TAAEH

The 4000 pairs of mittens are in, see the Virtual Donation Warehouse in the forum for info.

John Mellencamp has become our friend, just like every single one of you who to expend energy or resources to help the unhoused.   Just as we would defend you in any endeavor regarding our mission, I wrote a letter in response to someone on John’s site who thought he did it just for the publicity, just for his career.  It got posted on his site.  Truth is, 1 person matters to the 1 person that matters, and this can change lives. Just as John, Jason, Katina, that kind hearted UC, and all of you who help personally or professionally. You matter, to us, to them, and to yourself.

Here is the link: www.mellencamp.com/index.php?page=news

Attitudes change one person at a time.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbcrimestop1112pnnov12,0,5537584.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

One Person Matters.

We want to thank the entire community for your support for this month’s Tent City.  According to Richard Langford, Director of Mildred Bayer Clinic for the homeless we provided at least $50,000 in medical and other services to the homeless that weekend. Our out of pocket expense…. $600.  Nothing less than amazing. 

I wanted you, the community to know I ran into Jeff seven days after TC.  Ran into him at the library when we were feeding the hungry for Food For Thought.  He wanted me to tell you all: “Thank you!!  Thank you!! Thank you!!”  

Jeff was down at Tent City last weekend. Jason was his guide at the Stand Down.  Jeff raved about Jason, how nice and helpful he was as his guide walking him through all of the available services.  He got a haircut, clothes, food, and medical help for an abscessed tooth. 

He also got a free state ID card. He was now able to get a job because he could prove who he is. He was sooooooooooooo excited because he worked two days that week and they want him to come back next week.  He told me they liked him a lot cause of his attitude, his positive attitude.  Jeff is a good man.    

That right there is all we need to make the entire Tent City effort worth it.  Even one person, all because of you who cared, every single one of you who donated, registered, cooked, fed, distributed, ministered, medicated, counseled, tested, the government and the media. Thank you all.  Jeff is your win.  He has a plan and resources and will be in housing soon.  Ever wonder if your  efforts last weekend mattered?  They did. 

Two events make this story even more powerful than it already is.  There are two really good lessons in the humanity of this story.   Little events that had they not occurred Jeff’s life would not have been changed.     

•1)      Rules are made for exceptions.  

On the forum is a story about how one of our volunteers kept to the guidelines they were given, one trip into the donation tent per guest.  Because of that guideline one guest did not get a coat.  This is my fault, I forgot to share the other guideline, rules are made for exceptions. 

We  had to adhere to another rule which is the cut off time to get free State Id’s.  The BMV was only open Saturday morning till noon.  We shuttled many guests from Tent City to the BMV Saturday morning.

One gentleman, as a matter of fact it was Jeff, did not have both documents needed to get IDs and wanted to come back Monday and get it, still for free.  I had grave concern that if we kept the door open to Monday, many others might also want to far surpassing the already ample budget of the anonymous donor who is paying for the state id’s and drivers licenses.

A woman by the name of Katina advocated for the Monday extension for Jeff and 5 others.  Katina understood the problem with the extension and instead of giving up she sought a solution.  She knew rules were made for exceptions. She wanted Jeff to get the id.  He mattered!  

She solicited other donors willing to chip in if the total for the id’s exceeded the donors budget.  Done,  the extension for Monday included 5 others she lobbied for besides Jeff who said he could have the necessary documents by then. 

Had it not been for Katina, Jeff would not have gotten his ID Monday, his job Tuesday, and would not have been so joyous and ready with a plan and the resources to get off the streets 7 days later.  Katina mattered.  Rules are made for exceptions. 

•2)      One person matters.

Granted Jason and Katina prove this point as well, but there is another person who will never know how he had positively changed the life of a man.   It involves how Jeff heard about and how he got to Tent City in the first place.

On November third was another regular Saturday morning for Jeff.  As it was now daylight he could find a place and sleep safely.   Jeff said he crawled up on a picnic table at Jamie Farr Park.  He was just settling in when someone shook his foot and said “You can’t sleep here.”   

He  looked up and the man flashed his badge, he was undercover TPD.  Jeff had heard that a million times before. But instead of rousting Jeff he did something different. He said “Rather than sleeping here you should be at Tent City; they can take care of you there.” 

Jeff hadn’t heard of Tent City and did not know where it was. 

The police officer gave Jeff a ride to Tent City.    

Mr. Officer, your kindness that morning to that man changed his life, forever. Had it not been for you Jeff would not have gotten his ID Monday, his job Tuesday, and would not have been so joyous and ready with a plan and the resources to get off the streets 7 days later.    

One person matters sir. You matter.

And you knew he mattered.  

So often the “do-gooders” do things and never know the outcome or value of what they do, or even if they did any good at all. 

If you ask Jeff he will tell you that one person matters, Jason, Katina and that TPD officer all matter to him.   

It is as if the hand of God reached through those three to help Jeff saying one person matters.

By the way, you will be able to see Jeff any Saturday morning with Food for Thought. 

On the way out he stopped me:

“Ken, you think I can come down here and help you volunteer to feed the hungry and homeless?”

I will see you next week Jeff.  

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, John Mellencamp, and Ken Leslie at Tent City

Absolutely remarkable! Toledo is one of the kindest, most compassionate cities in the US. The headline is we, (you, me and 650 others) delivered OVER $50,000 in services to 350 guests at a cost of… get this… $600. Awesome community, eh?

We are already at work taking this information into our strategic plan. Thursday we have a high level CASE to CARE meeting sponsored by the TLC Homelessness Board. This all day meeting of business and government leaders will work to establish the framework for a Ten Year Strategic Plan. 

And you thought we were just another pretty face! LOL

As I sit here to write this, a thousand different thoughts rush to and get jammed at the door of my brain vying to get out and be heard. 

In a word, overwhelming. 

The entire experience can be summarized by the many homeless who became volunteers at Tent City… just so they could help the homeless.

We had all guests requesting services complete a point-in-time survey. One of the questions was “Other needs” and most entered which services they wanted that weekend - birth certificates, ID’s, food, clothes, etc.. 

I am not sure why, but I feel we did not just have a Tent City this year. I think we have started a movement. A movement of love, giving, dignity and fearless compassion.   

What a remarkable group of volunteers! We will be having the debrief meeting November 15^th at Red Cross. There we will review things we can do better and start planning for next year. We will also have a social night to share stories for all the volunteers that want to come. A reunion of sorts.

As for additional involvement, see the TAAEH forums for the needs of the shelters this holiday. 

Some of us are joining up with the Food for Thought program Amanda brought to our attention. Friday nights we make lunches which we distribute Saturday morning to people on the streets, the same peeps we met this past weekend. Details are in the forum.

A bunch of us are going to be serving Thanksgiving dinner, too. Stay tuned here for options. 

Please share your experiences and stories in the forum. This one touched me this morning as we were processing the guest surveys…

One guy named Dennis, 54 years old and living on the streets the past two years, completed the guest registration form. On the last question, the “Other Needs” question on which most people listed blankets, jackets and such, he instead wrote “Justice in an unjust world.”  

Amen.

As you read this we are now at Tent City - Hundreds of us, guests and servants.

Enough people that just maybe; if we are even a bit lucky we will be able to help change just one life. 

And if not that, at the very least we have enough people that we can guarantee a million laughs, a million smiles, a million songs, a million prayers, a million hugs.  

Our timing is just one day off.  It hit below freezing last night, mid 20’s.  Someone on the streets in our town froze last night.  Either did not have a blanket, or coat, or shoes, or roof or something that could have kept them warm. 

This sucks.

They will warm tonight. 

Because of the blessings and gifts of hundreds, probably even close to a thousand blessings, big and small they will be warm. Every single one of those blessings help.     

These blessing came from people who came because they knew they were called to this.  Or because quite simply they cared.  Some for altruistic reasons, some for selfish reasons, and some for no reason at all.  But they cared enough to help.

How cool is that? 

We have all the volunteer slots filled. We are blessed with those hearts and souls.   If you want to come down and check out the entertainment each night it is totally awesome, or come to the Pancake breakfast Sunday, or come to the Worship service Sunday.  Leave your money at home.  We don’t want nor need it here. 

You have MUCH more to give than that.  You have the power to change lives.  Will you?  

You as an individual have that remarkable power, that remarkable gift.  Many don’t know it is IN all of us so often this gift is wasted.  

I’m not talking about you needing to give that gift here at Tent City.  I am talking about you changing lives in your world, where you are.   Will you be a big brother, help people learn to read, walk and support one of the many wonderful causes, mentor a child or an adult.  Will you help change just one of those lives?

Or what about spending some time at a senior center or nursing home, you know, those places we stuff our people when they have outlived their usefulness.  Why not spend time talking to people with so much wisdom, so much knowledge, so much experience.  You know, the exact same wisdom knowledge and experience you are acquiring in your life before you too can be stuffed and abandoned in one of those places when you too outlive your usefulness.

Or what about spending time helping or just hanging out at a shelter, food bank or service provider.  I’m not talking Thanksgiving or Christmas, but one of the other 50 weeks a year.  Will you?

Or maybe even start a small group to do any of those or anything else that gets you out of yourself and giving something back?

You see, what you do, in fact everything you do, others see.  And if you do work to change lives, others will see it.  And just maybe one person will be inspired by you and realize he or she can change a life, or lives too.  See, your good work not only can help the person you serve, but it can also inspire others.  Your impact then is more than one life; it could be several, hundreds, or thousands through those inspired by you.  This is the gift inside you.  To change lives.  Will you?  

Soon I will share more. 

(Disclaimer:  This above editorial is only my personal opinion, Ken, and does not reflect any official position of TAAEH, TLC  or VSC, or anybody else associated with the project.   I say this because you know this is how America has become.  Someone will find fault with the above and complain about.  Most likely someone who is sitting on their ass and doing nothing and feeling guilty about it.  Good. )

God does and will bless you all. Even those who sit on their ass and do nothing.

(TENT CITY UPDATE: PLEASE do not empty your closet and bring down to Tent City your shorts, men’s or women’s bathing suits and summer clothes. They can’t be used here and we have no room for that stuff, just WINTER clothes should be brought down here.   Save the summer stuff and take them to Cherry Street Mission, Toledo Gospel Mission or Salvation Army some time as they have pretty good distribution centers for all of the shelters.  For example Toledo Gospel Mission is giving away several thousand coats this weekend to those who need them, including our guests at Ten City. Thank you!)

Meals are all filled for volunteers.  You can fly Stand-By if you want, email us for info and your choice of meals.

Thursday night at 7 pm is the final meeting at Red Cross. We would like all of the TC project captains and leadership, as well as those anchoring over the entire weekend to attend. This will be a “Train the Trainer” meeting to go over the operational objectives for the weekend. This is open to anyone, its a good place to get questions answered.

The Mayor of Tent City this year is John Pham.  John is a guy that came down last year to help set up and never left.  A good human.   Here is an article about his Raoul Wallenburg Award. Also, he shot the photo’s of last years TC that you see on this site.

We are almost there on most Volunteer spots.  If you see one you want or a role you want to play “back up” then sign up in the forum , just email us.   

Friday set up needs 10 vols

Stand down needs 15 vols for 8 am -12 pm and 8 for 12 pm 4 pm Saturday

Tear down Sunday needs 15  - FILLED

Registration and Donation Tent are filled.  This is sooooo awesome

Backpacks should be covered.  Sister Dorothy Thum with St. Vincent’s granted $1500 from the mission fund to get backpacks.  the Andersons is discounting them significantly so those along with the TFD Local 92’s packs, and the ones our volunteers have already committed should cover it.  On to men’s jeans, men’s underwear (new) and long johns.>

We have nearly all of the donations committed and 90% of the volunteer slots filled.  I think we might need a few more commitments for food, but other than that, we are on plan. 

This email contains answers to frequently asked questions, what volunteers will be doing, as well as summarize the status of current needs. 

Where is it located?  — Civic Center Mall is located on Jackson between Erie and Michigan, (Click here for the map) between the police station and jail. 

Where do I park?  - There is FREE parking on any street after 5 pm and all weekend or in the city parking lot just northeast of the Civic Center Mall off Orange Street.  (See the map above.)  Please note that on Saturday, Jackson Street will be closed between Erie and Michigan from 8 am to 4 pm for the stand down. 

What will I be doing?  - All Volunteers should arrive 15 minutes early.  Upon arrival, go to the Registration Desk, you will get a volunteer wristband and directions to your assignment: 

• Serving Meals — This will include setting up the dining tent if necessary, bringing and setting up the food line, some will serve on the food line, the rest will serve the customers refreshing drinks, etc., as well as busing the tables - keeping them clean for the next guest.  
• Donation Tent — This includes keeping the donations organized, as well as distributing donations, one to a guest, and only to registered guests.  (With a wristband.)  Be forewarned, some might try to double dip or take some “for people at home,” but if we give much to one, we will have less for some. 
• Registration Desk – Here you will register all guests and volunteers.  All will get the same registration wristbands as we are all equal.  For someone to access donations or services, they must register a take the short survey.  Those who complete the survey will get a star on their wristband to verify completion of registration. 
• Stand Down — There will be many services available on Saturday for our guests.  There will be two shifts, 8-12 and 1-4.  Volunteers can do one or both shifts.  Two volunteers will pair up with a guest and make sure they get access to all the services that are available and needed.  Sort of concierge/guest services representative.  You will be trained on the available services etc. prior to your work.  
• Set Up/Tear Down — This will not be tons of heavy lifting.  Mostly set up of tables, chairs, signs, stage, lights, speakers, coffee pots, etc.  We got it all down. 

What about additional donations?  – Please check the forum here for updated needs.  After October 28^th, donations should be brought to the Donation Tent at Tent City.

What about the music?  Doods and doodettes, there is some rockin’ going on (blues and jazz too, and more.)  Music is scheduled from 6 pm - midnight or so each night.  Here is the link to the line up

What will the weather be?  I predict with my super duper insight that it will either be this,  or this, or this, or this, or be this .   NOTE: On  Monday we started tracking the changes at each station and the weather channel (weather.com) to check the accuracy of the predictions, just for fun, of course!)

As of  Monday     Friday                Saturday              Sunday

Weather Chan.  53/35 10%           55/38 20%           52/39 20%

WTOL                    60/39                    56/37 30%           57/

WTVG                   54/39                     53/38 Rain Nt    55/Shower

WDHO                  56/38                     50’s Rain              50’s Partly Cloudy

 Fox                         54/34                     52/39 Rain          55/37 Clear

As of Tuesday

Weather Chan.  53/32 10%           54/37 20%         57/41  10% WTOL                    60/39                    56/37                   57/38 30%WTVG                   54/36                     53/38                   54/43

Tent City Updates

Hey all, things are totally rolling.  Awesome, you rock! Here is the latest.

We are starting to get a LOT of the donations already filled.  This community is so wonderful, so powerful, so cool when we all come together!   Keep an eye on the forum to see what we need, it is updated regularly.  Any overages will be distributed to an appropriate shelter or service provider at the end of Tent City.

Charlie and Linda need the donations collected by 10/28 so they can have a few days to get them sized and bagged.  Charlie and Linda will pick them up from your church or office etc.  if needed.  Their contact phone number is on the donations section of the forum.

Heard yesterday from Phil Skeldon at St. John’s, he got approval for them to be a drop off point for clothing donations.  Put them in the bin in the lobby any time during business hours.  Thanks SJ.  By the way,  I am going to the SJ Homecoming Saturday to support Andy and his drive, got a nice blue velvet bell bottom tux, HOT! lol

After the 28^th donations will need to be taken directly to Tent City.

We have about a dozen churches, half a dozen schools, and tons of college students and groups that are planning on participating.  Tons of people spending the night.  Kumbaya!  (might mean, “Come By Here”? See this.)

Amy set up a church list on the forum so we can keep track of the ones that have been contacted by the church team,  you can let us know if you will be contacting your church as well.  it was put up yesterday and will be updated regularly.

Last Tuesday City Council approved the ordinance waiving all fees for Tent City.  It was a close vote, well fought, 6-6 with Carty breaking the tie.  Lol, just kidding, it was unanimous.  Thank ‘em next time you see one.  (Some of the politicians come down when they are NOT running, I think they care, don’t you?)   While we are on the city, Maria Gorny and the Department of Neighborhoods not only arranged for them to open the Heath Department to get birth certificates, but the DON will be paying for them again.   See why we call her Ave’ Maria, lol. 

Heard from Mike Stoops with the National Coalition for the Homeless.  He has come down the majority of the years  but can’t make it this year due to their board meeting.   He did want me to pass on that we should contact our Congresspersons  and Senators to lobby for renewal of the McKinney Act for the homeless.   Go to their website for more info.

If you are planning on volunteering  to serve meals or registration etc. at Tent City, check the forum for the availabilities and either respond in the forum or email us to let us know what you want to do and we will plug you and/or your group in.  Simple.

As for the pledges, if you are anything like me, I have been carrying the pledge forms in my car since last week. Then it dawned on me today I might want to start getting pledges so I put a form in my pocket, now  when I run into my friends, I give them the opportunity to care… and they do.  Getting pledges is pretty easy.  People really do care to help if you give them the opportunity to.  (Like you… see?)

Richard and Clement are getting all the details of the Stand Down nailed down.  We will have updates for all of this at the meeting.

We will be starting some media next week to give people the chance to get campaigns going for clothes, etc,  and/or to attend the meeting on the 18^th.  Gonna be with our good friend Fred Lafebvre Wednesday  morning at 8.30 or so, call in.

Remember next Friday, the 19^th is the Habitat’s University of Toledo chapter’s Card Board city.  Be sure to stop out, and even spend the night in support.   See the forum for details.

Hope you all can make it to the meeting on the 18^th,@ 7 pm.  Cool people go there.  My idol Harry Chapin was chatting with Pete Seeger  in an interview and they noted that when you are involved in a cause like this you are involved not only in doing good, but you are doing good with OTHER good people doing good.  YOU  are the ones that are ALIVE  with life, the ones that care. 

Whether you hear it or not, do know this, there are a LOT of people thankful that you cared not to look away, but to see, and then do something.   How cool is that!

Let’s Rock!  21 days and counting.

As always, forward this far and wide to give other’s the opportunity to get involved.

Kumbaya!

Thanks to the generosity of Mercy Health Partners we are printing the brochures and pledge forms now and will have them at the next organizational meeting.  In the meantime, you can download them now, here on line.  For the pledge form and list of TAAEH members to pledge for, right click this link and select “save target as” and save it to your desktop.  For the Tent City Brochure, right click this link and select “save target as” and save it to your desktop. Once it is saved, you can print it on your printer.

When one is part of organizing an event like Tent City a LOT of stuff is going on. A lot of activity, a lot of good things. 

In order to communicate needs and share those good things with everyone, we have set up these forums. 

This will be our virtual headquarters between meetings. For example, when someone gets 6 pallets of gloves (which Amy did), we post in there that we do not need any more gloves. See how that works?

Our needs will be posted there and as they get filled that too will be noted.

It is free and easy to post to the forums, just register and post. To do that click on the register button on top, put your name, email and password in the proper spaces, ignore the icq, msn messenger and stuff.  Then a verification email will be send to your email address you put up top. Click on the link in that email and you are registered.

Then just come back and use your name and password you created. If you want to communicate with us and have trouble with the forums, email us at hap at taaeh dot com. (This email address is laid out like this to avoid spammers who mine websites for email address. Use the conventional format.)

Join us.

Wow! We were expecting 20, and 38 people showed up at the Tent City meeting on the 13th. Wow.  We completely filled the Red Cross Board Room and people were literally standing in the hallway to hear.  There is so much enthusiasm and such commitment.  The teams are now out planning and executing, if you want to join one, email us.  We will be needing 320 or so volunteers to spend a couple hours each at Tent City for things like setup, serving a meal, assisting with the stand down, etc.  We will have that list on here shortly.

Amanda Moore hooked up this site/blog for us. (Her company is Indigenous Creative)  We gotta thank her!  And Brent Pirolli from Cedar Creek is working to create forums so the teams can communicate updates/needs, and so we can share really cool or touching stuff.  

Like the idea Andy Hills from St. Johns came up with.  He is working to get people who attend the homecoming dance a discount if they brought winter clothes for Tent City. He said he wants to try to spread this to other schools as well.  

Or Toledo Firefighter Mike Nicely.  Mike hung out and talked to the guests  at TC last year.  In talking to them they told him they were so grateful to be able to get a change of clothes, some personal hygiene items, blankets and such.  But the problem was they had nothing to put it in, and nowhere to put it.  Mike’s idea was to give the guests backpacks this year.  And from Mike’s days in the military he knew there was nothing better than fresh socks.  And even some chocolate.  So Mike talked to Firefighters Local 92 and is now working to create a campaign in TFD to collect those items. 

Or John Pham, the UT Medical College med student who last year came down to check out TC, and ended up staying the entire weekend last year.  He was moved enough to spend the rest of the past year helping to recruit doctors to volunteer regularly at the Mildred Bayer Clinic for the Homeless.

See, cool stuff!  For more information and how you can help just browse through the other pages on this site, or go to our forums here

Organizational Meetings are at the Red Cross Building on Central, east of Secor. (Not the donation center on Executive Parkway.) They are open to everyone and we hope you will come.

1. Clothing/Winter Wear Donation Team: This team will do the acquisition, sorting, delivery and onsite distribution of the clothing donations. Captains are Charlie and Linda Kries.

2. Food Team: This team will solicit, deliver and serve the food needed to feed the homeless and volunteers of Tent City. Co-Captains are Jim and Robin Fuller, Sue Brown and Dan Rogers.

3. Churches & Schools Team: This team will promote the pledging, camping, and donations to schools, churches, church youth groups, etc. This group will also coordinate the Sunday Morning Worship Service. We need more members here to help reach out in order to identify ambassadors at each church or school to assist with the coordination at their location. Captain: Amy Newman-Mentel

4. College Team: This team will promote pledging, camping and donations to the local colleges and universities. We need more members here to reach out to the different university groups to establish ambassadors in each. Captain: Jonette Patterson

5. Stand Down: This team will coordinate the content, services, organization and delivery of services for the Stand Down. Captains: Clement Cybulski & Charlie Kries

6. Medical Services for the Homeless: This team will coordinate the delivery of medical services for the Stand Down. Captain: Richard Langford

7. Pledge Team: This team is organizing and promoting the pledge campaign to local businesses and identifying ambassadors in each. This year the focus is pledging money to the organization of their choice from one of the 44 members of the Toledo Area Alliance to End Homelessness. Captain is Norma Bielski

8. Pancake Breakfast: This team will coordinate the resources needed and set up for the Sunday morning Pancake Breakfast. Captain: Dan Rogers

9. Music: As always, Pat Lewandowski will be arranging the music for the weekend.

10. Facilities Team: This team will be responsible for the set up, tear down, and staffing of the Volunteer and Guest Check In. Captain is Ken Leslie

If there is a team you would like to join, email us at hap at taaeh dot com, and we will get you plugged in.

The mission is simple, to help those in need. 

Who?

You know, the one’s much of society wants to pretend are not there.   

The ones that just might have been totally ignored had it not been for your caring.  Yes, you!  You have been helping them for years, maybe a few years, maybe 20 years, doing all you can, all in your power.  

Yet they keep coming.  More men, women and children on the streets every week, every month, every year.  A steady stream.  Where do they all come from?  When does it end?

Remarkably you somehow magically help most of them.  So many are back in housing within a short period of time because of you.  Some take longer.  Some never do make it.  They just die, sometimes nameless, no family, just the grave digger, and maybe you paying respects.

Those are the ones that hurt most. 

Yet there were so many you have stopped from that path of destruction, path of death.  It was YOUR gifts, YOUR begging, pleading, cajoling, pushing, shoving, fighting, whatever it takes because you do know this is not a “cause”. It is completely and totally a matter of life and death.  You live it every day.

And it wears on you.  Day in, day out it grinds you down.  You sometimes start to wonder if it is at all even worth it.   The deck seems stacked, and not in your favor.

In fact it seems people who are supposed to be working with you are working against you.  That’s just how they built the system. There is ten dollars of need and they throw one dollar in and tell you all to fight over it.   And next year it will be seventy five cents.

This drains you too, so much so that sometimes you just want to quit.  

Don’t!

You are not alone. You are case workers, case managers, directors and other employees of all the shelters and service providers who serve those who would have been totally ignored had it not been for you.  Yes you.

We are here; we want to do what we can to help.  We are students, teachers, nurses, doctors, business people, church people, boy scouts, girl scouts, mothers, fathers, frat brothers and sorority sisters.  We are the people of the community who appreciate all that you do. Appreciate all of your challenges, the difficulties you face.

We support you.  We do what we can year round to help you, volunteer, give you money, and adopt your families for Christmas.  We are here.  Please know that Nov. 2-4 we are going to come down there and see what we can do to help. We want to help you not just that weekend, but year round.  Just tell us what you need.

We know this is not just a “cause”.  It is completely and totally a matter of life and death.  You live it every day. And we thank you.  Keep fighting, for us and for them.