Vote early and vote often.

Karen Hall posted an urgent plea yesterday asking Catholic bloggers to come to the aid of the Harry Tompson Center, a drop-in center for the homeless in downtown New Orleans. Founded by the eponymous Jesuit Father Harry Tompson (for whom the Center is now named), the Harry Tompson Center was originally based at the Jesuit-run Church of the Immaculate Conception but was forced to move after its facilities sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina. Efforts to rebuild the Harry Tompson Center may soon receive a substantial boost, thanks to a charitable initiative called Campaign For Your Cause. Basically, anyone can vote online between now and July 13th to decide which of ten New Orleans civic groups or institutions - a group that includes everything from Junior League and the Special Olympics to two Catholic high schools - will receive a $50,000 donation from the Campaign's sponsor, which happens to be Burger King. The nominee that comes in second will receive $25,000 and the one that finishes third will get $11,000. The rest of the nominees will each receive $2,000. Last time I checked, the Harry Tompson Center is in fourth place. With a concerted effort of the kind Karen and others are encouraging, this Jesuit-founded apostolate could make it into the top three. I'm happy to lend my support to the cause - if you want to help the Harry Tompson Center, stop in and vote for it every day between now and July 13th. If want to do more, I also encourage you to visit the Center's website to learn more about how you can be a part of its work. AMDG.