This will not be a long diary but I hope it is one that will be read. There is something that is eating me alive and it's about Health Care in the good old USA. I know we are all working our asses off on this issue and I think this story needs to be heard.
More below the fold.
In desperation and to help a friend, this is an email that I sent to about 150 trusted clients and friends. And believe me, it was a hard thing to do.
Hello to all,
Generally when you hear from me it's about ****** ****** classes or a sale. But today I am contacting you because I have a friend who really needs some help. You are all people who have either attended workshops here or who have been involved with my business in some way. You are all people I like and trust and I hope you will not find my request out of line.
My friend is ***** *****. ***** is a talented Letterpress artist. His business is ******* ******. He teaches letterpress in his studio as well as producing beautiful wedding announcements, business cards, stationary, etc. We have some of his work for sale here at GS. What has happened to ***** is something that could happen to any one of us. He got cancer. Fortunately, at the time he had some health insurance because his cancer required two very serious surgeries. Cancer, surgery, recovery was a long and painful process for ***** and during that time he was unable to work and promote his business. His business has suffered greatly because of his illness and he is now trying to rebuild it during a very tough economy. ***** could not afford his home any longer and he now lives at his studio which he struggles to pay the rent on. He does not have health insurance and I am concerned about that since he has not been able to keep follow-up visits to monitor his cancer recovery. It hurt his pride greatly to have to apply for food stamps. And I am writing you this because I think he may feel to proud to do it himself. (I do have *****'s permission to send you this information.)
I would like to help *****. I can't afford to write a big check for him but I can do this. If you could find your way to make a donation to a fund to help ***** through this terrible time, I would be most appreciative. If you can make a donation of $25 I will send you a receipt as well as a card giving you 15% off storewide (save any consigned items of which there are few) valid for 2 weeks. If you can make a donation of $50 I will offer the 15% for 5 weeks. My intent is to help ***** by lowering my margins and asking you, whose friendships I cherish, to help if you can. These are tough times for everyone I know. But if we can help a truly generous and kind fellow artist make it through an enormous struggle, it would be such a good thing. I will certainly understand if you are unable to help with this.
If you can help, you can mail a check made out to ******* ****** to:
******* **********
******* Street
******, ** *****
attn: ***** ********
Or, if you would like to use a credit card you can call the store at ********** and either I or ******* can take payment over the phone. We will process these as non-taxable sales and then get the funds to *****. And as I stated earlier, we will mail you a receipt and your store discount card immediately.
I appreciate your time, your support of my endeavors at ******* ******, and anything that you can do to help my friend. He has no other resources left but his friends.
Thanks so much.
*****
It was all I knew to do to help someone who has worked so hard to resurrect his business after a terrible cancer. When I saw him the other day and he told me about applying for food stamps, we both cried in each others arms. I knew that he was horribly depressed and I worried that he felt he would be worth more dead than alive. I had to do what I did.
There. I do feel better for writing this. I am getting help for my friend and of course I feel good about that. But I am so fucking mad at those in Congress and the Senate who are trying to block a meaningful healthcare option for all Americans, that I can hardly see straight. I wish they could have had the experience I had with my friend the other day. I think it might eat at them too.