While things are seriously not going the way we’d hoped for — and we seriously busted our tails working for — some things just don’t change. Bad things happen to good people and since we do not have a society that takes care of them — sometimes even is the cause of them — good people need to help each other out. I’m sure there are more Kossacks who need help right now and if you wish to add them and their stories in the comments, please do — but these are people I know about, have interacted with, and am hoping we as a community can resolve these specific problems by year’s end.
Aji — Aji was a major Community Fundraiser and still works behind the scenes with us when she has time and can get a connection to hold long enough to load DK. The longer version of backstory is in many diaries and on the YouCaring donation widget. A short(er) version is after the 2008 crash and an attempt to refinance, their manufactured home was repossessed. Seems a manufactured home doesn’t have a mortgage, it has a title loan like a car, so no refinancing. They’ve been living in an elderly RV ever since — going into the 7th winter. Fundraising started for phase one (clear site, relocate shop) October 2015. There was a several-month building hiatus. Phase two — foundation — finished late July. In August phase three started to get the walls up and roof up but didn’t quite cover the roofing materials. There were supposed to be three more phases of about $10K each, (finish roof and do windows, interior wiring, plumbing and walls, moving the septic system and appliances/furniture) Then they discovered the old septic system was improperly located and installed (they’d thought the problems were simply due to living in an RV) and the whole system is damaged to the extent it can’t be moved adding another $5K. Because of that 6 month delay, they’ve had to wrap all three of the final phases into one single $35K drive of which just over $10K has been raised. The roof is now on and some of the interior work. The $2,500 remaining on windows is my guestimation based on what it cost me to upgrade my windows a couple of years ago. They could easily be more as they are an integral part of the passive solar design but Aji doesn’t have a firm quote yet. After that the septic system has to be done before the ground freezes. Which it will soon as they are already getting hard freezes overnight. Their electric bill for heating the RV is taking money that could be spent on the house so the faster we get this funded, the better. Here’s the link to the most recent diary www.dailykos.com/... There should be a new one out Monday or Tuesday. Aji is seriously asking folks to share out the links for Wings NDN Silver site (holiday commissions need to be placed now) wingssilverwork.com and the YouCaring widget www.youcaring.com… There is a $100 match offer — once the widget total reaches $10,436 the $100 will be added.
jtg — 22-year cancer survivor, 15-year caregiver for his father who died in May 2015, active in Monterey Bay Area Dem party, and a cartoonist/blogger on DK. His health issues include multiple hernias and part of his foot amputated which seriously impacted his ability to get and keep employment. In October he certified as a substitute teacher and has managed to get subbing gigs several times a week since, but he only had a few days in October. We helped him with his October rent and utilities but now Nov. rent/utilities are due and his first subbing paycheck, which won’t cover it anyway, isn’t due until late next week. Another $500 on top of what’s already raised will take care of November and he should be OK after that, www.dailykos.com/... and www.gofundme.com/...
Ice Blue — Long-time Kossack on disability (little over $800 per month). Changes in the zoning laws required she replace her septic system — no problems but also no grandfathering for existing systems with no problems — by Spring 2017 at a cost of $4500. The time issue was ground freezing and not being thawed/firm enough to do the replacement before the deadline if it wasn’t done before the ground froze. We raised most of it, Ice Blue put the remainder on a credit card check, and got the contract signed pretty much just in time as the contractor had several weeks work ahead of her. After additional fundraising both PayPal and gofundme, there’s only $400 more needed to pay off credit card — www.dailykos.com… and www.gofundme.com/...
FarWestGirl — Her’s is so long story it’s hard to give a short version — she’s immersed in a legal battle, she and her step-mother were foreclosed on the property that has the house, she owed taxes on another property that only has a half barn on it. Once they are actually out of the house — probably next week or so — she will set her step-mother up in a “5th wheel” in a trailer park and figure out a way to sleep on site so their stuff isn’t stolen. She needed help with the taxes (which we raised in time) and still needs a gravel pad to put a cargo pod on plus the cargo pod for their furniture and stuff. The used cargo pad is under $3,000. She got a serious ripoff quote (over $5K) for the gravel pad and is trying to find either a better one or a way to do the work herself but had to stop for a while to work on the draft appellate brief draft to send to her lawyer (she’s doing most of the work to save money — the lawyer is needed to present and argue in court). www.dailykos.com… and www.youcaring.com…
During the time I’ve been active with Community Fundraisers we’ve managed to complete several which just makes me prouder of the Kossack community.
Open Thread
Welcome to Street Prophets Sunday, an open thread strangely positioned at the intersection of Politics and Religion. Feel free to talk about Politics, Religion, food, pets, or caring stuff that you have encountered lately.