Taking Care of Maggie

LIVE From the GNB Blueberry Pancake Desk...

Time to bring everyone inside.

Two months ago our Maggie hit some really hard times. She's disabled, as most of you know. Can't leave her apartment. Works via telecommuting.

In October her gig dried up. Her best friend paid Maggie's rent for October. Near the end of November she told me. She hadn't eaten in days. Rent was due shortly. The GNB staff took care of her food money, rent, and her monthly nut for November.

Now it's December, rent is due shortly, and her gig still hasn't kicked back in nor is that likely. So here's what we're doing.

Maggie's monthly nut is $1400, all in. Rent, food, electricity, medicine. Essentials.

The core of GNB can come up with $800/month. We're asking y'all, the readership, to come up with $600/month by subscribing to Maggie at whatever you can afford: $50, $20, $10, $5, mix and match to give more, whatever is the number that works for you.

These monthly subscriptions via PayPal (or your credit card) will let us keep Maggie afloat till she and we can find her a new gig. My guess is six months, more or less, but probably not less.

This won't be the only time this happens, I'm certain. Times are going to get tough over the next years and all of us will have to help each other.

I'm asking each of you right now to help us take care of our dear friend, Maggie Jochild. She's writing one of the most amazing novels I've ever read, "the great American lesbian novel" Ginny Bates. The second draft is being posted at Maggie's blog, Meta Watershed.

Maggie's health isn't good enough to survive in the shelters. It simply is not. So we're taking care of her. I say this not to shame anyone into giving, but to make crystal clear what is at stake. Maggie's one of my best friends and I love her dearly. Not to mention she writes so beautifully I often weep. She writes that way because she knows the heart's of people. She's lived in suffering and pain all her life. She understands.

How much should you donate monthly? Not so much it hurts. But enough that you know you're helping out, that you know you're making an actual difference in the life of a real person.

The core of GNB is donating a hundred, two hundred or more, each month. And we're happy to do so. Maggie's one of us and we have her back, come what may.

We just can't do it alone.

I know it's Christmas time, the holidays. It's a time for giving.

Please help take care of Maggie this holiday season and in to the future:
$50, $20, $10, $5, mix and match. If you want to donate $100 monthly, hit $50 twice, or to give $30, hit $20 and $10.

Over the last year and a half we've come to know each other well. Times are hard for everyone. If all you can give is $20, $10, or $5 a month, we'll understand.

Everyone -- please... Give what you can.

Love to all, and Happy Holidays.