I officially joined this community a little over four years ago, in February of 2012. I’d been a lurker for a long time prior to that, though, and seen the amazing things this community accomplished together. As individuals, we can sometimes feel helpless, or like we don’t have a lot to contribute, but when we join together, the little bits add up, like how a many tiny drops of water come together and create a waterfall. I’ve seen us come together to help pay for medical care for humans and pets, to help people move many states away to get to a better situation, help people out with funds for computers, college, day to day expenses in tough situations, cover funeral costs, and even helping with housing.
It is an appeal of the latter sort that I make of you today. Longtime Kossack, Aji, and her husband Wings, had their manufactured home taken away from them after the disastrous crash of 2008. Since then, they’ve been living in an old RV, one that has had an electrical fire, as well as pump issues, and which doesn’t do much more than put a roof over their head. It’s helped them survive, but life has been difficult. What they need is a home of their own, one they can build, that the banksters can’t take away from them; a solid, stable place where they can thrive. They’re currently in process of funding Stage 2 of building their home — the excavation work for the plumbing and wiring; laying the pipe; pouring the foundation; raising the frame; and beginning construction of the adobe walls.
There are several ways we can help:
Donate to, or share their YouCaring fundraiser:
Purchases or shares of Wings' Silverwork would greatly help them out.
They also have an Amazon wishlist set up. (Aji lists a few caveats about the Amazon list here).
Donations via Paypal to Aji for her writing at blogspot or tumblr.
Tweet, Share on FB, Tip/Rec/Republish - spreading the word is equally as important as donations, and much appreciated. (You can also grab the widgets for sharing via facebook/twitter from the YouCaring page.)
Come follow me below the fold for some music and pictures of the work.
Things have started to move quickly, faster than Aji was anticipating. Digging at the site revealed the old sewer line for the RV:
Unfortunately the digging revealed that their old sewer line and tank from their manufactured home was buried less than 3 feet deep — not even below the frost line, no grade between the tank, pipes, and leach field. So they are going to have to replace it entirely, adding onto the overall project costs.
In good news, though, the new water line has been placed already, awaiting hook-up...
And the site is prepped and ready for the roller…
They expect to start the adobe by Monday, which means picking out windows, as well as needing bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances. As you can see, things are moving very quickly!
So again, here’s how you can help:
Donations directly to the YouCaring fundraiser:
Or if you prefer, PayPal donations can be made via the “Donate” button on Aji’s site.
They have supplies needed for animal care and their health on their Amazon wish list.
Snail mail address is available here. That’s also the link you can use if you wish to purchase NDN Silverwork from Wings.
If you already own Wings’ jewelry, consider writing a testimonial in support; instructions on how to submit a testimonial can be found here.
Tip/Rec/Share/Republish this diary, the more eyes it gets, the more chance we have to make goal.
Speaking of Wings’ silverwork and testimonials, I just want to give a plug here to the quality and amazing artistry of this man. I’ve commissioned several pieces over the years, but the newest ones seriously blew my mind. I had an image (or vision, if you will) of some earrings in a dream. I contacted Aji to see about a commission and told her as much detail as I remembered: a dark circular stone, long silver dangles underneath. That’s it. And Wings took that, and crafted these amazing earrings:
The picture doesn’t do the lapis stones justice. They are amazing. And they feel incredible on, I’ve pretty much only taken them off to shower and to sleep since they arrived. I honestly couldn’t be more pleased. So if you are looking for some amazing silver jewelry, hand crafted with Native themes and techniques, I highly recommend Wings’ work.
Thanks for dropping by and reading, and for any help you can give.
Friday, Jul 8, 2016 · 11:27:38 PM +00:00
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Avilyn
Aji reports they're up to $1020 raised, plus orders for Wings and stuff from the wishlist! They'll be able to pay the deposit for the plumber on Monday thanks to y'all. They send much love and thanks.