Signal Boosting

[kyburg]

And likely I'll toss this out on Twitter as well.

From popelizbet:

I have this friend; his name is Dave.

Dave is one of the best people that I know.

Dave is going to lose his house this winter, because of a story that's probably so familiar to you by now that you can sing the words.

Dave bought the business he worked for, which was thriving, before the events of last year crashed the economy like a bumper car. (He runs a courier service, the kind that mostly big corporate clients need...and a lot of those were gone, last year, and a lot more were cutting expenses until they figured out what was going to happen.)


Dave - like someone I am sure nearly every American knows at this point - is one of those people who was driving along doing the speed limit when the people driving the economy started turning up the radio and getting drunk at the wheel. It took a year of working himself nearly to death, but the business is back on track. It's doing well enough that Dave can again afford to hire another person coming up soon.

But in the process of keeping the business afloat, Dave has gotten behind on the mortgage. The house and the land are not in foreclosure yet, but it's coming.

Let me tell you about Dave's house.

Dave has a house on top of a bluff with seven-plus acres down below. Over the past 10+ years, Dave and his ex-wife and me and a whole host of our friends have turned the field into one of my favorite places on earth. Dave's field has a bar. Dave's field has a stage. Dave's field has twelve campsites cut into the perimeter, so people can camp down by the creek.

Abe the blind dog lives at Dave's house. In the field he can run around like he can see; there's nothing there to hurt him.

Used to be, the last Saturday of every month we had a party out at Dave's. The recession didn't kill that, but it put it into recess. We were all hopeful. And then we get the word from Dave. The house isn't foreclosed upon yet, but it's coming; the last Last Saturday Party on Dave's land is set for Halloween.

***

Dave would never ask you, the Internet, or us, his friends on and off the web, for help. It took his ex-wife and other friends of the party to tell us what we lacked to save the house and the land.

Seven thousand dollars.

***

Dave is not a traveling bard. Dave is not a master wordsmith. But Dave is one of the good people. One who held on and tried to keep making it work in circumstances beyond his control. Dave's the kind of guy who will give and give and give and give and never ask, ever.

So we, his friends, are asking for him. Not just for Dave, but for all of us. Dave's land is a sacred place, in the usage that means "set apart." We have all made it that way. The thought that this might all get buried and sold off at auction for want of so little - for want of seven hundred good-hearted people with ten dollars to spare - makes me sick.

But Internet, I have faith in you.

***

Can you help us?

save_dave is open. There will be auctions; local friends as well as friends online are getting items together.

For now: boost signal. And if you can, donate.

A CPA friend of Dave's is taking the donations, which should go via paypal to sabrina.k.swafford in the direction of gmail dot com. Use the header "Save Dave's House", & send it as a gift donation. Sabrina will be keeping us posted on our progress.

Here is my promise to you: any of you who help here and, in future, are passing through my part of the world on the last Saturday of the month will be my guest...and I will tip your bartender for you. And you will see how it is that we have all created this place of beauty and joy and respite out in rural Tennessee, and you will see that it is good.

Tell your friends, friends of mine. Ask them if they'll help us save Dave's house. I'll have five Snake God's Preferred raspberry cakes in the auction, come time. If you'd like to donate items, tell me. If you know an eccentric millionaire who keeps seven grand in her bathrobe pocket, please advise. Whatever you can do, I ask that you do - for my friend, who to you is an anonymous stranger, who does not deserve to lose it all for such a little thing.

In love, gratitude and never-ending hope,
popelizbet

Jim's family is in Tennessee - heck, he was born in Knoxville, and I never saw a prettier place. And I just got back from managing my teensy account over at Modest Needs and see small miracles there daily.

My household budget for the three of us in California isn't that seven grand - but it's not far from it, either. The fact he can do so much with that figure, where he is, makes it all the more appealing.

We can't save him all by ourselves, but damn if we can't help.

I think I have some of that cider donut mix I can auction off. That, and some See's. At least.

Comments

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I can't contribute any thing, but did bid - and when your items are up, let me know :)

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest, the way this is written doesn't really make me feel the need to pull out my pocketbook. It sounds like the writer is primarily concerned with losing their party spot and that doesn't move me at all. Parties are expensive and maybe the money being used for the Halloween party should be put into saving the house rather than begging me for my dough.

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

I aggree with this. I'm also suppose to support/help out a guy who lives on 7 ACRES of land! There are ALOT of people far worse off then him. He should sell a few acres. I know people who are living with their parents again, the parents are out of work just as they are, they have no health insurance, medical problems and are losing their place to live (a small apartment).

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

If you've ever been out that way, you'd know this is the only wealth the place has - and that amount of land is a pittance. Everyone has that much or more...and most of it does nothing but sit there and look back at you.

Sell it? Good luck. Nobody needs it.

This is home in some many ways, it's hard to say - the good kind you like to spend time in, instead of being a place to store your stuff and sleep in by default (which is what a lot of our 'homes' turn into).

Different lifestyle, to be sure. But definitely one worth saving.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* I don't know Dave, but I know Lizbet, and I trust that the need is genuine.

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

There are options like selling furniture, or other things he owns. I see nothing written about how he's tried to help/save himself. If it was him selling his stuff to make the money that's one thing, seems everyone else is doing the work for him.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I don't know him, but I know Lizbet, and I trust that he's been taking whatever steps he can. I don't think Lizbet would be doing this if Dave wasn't doing his part, too. The last fundraising effort she spearheaded was for s00j, when she had $30K in medical bills - and I know s00j went above and beyond, busting her butt to raise as much of that herself as she could.

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

Unexpected medical bills is one thing. Mortage payments that he knows he has are another. He runs a business so should know how to handle his finances.

If he REALLY was doing all he could, would he still be throwing parties every month? Really?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*points up to the italicized portion of the post* He hasn't been throwing parties in a while. I think the Halloween thing is planned as a last hurrah; until Lizbet stepped in, I don't think he thought there was any way to recoup the money.

The economy hitting the fan like it has was unexpected. When he bought his business, he was probably budgeting appropriately for his then-current budget. Things can slide downhill pretty fast; lots of people are only a paycheck or two away from being totally screwed right now, and I know I've had to do the "which of these can I get away with letting slide this month" dance before.

It's an extraordinary circumstance. I don't see a problem with pitching in, as long as this isn't a pattern for the person, which it doesn't sem to be here. In all of the 'net fundraisers I've seen this year, it's been one catastrophic thing that leaves a person totally screwed - and once the money's been raised, I've seen no further pleas. I've seen people taking care of themselves. It's looking for a hand to boost the person out of a hole, not looking for someone to finance the person's whole life.

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

Has he tried renting out rooms in his house? He obviouslly has the space, and plenty of friends who could move in with him to share expenses. He isn't rolling quarters for gas or groceries, he is still throwing parties, so he is not hurting that bad obviouslly. Asking his friends for abit of help is one thing, asking the general population to help a stranger who seems to be doing okay if bad at managing his finances is another. And yeah it may be a 'home' but some people would be happy to just have a 'place' to sleep, much less throw parties once a month at.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

My goodness. Would you disclose that level of information to total strangers?

Particularly if they're not asking for it?

It's entirely possible all of that has already come to pass, and not solved the problems. And throwing parties? Um, you ever been to one...or one like it? They tend to be rather informal affairs, more like stone soup affairs than anything else.

Not mine to judge, except as a dealbreaker and it's clear for you, it is.

You've worked really hard to avoid this very situation happening to you. I've watched you do it. I've also seen the how much you have sacrificed willingly as well. Let me blunt - you were lucky. Nothing got in your way permanently, nothing derailed your plans. You didn't get sick, unemployed or sued. Plenty of unpleasant and downright suckitude - but you're still standing.

And that's just what I know and you were willing to share.

I could use seven grand. I have holes in my patio covers and winter is coming. But I'm not at the end of a long process to survive that just isn't going to make it in time.

I'm perfectly willing to throw what I'd spend on a few lattes. If for no other reason that to leave a message for someone else to find - you can ask. You may not get, but if you don't ask...you don't get. And you'd be surprised about what people are willing to do to assist if you ask for help.

[vampireanneke.livejournal.com]

If he was trying everything it wouldn't have been such a shock/surprise to his friends.

As for being lucky, I've been lucky somewhat but most of it comes from planning and working even harder. I budget, I save. I plan for the unexpected. I make plans for what happens if my plans fail. I was lucky to get the job I did, but I was able to get the job I did because I worked hard to get my degree, and all the steps before that. I had to make sacrifices, I've had to deal with the unexpected, I have problems, but it's no one else's responsiablity to save my house but mine.

And I would have less of a problem if HE WAS ASKING. but he's not, it's his friends doing it for him (they even state he won't ask). Which is nice and all, but you talk about people helping themselves, and obviouslly he is not doing that.

Yeah one doesn't want to disclose all they have been doing or needing to strangers, but when they ask money of those strangers it's a different story.

[batshua]

I don't know even know the guy, or where he lives, so I could be wrong, but ... do you really think anyone would BUY his land at an even remotely fair price in this economy?

I get the feeling that a lot of people are getting shafted because they can't afford to sell because nobody's buying.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I'm offering a sari-silk wrap. :)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I saw! Good on ya!

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I'm getting ready to go into bankruptcy myself (not exaggerating - actually doing it) or I would think of helping. Do you know where in Tennessee this is? (I lived in Knoxville for many years before moving back to the Midwest.) I'm just curious - I'm not looking for a street address or anything. Though I am sort of wondering if I've seen the place ...

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I'd go back to the community mods and ask them - and man, I am sorry about the bankruptcy.

I've come so close, so many times. Mom's declared twice - once for each husband (including my own father).