Making a Difference Today
Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 09:33:02 PM PDT
One thing I hate about being well informed is that I often wind up being well informed about the horrors that surround us in the world but feeling that there is nothing I can do to help alleviate those horrors - or worse yet, that anything I can do would be inconsequential.
That's why I love the liberal blogosphere; if I look I can find some kind of community building, hope restoring project I can get involved with and actually make a difference.
Right now there is a project that needs our attention every bit as much as all the other fights in front of us. It truly is a project where every little bit counts. And when I say every little bit counts, I'm not kidding... every tube of toothpaste, every coat, every $5 donation, every diary written, every email sent makes a literal, concrete impact to improve the life of another human being.
I'm talking about Pretty Bird Woman House.
For those that have not heard about Pretty Bird Woman House, here is the summary:
A Women's Shelter
Jackie Brown Otter created The Pretty Bird Woman House after the brutal rape and murder of her sister, whose Lakota name means Pretty Bird Woman. Her killer was never prosecuted even though there were witnesses to the crime.
PBWH provides emergency shelter, advocacy support, and educational programs for women on the Standing Rock reservation who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. It opened on January 5, 2005.
Recently, the Pretty Bird Woman House was forced to move out of its original location after a number of break-ins through the exterior walls left it in such bad condition that the women could not safely remain there. The staff are now sending women to 2 other shelters off the reservation, which reduces their ability to serve Standing Rock's women and strains the resources of the other shelters.
PBWH really needs a permanent house for the shelter. There
happens to be a house for sale near a police station. The purpose of this fund drive is to raise enough money to buy it or another suitable one in a safe location. Won't you help?
Pretty Bird Woman House is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. For the purpose of employer matches, you can find the organization at: www.guidestar.com
The money part is the easy part and you can do it via the ChipIn campaign via right here.
As of today it looks like this:
Please help us change that!
But more than that, we are looking for a few good people: grant writers, people willing to run auctions, help with a material goods drive, write blog posts (here, there and everywhere). If you can come up with ideas and ways to spread the word, let us know or just go do it. If you want to join the effort, please join the Friends of Pretty Bird Woman House Yahoo Group here.
This is really one of the places where every little bit counts. Please consider giving. Thank you.
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