Wow! I am so blown away by the response on this Pootie and Woozle Sunday. Thank you, THANK YOU for your kindness in sharing and supporting the Pootie Pad Kickstarter!
Let me bare my heart to you.
We really need this effort to succeed and to succeed now.
For seven years now, my sister and I have been just squeaking by with the making of community quilts. Sometimes, it isn’t enough and this community has helped us out of a hole. We want to break out of the cycle of need and provide for ourselves with this small business that grew out of something we made for the Pootie peeps — little quilts stuffed with organic herbs, aromatherapy for pets in a little quilt! And the time is right now. We have our backs to the wall.
Two years ago, my sister, Ann, was working at a big box pet store part time to pay her credit card bills. Her job was to take care of all the small animals in the store — the birds, mice, hamsters and the like. One day, she was bitten very badly by a sick hamster, a bite that went right through her glove. Two weeks later, we rushed her to the ER with a high fever. She had a blood-borne infection and it damn near killed her. If we had delayed in getting help, she would have died that night. Instead, she was hospitalized, receiving three broad spectrum IV antibiotics simultaneously until the infection left her. The pathogen was never positively identified but Ann’s doctors feel it was likely rat bite fever.
Now, thanks to the Medicaid expansion here in Oregon, we have good coverage and great doctors. However, Ann is still struggling to regain her health. She’s been left with a lot of random allergic reactions and a lot of pain in her body that doesn’t allow her to sit too long or stand too long. She is no longer able to work in a retail environment. And now, unfortunately, she is now going into bankruptcy. Working here at home, where she can easily alternate sitting and standing — and even lay down if she needs to — is the ticket.
The bright spot is that we have this great product designed by Ann, the Pootie Pad. If we can market Pootie Pads widely, we are going to be alright. We are going to be more than alright! We will be able to take care of ourselves and perhaps even employ others. Hence the Kickstarter.
We don’t want any more handouts. We want a hand up. Please help us spread the word virally about this Kickstarter! It is your Facebook shares and Tweets and even word of mouth that will make this happen. The Daily Kos community has tremendous reach, all over the country and out into the world. We can do this! Remember these hashtags and use them! #pootiepads #kickstarter
- shout it to the rooftops to people who want to buy well-made, maker/artisan products, made in America.
- Tell people who will be delighted to help two mature women make a wonderful business in what has been a hard economy
- Know someone connected with an animal shelter or rescue organization? We would be especially glad for the introduction because Pootie Pads are very soothing to animals in transition from shelter to forever home — and where cats are concerned, Pootie Pads are a super effective attractant in a humane trap, too!
- Tell your family, friends, and neighbors! Tweet, Facebook, and share widely! Have them share with their networks!
- And remember, although the primary purpose of the Kickstarter is to Kickstart our business, there are rewards of Pootie Pads for different levels of giving. Think forward to the holidays! Pootie Pads make terrific gifts.
HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE POOTIE PAD KICKSTARTER ONCE AGAIN!
I like to let Suki tell you about how good Pootie Pads are…she says it best!
Please also support these diaries today:
teacherken: You have a real chance to spread Pootie joy!!!!
Rob in Vermont: A Puppies Tale (Republished)
The Marti: Pootie Pads Are Made With Love...Let's Give Some Back
Asterkitty: Winging it for our very own Daily Kos quilting angels; Sara R and winglion
jan4insight — Kos Katalogue: #PootiePower! The Pets-in-Movie-Posters project & fundraiser is launched!
annetteboardman: My DKos Pooties
bfitzinAR: Pooties Rock and so do Pootie Pads
The Marti: If You MUST Read About An Orange Critter Read About Pootie Pads Too!!
MsSpentyouth: ACTION: Spread the word about the upcoming PootiePaddalooza (NOTE: this one has our press release in it! You will want that for sharing!)
whoknu: #sekritarmy status: it’s complicated (with pooties, woozles and stuff)
Flowergirl77: Pootie Talk (With Kickstarter)
rocksout: Another Orange Pootie; An Update
Auntie Anne: My Tweedles and Pootie Pads
FosterMominCA: Foster Pooties...and Woozles too
The Marti: What Community Means...Pootie Pads and Community Quilts. And, Oh, So Much More!
Pam from Calif: DKQuilt Guild: We ❤️ Pootie Pads & Quilts
slksfca: "Pootie" this, "pootie" that. Good grief!
Horsefeathers: The Wonders of Pootie Pads