Dear all,
Thanks for staying in touch with me in the last two years and taking the time to ask me about my health since my cancer diagnosis. It has meant A lot, and you know it.
Medications, your love, and your support have helped me heal and feel better faster. However, I feel alive since I have been working with the Social Development Center (SDC). It happened to me at A time when I needed A distraction. SDC is a perfect blend of politically motivated people who understand 'theory' and yet want to make small changes.
For example, homeless people are often seen as criminals. We worked towards finding ways to 'decriminalize' them. One of the suggestions that came from 'lived experts' (we believe that policy solutions should come from people who know what it means to be homeless) was to change a by-law that could allow people to sit at a particular location for longer hours so that they will not need to be in a place where 'posh' people go. It might seem insignificant, but it takes the energy of a revolution!
As A 'change,', it might seem meaningless; it might change again if A new government comes, but if there's one thing I have learned from my own experience, it's that there is nothing like 'permanence' in life. Life changes constantly, and the only option we have in life, is to keep trying..
Many of you know of my academic pursuits and my trials and tribulations in getting an academic job. SDC has provided me with an outlet that not only requires and honors my academic credentials but also keeps me in touch with real people. Life happens in the strangest of ways...
Who knows what life has in store for me, but for now, I am here and supporting it with all my energy and love.
I usually do not do donation drives, but this space is special because I know where and how we spend our money (I also manage part of the accounts).
We are still doing well as an organization - given that funding is a contact crisis for the not-for-profit sector. But a little bit more money as a buffer doesn't hurt. And with elections coming up, we might have A conservative government coming up in the region that might dry out our next year's funding....
So...
Please support us. Support me. Give us the ability to continue this work as long as possible. Donate the amount that you'd spend on a single meal or buy us a cup of coffee. Each contribution matters.