Harry Chapin: Hope, and Life, After Death.

The 40th Anniversary of Harry Chapin’s Death — the same week when the historic US Child Tax Credit is implemented that will cut child poverty in half — is the perfect moment to renew efforts to secure a Harry Chapin postage stamp to keep America’s focus on ending hunger and poverty.

Harry Chapin: Hope, and Life, After Death

By Steve Villano, Chpt. 3

Copyright, 2021

(It’s fitting that the largest tax credit in US History — a monthly payment for children (childtaxcredit.gov), which will lift one-half of America’s children out of poverty — is being implemented this week, which also marks the 40th Anniversary of Harry Chapin’s death. Chapin — inspired by his older brother James; the great anti-poverty champion and author of The Other America Michael Harrington; Harry’s spouse & partner Sandy Chapin; and his friend and former Catholic priest Bill Ayres, who followed the progressive Catholic Worker teachings of Harry’s great aunt, Dorothy Day — devoted the last decade of his life to fighting hunger and reducing poverty. The organizations which Harry Chapin founded, from WHYHunger to Harry Chapin Food Banks across the nation, continue to serve those most in need, four decades after Chapin’s death. The work of those anti-poverty organizations, and the extraordinary dedication of the Chapin family has carried forward Harry’s hope, and given his social justice work a life that is now longer than the time on earth enjoyed by the singer/songwriter.)

When Tom Chapin, the younger brother closest in age to Harry, got a call on that July day in 1981, from the Nassau County, NY, cop who…