He has a great history of caring. His work continued after the death of his wife. Here is some of the history of his group he calls Love Thy Neighbor
In 1991, Arnold P. Abbott created Love Thy Neighbor Fund, Inc. (LTN) as a loving, living tribute to his beloved late wife Maureen, to continue, on a larger scale, the work they had done together. Its purpose has always been to recycle and preserve the integrity of our most precious natural resource: human beings — Broward County’s more than 10,000 homeless men, women, and children — helping them to help themselves.
We have had a number of “firsts” during our long history. We were the first to have regular feedings at Holiday Park and on Fort Lauderdale Beach where the Mayor wanted to have Arnold Abbott arrested for organizing the feeding there. After three trials in the Circuit Court, followed by two trials in the Palm Beach Appeals Court, LTN won them all, and the laws were declared unconstitutional. We were also the first to feed, for the five years of the existance of Tent City, and all feedings thereafter had to go through our organization.
Abbott is a fascinating guy, a real true liberal fighter. Here are some more facts about him from his Amazon page for his book of poetry.
On a Poetic Life
In his political career, he started as a Committeeman in a Pennsylvania District, climbing the ladder through local and county offices, to a post on the Democratic State Committee. He was twice elected a delegate to Democratic National Conventions, in 1964 and 1968. He is tongue-in-cheek proud that his write-up in "Who's Who in American Politics" 1969-1970 edition, contains 26 lines to Harry S. Truman's 14 lines. "But," he smilingly concludes, "my hero, 'give 'em hell Harry,' was much more modest that am I." Although extremely sensitive to the feelings of people of different religions and strongly-held social persuasions, Arnold Abbott is proud of his Jewish heritage, and is honored to be labeled a Liberal, with a capital "L." When pressed for an explanation, he sys: "Judaism teaches that we are our brother's keeper; we care deeply about the worker, the poor, and the underprivileged."
Politically, in 1964 he defied his own National Democratic Convention by overseeing the seating of the Mississippi Freedom Delegation, a Negro delegation that had been dutifully elected. The regular Mississippi Delegation had walked out rather than make a compromise to sear two of the Negro delegation. The convention had ruled against seating the Freedom group, but Arnold, a delegate from Pennsylvania, prevailed, and saw to their seating, fighting, also, to save the Mississippi stanchion, that others were trying to tear from his hands.
Arnold moved to Florida in 1970. Never retired, he founded the Maureen A. Abbott Love Thy Neighbor Fund in 1991, the year that his Angel wife, Maureen died, to commemorate her life with a living memorial, that would benefit the homeless whom they had cared for together during her lifetime, and to have her name before him every day thereafter. In 1991, he was 2 years past retirement age, and now, 21 years later, he works 6 days a week feeding the homeless, and conducts his LTN Culinary Skills Training Program, 5 days a week, to gain certification and a career for homeless persons who enroll in his 9-week Culinary course. He writes before, after, and in-between those "meaningful" times, and has managed to publish 3 books during that time: "When In Doubt...Blame A Jew," (A Personal and People's Memoir of Anti-Semitism.) "From Aches To Ecstasy," (A Sex Primer For Those Over Fifty, Plus Valuable Information for Lonely People of Any Age,) and " On A Poetic Life," "Biographic Essays In Rhyme."
The plight of the underdog has always been the catalyst that stimulates Arnold Abbott and propels him into the midst of unpopular causes. An old-school gentleman, bred to the standards of New England politeness, he becomes a pit bull when it comes to fighting for the rights of the little guy. He is incensed when he hears those who espouse reverting to a reversal of the fundamental reason for founding our country, an escape from religious persecution, and to now turn us into a "Christian Country." He foams at the mouth when he hears those same fundamentalists use the word Christian, as the only acceptable synonym for being a good human being. Narrow-minded people and APA just don't mesh. He is not surprised when Right-Wing Conservatives complain about the possibility of the United States becoming a place where socialism is a potential threat. His answer is that those people must live under a rock, ignorant of the fact that our form of government has been A Socialized Democracy since 1932.
The authorities in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, know it is unconstitutional for them to arrest him. But they just keep on doing it. Somehow I don't think it bothers Arnold that much, he's getting worldwide attention. The
#arnoldabbott hashtag at Twitter is impressive.
