of hungry
people.
The November 18th Living Memorial Food Fund is a humble attempt to turn some
of the “poison” of the Jonestown tragedy into contemporary “medicine.”
It is a long-term, grass-roots endeavor. It provides a viable avenue of opportunity
to create positive action in the now. It is my hope that perhaps, over time,
the money raised to feed the hungry will help (in some small measure) to counter-balance
the image of Jonestown as simply representing senseless waste and death.
The Guyana graphic used in the header was the official logo of the Peoples
Temple Agricultural Project (Jonestown). Artistic credit goes to Patti Chastain
and Kathy Tropp, who worked in the Peoples Temple publications department.
