If you are friends with me on Facebook, or follow my business page, you know that on Friday, my future daughter-in-law created a gofundme campaign. She and my son had finally found their perfect first apartment together, and the manager there failed to inform them that there would be a $650.00 charge.. he waited until AFTER they had signed the paperwork to give them this information. Like any young couple (and let's face it, many of us in today's economy), these kids live paycheck to paycheck. My son had just put a deposit down on the place, and wouldn't be paid again for another two weeks. They had to have this money by Tuesday. To say they were in a bind would be an understatement. She and I talked, and I told her, "While one person might not be able to give you $650.00, several folks could give a little and between them all, they can help you get what you need." So, she created the fundraiser.
I shared their dilemma with friends on Facebook, and even offered to give free tarot readings to anyone who donated $25.00 or more to their cause. Within 24 hours, the Pagan community stepped up, pitched in, and they exceeded their goal by $70.00 (as of this writing).
Some of the people who donated were only able to give small amounts; but, those small amounts are what added up to what seemed like an overwhelming amount just 1 day prior. And, for some of those folks who donated, this was a real sacrifice.
One lovely person with whom I privately chatted informed me that she is in dire straits herself. She is a single mom whose landlord chose not to pay her mortgage, and this woman is looking at becoming homeless. Additionally, she was thrown for a loop with an overwhelming bill. Yet, her heart went out to these kids, and she donated what she could. She wasn't alone in her sacrifice. Each person who donated made a sacrifice, because the word sacrifice means "to make sacred", and that is what this community did. They made this fundraiser sacred in so many ways.
Christians have always prided themselves on taking care of their own and for their many "outreach projects", which are mostly just hooks for evangelism. (I'd like to note that there were Christian family members who could have helped this young couple. Instead, they chose to refuse assistance and verbally attack them for this fundraiser. I see it as being no different than a pastor standing up in church and sending the offering plate around to help a congregation member in need.)
Pagans don't evangelize... it's just not in our nature to do that. We have no scriptural imperative which says that if you don't follow our way of doing things, you'll be eternally tortured for it. We have a more "live-and-let-live" attitude, which has somehow been twisted, even by our own thinking, to mean that we don't care and we don't do anything to help others, and we're all too poor to do anything.
This fundraiser is a perfect example of what happens when someone reaches out who is truly in need and people are asked to help. I've had several folks tell me that because I offered tarot readings, people donated. Some took me up on my offer and others said, "no, but thank you".. all of them just wanted to help. Renee even offered to give them a discount at her Sosanna's Closet shop.. people were really just more interested in making sure this little family didn't lose their apartment. And.. that's what I saw and experienced this weekend.
I don't want to hear any more about how Pagans are too cheap to do anything or how we don't pull together when we need to.. you all proved that paradigm wrong, and I want you to start seeing yourselves for the loving, kind, caring community that you are. It's time for us to use the words that we already know are so powerful to affirm what is already there- We have a wonderful community of folks who help each other, particularly when the chips are down.
Remember that about yourselves and be proud to be a part of such a great group of people. I know I am.
Sláinte,
Kallan