I Am Collingswood

I Am Collingswood: Linda Murphy

Linda Murphy's daughter came out as a lesbian on Father's Day in 2004. Six years later, Murphy became president of Collingswood PFLAG, and still supports LGBT youth.

Yes, Virginia, an activist can be polite. The mild manners of Minnesota mom Linda Murphy belie a steely conviction that has inspired her work as president of Collingswood PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). This week, she tells Patch about her personal connection to the LGBT community. Collingswood Patch: Tell me about what PFLAG seeks to accomplish.  Murphy: PFLAG is a national organization. Our mission is to provide education, support, and advocacy. Each chapter may be a little bit different as far as what they specialize in.  I would say the PFLAG Collingswood chapter, just by the nature of who comes on a monthly basis and the membership, we're really there for support. My personal goal is to increase the availability for …

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A Week Later, Sandy Aid Still Comes In

After the first call for donations went out last week, Collingswood—and America—responded in full force. Now the need turns to finding ways to sustain the effort.

The call for donations went out late in the week, but patrons of the Collingswood Farmers Market turned up in droves on a chilly Saturday morning to contribute what they could to the victims of Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy. As they set up that morning, volunteers happily underestimated the volume of donations they would eventually receive from marketgoers. By the end of the day, ten carloads were ferried back to the Cedar Avenue home of Patch contributor Tricia Burrough. Across town, still more donations poured at the home of organizer-activist Diane Fornbacher, who spearheaded the initial effort. Fornbacher even accepted the donation of a P.O.D. storage unit—generously rented by another Collingswood resident—to ensure that donations could …

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Matt Skoufalos

12:57 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Thanks for sharing that. From all the reports we're hearing, it's just worse than pictures can describe.   more ›