I help not because I know you, but because someone I know asked me to

People give of themselves for a lot of reasons. You may give of your time, money, or material possessions because you believe in the cause you are supporting. Maybe you give because you simply believe in giving, and where it goes (as long as it falls under a certain wide spectrum of your beliefs) doesn't really matter. For me, I mostly give to things my friends are associated with (and it helps that I pretty much totally believe 100% in what they are working for). I don't have a lot to give so I like to spread it around to those I can personally touch with my donation.

But every once in awhile I find a cause or an event that I'm not tied to by one degree of separation. Awhile ago I donated to this blogger because I was so moved by her post. Didn't know her personally,though I found her blog through an actual real life friend who knows her in actual real life, but still went ahead and dropped my few dollars in the hat.

And so I bring you the following story. If it moves you in any way and you find yourself with an extra $5 or more to share I encourage you to donate it. I don't know this person, probably never will, but I do personally know the man that wrote about it on his own blog and I trust his opinions on the matter (plus his own name was in the donor list, so I know it's worthwhile). You won't get a tax exempt letter. But you will get an awesome warm feeling and a great bit of karma.

Oh and just so you don't start to feel that all I do is ask my few readers out there to open their pocket books, I promise to make an effort to post many non-money related items in the next few weeks before I once again hit you up for my own birthday fundraising campaign to be announced shortly.

I don't know how to repost so that it will link back to where I found it so I'm simply cutting and pasting and hoping this works....(photo didn't copy so here is link to what I think is the original post)


atfrageelay:
Link to help a mama-to-be out is here.
Imagine you are about to lose everything you own. Not to a tornado, flood, or theft, but instead to the steady march of insidious intruders. These home invaders breed quickly and often, can survive up to 18 months when zipped up in an airtight container, feed off of the blood of humans and their pets, and are especially fond of nesting in mattresses and book bindings.

Itchy yet?

Now imagine you’re single, expecting your first child, self-employed, with family living several states away. And you’re living in a building full of these thieves of your every basic comfort, where several of your neighbors are similarly afflicted but it’s unknown whether they have any earthly idea how to properly rid their apartments of these pests. Maybe you can break your lease, and maybe you can’t, but even so it’s doubtful you’ll see your security deposit and first month’s rent any time soon. And you’ll have to take all of your less-infested items – including electronics – and store them somewhere unafflicted in airtight containers for 18 months.

This is life in the city with bedbugs. And it’s happening, right now, to one of our own – Alina Smith. And she needs our help. There have been a lot of hands out asking for help in our online community lately, and times are tough for many right now. But there are enough of us here that a per-person $10 donation (or whatever you can spare) would go a long way toward helping Alina get a security deposit together so she can live somewhere bedbug-free when her baby arrives this October/November, storage space for the few items she’s able to keep (including her professional photography equipment) but will have to store in airtight plastic for 18 months to ensure all the bugs die off, and disposal supplies (plastic mattress covers, plastic bags) so she can get rid of items responsibly without spreading the bedbugs anywhere else. Please help a mama-to-be get her life back and into a safe home.

Thanks. Questions? Comments? Write me at tonitravels at the gee mail.

Here’s a link to contribute. All donations go directly to Alina’s bank account. Please reblog.