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| http://www.gofundme.com/ArtGrabBag |
I was struggling to build my business, and my mom delivered Pizzas. We had no savings to fall back on. Asking for help has never been easy for me - or even much of an option. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so I took to the internet for help. I set up a crowdfunding page and asked for donations.
My community, their friends, and even a few people I didn't know donated money and kept us afloat for several months. They provided a safety net for us to fall into during those hard times. It was absolutely beautiful.
The one benefit to not having money is getting to see how supported you actually are.
So when my friend Colleen told me she couldn't find work and was facing eviction, I had to help. She was in a pretty bad situation, and seemed to be panicking. (Who could blame her?) She could hardly even afford food. I've been in that situation. Can't pay rent, can't eat. It's awful, and you can't think clearly when your stomach is empty and you fear you might be on the street soon. I have a lot of empathy for her.
So, I started a crowdfunding page to help. And I offered grab-bags of art for donations (mostly art that I'm donating). My goal is to get enough money for her to pay rent and some basic living expenses for two months. This will take off the pressure, and allow her to look for work.
I am thrilled to say that tonight we made the first goal, which is to keep a roof over her head for February! Her rent is $725 (+$75 late fee), and we're at $800! (Of course there are admin fees from the website and processing, so we're not quite there... but damn close.)
Kindness. Most of the people who have donated are from my community and don't even know Colleen. Some of them are struggling financially themselves. But they came together to help someone in a worse situation, and that is beautiful.
If you'd like to help out (and get a mystery bag of art), please visit http://www.gofundme.com/ArtGrabBag
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