Yesterday you made something happen...again!
I came here yesterday and posted yet another diary about my participation in a walk to aid a local women's shelter. My previous diaries barely made a ripple. But I knew that it wasn't becAUse you didn't care, only that my sense of timing was off, and that it was a pretty darned busy week on the campaign trail. But time was growing short, we only had about $360 in donations and so I decided to take another shot at it. So I posted, hoping that we might get just a few more donations so we could reach our goal of $1,000.
Well, guess what YOU did?
Yesterday, because or your generosity, we were able to raise
$2,682.50
Right now, we have a total for our team's participation in the walk of $3,092.50! FYI, that beats the previous top team's total of around $1,400! YES! You have made our team the TOP team in terms of fund raising for the walk on Sunday. And, even more amazing, the donation rate was about $112 per hour over a 24-hour period!
Needless to say, I was surprised when the diary made the rec list. Then, the money started coming in. We reached $500 in a couple of hours. I called my buddy Nancy and said, "Um, you might want to check the donation page." She was awed. She called me as we hit some pretty amazing milestones: $1,500 around 2PM, near $1,986 about 6PM, and then, in one 5 minute period we collected $1,000!!!
It was a great day. I found some Kossacks who are also on the North Shore and read some really heart-wrenching comments by those whose lives had been touched by domestic violence - and learned that the issue touches men as well, which is not something we often hear about. A full 30-50% of domestic violence is perpetrated on MEN. I also found other links and programs, and even sent a reciprocal donation to another shelter on the other side of the country.
I also had an amazing private email from someone who had been an abuser. He was a person who was in that vicious cycle, someone who had been abused and brought up in an unhealthy environment and ended up perpetuating the pain in his own life. Through much hard work, he has been able to heal and now devotes time to trying to break the cycle for others. I felt bad for him because he did not want to make himself known, although I know if he shared his experiences it might help in ways he doesn't yet realize. His pain is still very real, very raw, and he lives with his past every day. But the fact that he was able to move on speaks volumes.
That is precisely what this is all about. For while shelters are needed now, to save those touched by domestic violence, the real changes will come when we can stop those who have been a party to it and change their lives for the better too. And HAWC is there, providing shelter space, support programs and help to all those who need it and can seek them out.
Words cannot express our gratitude to the Daily Kos community. And I would be remiss if I didn't thank the main man, Markos, as well. Without him, we wouldn't have The Daily Kos. And without this community days like yesterday would be few and far between.
You caused some chills, tears and smiles yesterday (my face was plastered with one all the way home last night).
Give yourselves all a pat on the back.
And if you didn't get a chance to do so yesterday and still want to donate, there is time. We don't have to end the fund raising until late Saturday.
But most of all, from me, from my buddy Nancy, and from all of those who will benefit from your amazing generosity...
THANK YOU!