If you’ve been following this story, you know that we’re striving to gather the funding to finish construction on the little house you see pictured above, so that our friends Aji and Wings don’t have to spend another winter in the rusty old RV they’ve been living in for six years, since their original manufactured house was repossessed. The adobe first floor is built, and the frame second floor is being added now. By a week from now, the next step will be putting the roof on.
The good part is, once the roof goes on, it’s much easier for work like plumbing and wiring and interior walls to continue even if the weather gets bad. The bad part is, once they get to the point of being ready for the roof, nothing else can happen until that’s done. And the roof materials cost $5300. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS BELOW THE FOLD!!!
Several items of good news, actually. First, since reaching the point of needing roof materials, we’ve already got something like $900 toward that goal. Second,
WE HAVE A NEW $500 MATCHING FUNDS OFFER!
The next $500 to be donated will be matched by a generous donor. For options to help, please see the box at the end of this story. But one big option that costs you nothing is to SHARE the YOUCARING PAGE, via Facebook or Twitter using those buttons, on other blogs using the “Grab our widget” button, or by emailing the YouCaring link to friends and asking them to share too. The more “doors” we “knock on”, the more chance we have of bringing in donations.
And last, we need to also ask you to share Wings’ website, because sales of handmade Native silver jewelry and photography are how Wings and Aji make a living, and how they pay for the portion of this house that they can afford to pay for. Anyone who’d want to order custom work for holiday gifts needs to get their order in pronto, using the contact form on the site. But there’s this:
For this upcoming holiday season, Wings will be offering a series of small charms made specially for this winter season and in celebration and thanks for those of you who have, in so many ways, helped Aji and Wings build their new home. These charms will be shown only in our diaries. They will be sold at a modest price, and only twelve will be available at this price. If you are interested in the piece shown in this diary, please reach out to Aji through the NDN Silver website contact page.
Aji: Each charm is a sterling silver concha, domed in repoussé fashion, with a single traditional symbol hand-stamped on both the front and the reverse. Each measures a half-inch across; each has a lobster-claw clasp already attached.
In our land, water is life, and the rains are the gift of the spirits. This is one of the ancient and traditional thunderhead symbols — three rounded clouds with the rains falling from them in vertical lines. Here, rain symbolizes prosperity and abundance.
HOW TO HELP
- The YouCaring fundraiser allows you to donate specifically to this cause. You can also share the fundraiser via social networks by using the “Grab Our Widget” button (and other social media buttons) on that page.
- Their Amazon wishlist mostly supports the health needs of their rescue animals and themselves, if that’s more your style.
- Purchases from Wings Silverworks will help them make a living the way they’d prefer, by selling Wings’ work as an exceptionally talented NDN silversmith and photographer. Here’s a diary that describes how to browse and buy at Wings’ web gallery, including how to look at available photographs. (Take a look at this gorgeous one from yesterday!)
- If you prefer, donate via PayPal at Aji’s blog, or at her Tumblr blog where she posts her own writing and photography.
- Kosmail belinda ridgewood if you absolutely need to donate by mailing a paper check.
- And Tweet, share on FaceBook, tip/rec/republish on Daily Kos, randomly email your friends about it, drop it into casual conversations. This seems minor, but it is not! When you share, please link to this YouCaring page, or embed the widget!
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