I don't normally try to run competing charity diaries against one another, but it's been brought to my attention that another of our community is at the end of her rope, and needs a lifeline thrown to her to keep her afloat. whatGodmade, who is a committed Kossack and a Military Community Kossack who went out of her way to help Vetwife's husband with his problems with the VA and has helped provide food to the Gainesville Occupiers needs our help.
whatGodmade is in a world of hurt right now. Against a backdrop of student loan debt, no job, no child support, and living on $1000 a month disability by virtue of being missing a leg, she's trying to raise five children, two of whom are special needs, and now has had one of the special needs kids taken to Meridian CSU (critical services unit) after a problem at his school.
Here's Vetwife's message to me :
Ton of Student loans. 5 kids.. No unemployment. no child support..Just 1000 disability. she has one leg and lost her funiture last week. all of it. Two of her children are special needs. Her car broke down and she sold it two months ago for 300. She hobbles to the bus station to get her kids to the doctors. The special school for Josh her 6 year old who has heart conditions. and mental issues due to lack of oxygen at birth due to heart problems has constant impulse issues and runs......runs away.. tries to climb over fences...started getting violent and they changed his meds and his heart started acting up. They are trying to put him in a mental lock down until they get his medication regulated. She is truly about to lose her mind. She borrowed thirty dollars from a relative today to get her bus fare and I gave her 40.00 last week. She would never tell people but called crying this morning asking how my husband was, bless her heart. She and the kids are sitting on the floor and eating on the floor and I can't stop fighting the VA and 120 miles away round trip long enough to do much for her, She would never ever let people know how bad this siutation is, All True. Everyword.
and a comment from whatGodmade herself
after this day - I felt completely alone and abandoned ... I have had one of the worst days of my life and that is saying something.
I can't hardly function. My mind is moving too fast to be able to keep up with it. I am happy to tell you the most recent events ... but all I can see in my mind is my 6 year old looking at me through the glass begging me "Mommy don't leave me here" and looking so much in disbelief that I was actually leaving - He has never been away from me a day in his life. Funny thing is I was there this morning begging for help only to be told they couldn't help me.
It's a little too much to talk about it right now - I am an emotional wreck ... I appreciate any help right now
Now is the time to rally around. I know I just hit you all up for Okiciyap, but I'm going to be digging down in my wallet as well for her too, but I know I can't do much alone - none of us can. But together, we
can make a difference, as we've proven, time and again. We're all hurting, but the special mark of the Kossack seems to be to give and to give and to give.
Back when I was in the SCA (a medieval re-enactment group) a badge was given out to those who gave so freely of their time and selves, that showed, iirc, a pelican piercing its own chest to feed its children on its own blood when it could give nothing more to them. I've seen it time and again here - people admitting they have so little, but giving of what they had to others in need. whatGodmade needs us.
Michelle does not have a bank or paypal account, so her friend Vetwife is volunteering the use of her charity (United Veterans of America)'s paypal account to send donations online. This can be reached through the 'Donate' button on her site.
Checks can be sent to:
Michelle Bickers
1800 NW 4th St. Apt D 33
Gainesville, 32609
I'm not going to tell you what your money might be used for, and I think Michelle is probably too emotionally worn out to say much herself, but I suspect anyone who is in a situation as bad as hers is probably pretty used to budgeting for the absolute necessities first and foremost, so whatever you give will be used responsibly.
5:56 PM PT: Lorikeet is offering to match $500 of donations, but I have to say, I have no way of knowing when we get there, so Vetwife will have to let us know, since we're using her charity's paypal :P
6:59 PM PT: Additional $200 match offered up by yuriwho above and beyond $1k in donations, so keep em flowing, folks :)