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Helping Humpday at Street Prophets, with some time-sensitive urgent needs. [1]

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Date: 2023-07-19  

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour, the place where politics meets up with religion, science, art, and life. Come in, have a cuppa and a cookie (or three!) and join us.

Helping Humpday is the Wednesday Street Prophets Coffee Hour. It was created for us by bfitzinAR and was taken over by Dixiecollie, who also left suddenly. Now it’s njm5000 who keeps the list of Kossacks in need. Helping Humpday is still here, the place where we can show caring and give help.

Asking for help may seem routine for some people, but there are those who aren’t accustomed to doing it. Those are the ones who put it off until it’s almost too late—or even beyond “almost” and is too late. Those are also the people who tend to minimize their needs, asking for the very least amount, sometimes too short of actual need. That was the case with the diary userexists wrote. Fortunately, a number of experienced people added knowledge, as well as financial help, and pointed out that the bare minimum sticker price on the RV they hope to call home isn’t enough actually to complete the purchase, let alone get it set up as a permanent residence. Taxes are collected when registering the title. There’s the cost of initial repairs to make it livable, even if other repairs can be put off for a bit. There’s the cost of a landing spot, possibly a permanent one. We got a good start on meeting that need, but it’s only the start. Userexists isn’t at the minimum yet. One fourth to one half won’t get the RV, so the need is still there, and time-limited.

It isn’t always possible to wait. Some things are essential and necessary right now. The people on the needs list have urgent needs. It isn’t possible to wait until a future date, when there’s finally a bit of money in the bank, to buy food. Or pay rent. Or keep lights on. Or put gas in the car to get to work. Or get medical care, including meds. I can wait another week or so for my first tomato sandwich because I have food in the kitchen now. The sandwich is a ‘nice to have’, not a ‘must have or ----’. For people on the list, these things won’t happen with a little bit of waiting.

These community members need a little push to get over a hump. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill. Maybe there’s a life situation that has come up and requires resources beyond regular income. Maybe they just got behind and need help getting their footing again. For whatever reason they need help, Wednesdays are the day the Street Prophets diary focuses on those needs. Maybe you’ve skipped over this weekly diary, thinking the little you can give won’t make a difference. But you don’t have to meet a person’s entire need. If we all join together, the small amounts each person can contribute will add up to enough to make a difference in someone’s life. Even $2 or $5 or $10, when added to the mickle that others give, can be all that it takes.

I’ve messaged with Christopher Reeves. He’s opened a computer shop in Leavenworth, at 2110 S 4th Street. They do repairs (I asked!). If you live in the area, you can help him while helping yourself.

When sending via PayPal, be sure to select “Send to family/friend” to avoid fees on either end. Be aware, both donor and recipient, that GFM not only charges fees to recipients and asks donors to contribute to their organization, but also money received through that platform is treated as taxable income. You will receive a form 1099. If you are requesting help through GFM, also be aware that there can be delays in accessing the money. There has been some confusion about GFM fees. When you donate, they ask for a tip. You can decline and have no extra charge. This is not the same as the fees charged to the person raising funds. GFM will take money from the amount raised, and it isn’t voluntary.

If helping financially isn’t the right choice for you at this time, you can still help. Tip and rec the diary so it stays visible. Share on social media: Twitter, Facebook, whatever platform you use, to bring the attention of others outside our daily readers. And offer words of encouragement to people who are struggling. It can be scary to be struggling, and it can feel lonely. This can happen to any of us. Today it isn’t me in need. If it isn’t you, either, please see what you can do to help.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/19/2182002/-Helping-Humpday-at-Street-Prophets-with-some-time-sensitive-urgent-needs

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