**MY PERSONAL PLEA ** (updated)
Last edited Tue Feb 26, 2013, 10:19 AM - Edit history (7)
UPDATE: PLEASE SEE THIS LATEST "HELP A DUER" OP!
(Edit to add: While my plea below is to gather a circle of DUers who may be in a position to help others financially...even $20...on a regular basis, please know that by kicking and recommending posts you are HELPING TREMENDOUSLY. Plus, joining Wishadoo! would be a huge help, and reading this previous OP to see other ways to help me spread the word. Offering moral support, your wisdom and insight and any suggestions -- especially when the requests aren't always financial -- is PRICELESS. As they say, the more who gather...)
First, huge props to DUer, xchrom, for the daily posts bringing the issue of poverty up for discussion. Today's post by xchrom, "Fall on Hard Times, Have Your Kids Taken Away? How America Treats Poor Parents Like Criminals," combined with messages I've been increasingly receiving in private, prompted this rant.
I am fucking FURIOUS right now and perhaps shouldn't create a post in the heat of the moment, but I'm going with it. I'm so fucking furious that I'm not going to apologize for profanity. If profanity offends anyone reading this more than the suffering being experienced all around, well...too fucking bad. I also don't have the time to say everything I want to say and compose this coherently because I must focus on my work-work so I don't go over the cliff myself in the next few days. To be perfectly honest, after having my hours cut back last year and with my S.O., who is over 50, unable to find a job for several years now, we often find ourselves living on $20 for two weeks. I shit you not. Many of you know exactly what that's like. I am sharing that so you know I hear you and know of what I speak. I'm saying it OUT LOUD now.
It's pathetic and ridiculous what we've been reduced to as a nation as far as our values and how we treat one another as a whole. We've been fed this "bootstrap/welfare queen" meme for decades now, so much so that it's part of our collective psyche. So many have been beaten down and fight amongst ourselves, which is precisely what a small segment of our society wants. People like Limbaugh and Beck are paid to perpetuate the anger, hopelessness and, eventually, hate.
The deck is stacked against most of us and things happen that are beyond our control, and without a safety net many of us are falling off a cliff. Silently.
Even many DUers who know this and recognize that our system has set us up to struggle, and who realize that we ARE in this together are writing me, too embarrassed to ask others for help. They're not only embarrassed to ask because they feel they will be viewed as a failure, but embarrassed because perhaps they have been helped by other kind souls before (which exacerbates the failure feeling) and embarrassed because they fear their need or request isn't as worthy because someone, somewhere is always carrying a heavier burden. This is happening both at DU and elsewhere.
I'm furious that so many WONDERFUL people are suffering in silence...NEEDLESSLY. For those who may believe in and pray to a Higher Power, they're too humiliated to ASK OUT LOUD -- to ask other human beings for help -- for fear of judgment. (Please don't derail this thread by slamming religion or beliefs; atheists are embarrassed to ask other humans for help as well. It's part of our human condition now, at least here in the States.)
IT TAKES COURAGE TO ASK FOR HELP OUT LOUD.
In my opinion, our government and institutions are a reflection of us. WE must change first. We must see and accept that we're all in this together.
Wishadoo!'s Wishlist -- a "craigslist of compassion" -- was created to be a safe place to have the courage to ask, offer, give, receive and pay it forward.
We all need something, and we all have something to give. One need isn't more "worthy" than another. We just need to ASK OUT LOUD.
http://www.wishadoo.org/wishlist
So, in this impromptu OP, I'm ASKING FOR SOMETHING OUT LOUD.
[font color=green]For any of you DUers who have the financial means to help other DUers when they are in severe distress and with a time limit -- or do know those of means who may want to be of service in this direct way -- would you please PM me? I could create a list of "go-to" people who are perhaps able to help fairly reliably (no expectation, no obligation of course), and then contact you directly rather than assume you will see my periodic Wishadoo! OPs.
A LONG-TIME, very well-known, beloved DUer is in a dire situation and needs help by Friday. There is no PayPal account so I'm trying to figure this out right now. An anonymous Wishlist post will be created later today, which will enable me to share here via one of the approved OPs, but for now I'm asking if there are DUers who would like to be part of an Angel Club of sorts, a go-to group of people I can contact whenever one of our own here are in dire need, as a way to expedite assistance.
If you're out there and see this, please contact me. And, please help keep this kicked.[/font color]
Thank you.
[center][font color=green]ABOUT WISHADOO!: Anyone is welcome to use the tools at Wishadoo, so long as the Terms of Service are adhered to (basically "play nice" and don't lie). This includes creating posts in the Wishlist, a "craigslist of compassion." Most of us are struggling with one thing or another, and as you'll see, there are many categories in the Wishlist to cover a variety of issues/needs.
Wishadoo! is a comprehensive portal providing tools, resources and inspiration to connect, help/be helped, and cultivate compassion, cooperation and authentic community in myriad ways, online and in our own "backyards." Wishadoo!'s tools have been designed to integrate and be of service to all sectors of community: individuals, neighborhoods, schools, organizations and businesses.
The Wishlist is where we can ask, offer, give, receive and pay it forward. If you create a Wishlist post, let me know your DU name, and I can include it in the periodic OPs.
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and MOST appreciated.
I don't expect many are in a position to help, but I'm trying to find them if they're out there. 
Not sure I'm accomplishing much, but I certainly appreciate the support and kind words.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
If you are so inclined, I would REALLY appreciate it if you would check out the Wishlist periodically -- either the Crisis or Food categories -- as your knowledge could be put to use quite often.
I'd love it if you'd join Wishadoo, too, so you could contact people directly when you have information they could use.
with that same idea in mind. When there are no existing resources, Wishadoo! could be of service. Of course, the Wishadoo! community needs to grow and include those who are able to help, not only those in dire need, in order TO be of service.
I was in discussion with United Way, which runs the 211 program, to work together to create ONE portal of resources...a comprehensive FIND HELP Directory...but they ended up admitting it's useless, as there's too much red tape and their individual networks all compete with one another and thus nothing will ever be streamlined.
Sad. 
But, I'm working with another organization now to create this directory -- AND CREATE JOBS via this project.
Finding existing resources is always the first step, as I see it. 
I could accomplish so much more if I could get the darn oxygen mask on myself first...lol.
Anyway, thanks again, Puzzledtraveller!
Some people out there are hurting.
an email.
Boy, do I hear you.
BIG to you and your daughter, from me and my daughter.
Not sure how I could do anything to change it.
Thanks for K&R'ing though.
Sorry, these posts get confusing; I need to figure out a better system. That DUer got the help he needed.
But to your point...
I was researching this yesterday, and Western Union's site said they don't accept PayPal.
Do you know if that has changed?
Thanks.
