Social Media Saves Olympia Woman from Becoming Homeless in Snow
Don’t believe in the power of social media and community? Check out this story.
The Story
A client of the local nonprofit SideWalk came in today with a mesmerizing story of survival - we’ll call her Sarah. Last year Sarah went to another state to help her daughter and her two grandchildren get out of a domestic violence situation. Everything that happened next nearly ruined their lives. The perpetrator committed horrible acts of violence against Sarah, her daughter, and her grandchildren.
Amazingly enough Sarah and her family are rebuilding their lives. Sarah is going back to work this weekend as a licensed practical nurse.
With help from advocates at SideWalk and the Family Support Center they found and approved for an apartment, the only problem was they needed $300 to move in by Thursday as their time at the shelter they had been staying at came to and end. If they didn’t find the $300, they would lose the apartment.
Social Media
SideWalk and social media to the rescue!
Advocates at SideWalk reached out on their Facebook page and their blog asking for donations. 6 people at $50, 10 people at $30, 30 people at $10 - any of those combinations is all it would take.
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Well good news! It worked. The $300 was raised and Sarah and her family won’t be left out in the cold.
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State Employees Give to Our Local Community
Here’s a blog I wrote on my work’s blog. I’m proud of what we achieved in 2011 and wanted to share it here.
Even with a tightening budget and uncertain economy, DFI employees opened their hearts and their pocketbooks this past year to give to those less fortunate.
Community Participation is Very Much Alive in Olympia
2011 has been a rough year for some members of our community, but one thing that no recession can take away from us is our willingness to come together to help others in need.
This past Saturday was no exception when dozens of service groups came out to help the Thurston County food bank sort their holiday food donations.
I helped organize a group of 20s and 30s somethings via a volunteer meetup group. Our project was to sort frozen chicken that had been donated. In under 3 hours, we were able to unload, package, and reload over 2,000 pounds of chicken.
Drinking Wine for a Good Cause - Tacoma’s Project U
If you’re going to enjoy a glass of two or wine, might as well do it for a good cause.
Last night, Project U took over CORK! wine bar in Tacoma to host a toy drive and fundraiser for United Way of Pierce County.
When I say took over the wine bar, I mean took over! The entire place was packed with 20 and 30 somethings interested in giving back to their community.
