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Sent Via the Internet
Dear Members of CUADPUpdate and FADPUpdate, (all 3,000+ of you!)
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who has responded to my plea for assistance (see copy below for those who did not see it).
More touching than the money were the words of encouragement and appreciation. There are days when this work seems very lonely, and at
those times I shall be looking through the messages I have stashed in a
file called "Tooth Fairies."
The outpouring of support has been tremendous and touching. I really am
blessed, because I sent my message at about 11:30 am Thursday and within
ten minutes the phone was ringing steadily. As of about 11am, Friday, I
had received gifts totalling more than $2,000 - which is more than adequate
for immediate needs. Then someone called and offered to take care of the
whole thing using "barter dollars." All I had to do was find an endodontist
who would take them. By Friday at 3pm, I had an appointment. I go "under
the knife" today at 11am.
All of this is to say that I feel I should offer to refund any money
sent on the basis of my (then-but-no-longer) emergency situation. I've tried
to be sure that I have written first to all those who told me they were
sending something, but I'm sure I missed a few. And then there are those
who just sent a check without telling me. I know that times are tight
for most of us, so I'd be more than happy return or destroy your check when
it arrives. Just let me know. Either way, I appreciate tremendously your
offer of help in my time of need. Whether it was money, advice, private
prayers, or simply encouragement, You are a hero to me. Thank you.
Of course, funds *always* seem short around here, both for program and
personal needs. CUADP is the primary national organizing entity for the
next two anticipated major abolitionist events: "Circus McVeigh" and
"Starvin' for Justice," the Abolitionist Action Committee's Eighth
Annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty at the US Supreme Court - this
year marking the 25th anniversary of the Gregg V. Georgia decision. For
details on these events, visit <http://www.cuadp.org/> and click on the
appropriate icon.
If you sent a check already, I thank you, and I hope you will consider
donating the money anyway, either for program or for a future medical
needs fund that I am setting up.
If you were unable to help or did not get the message, please consider
making a contribution at this time. You can designate funds for "future
medical needs," or for either of the above events - just indicate same
in the memo line, and be sure to tell me if you DO NOT wish to be acknowledged
publicly on the sponsor lists if you designate your gift to a specific
event. Be it $5, $5,000 or more, or less, or in between, every bit makes a
difference. ;-)
Please make and send checks to:
CUADP
PMB 335
2603 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy
Gainesville, FL 32609
You can also call 800-973-6548 or mail the card number and expiration
date
for Visa, MasterCard, Amex, or Discover.
Together, we are making the difference.
paz!
--abe
PS - See below for "the small print" as required by law....
Paz is Spanish for Peace.
May no harm come to you.
May you be free of fear.
May you be free from danger
May you be free of pain and suffering.
May you be healed.
May you have mental happiness
May you have physical happiness
May you be well, happy, and peaceful.
May your home be a refuge, a place of peace.
May your mind be a refuge, a place of peace.
******
Original letter as sent last Thursday.
Hello friends,
Most of you don't know me personally, but this message is about ME, personally. I have never sent a message like this before, and I
don't like doing it, but, I've never needed a root canal before, either.
Backing up: In 1994, when I went to work for the family of Cesar
E. Chavez at the headquarters of the United Farm Workers in Keene, California, I learned what I call the "Farmworker model" of running an
organization. Provide for people their needs and the tools to do their
job, and that frees them to volunteer full time. The Chavez Foundation
gave me a place to sleep, all I could eat, the tools to do any job required, and they made payments on my bills. I was free to work for
them without worrying about personal needs. I learned a lot about making
things happen with little or no resources. I learned how to let others buy
meals, and how, when you have a cause people believe in, those who can't work
on it full time will often help those can and do work full time.
It worked well for a young, healthy volunteer, so when I left the
farm workers to start CUADP, I used the farm worker model. I have not
had a paycheck since December of 1996. I also don't have any type of health
insurance. CUADP, with the generous assistance of about 100 regular donors, buys food, helps pay the bills at the home of my very generous
and loving Partner, Carolyn, and most important, allows me the freedom to
help keep us on the road to abolition.
I must admit, however, that there are times when the farmworker
model doesn't work. When people got sick, they went to the local clinic. I've done that a few times, and today, I am in the process of
calling every clinic and dental school in the south Florida area - as
far away as 100 miles. But it looks like I've either got to pull my tooth
($150), or come up with about $800 for a root canal, and another $800
for a crown.
If you have read this far, I thank you. If you can help me with a
contribution or a loan to CUADP via the promise of an immediate check or
a credit card number over the phone, I will be in your debt. And I'll be
able to get back to the work at hand. I have two appointments set up -
one for today at 4pm, and one for tomorrow at 4pm. I hope to be able to keep
one of them. I ask for your help.
Yours in the Struggle,
--abe
PS - if you know a dentist in Palm Beach County that might cut me a break
or allow payments, that would be a big help too.....
"People don't seem to realize that the magnitude of heroism is the difference between what you have and
what someone is willing to give you in a time of need. The actual per unit value of the commodity is
unimportant. That's why people sometimes don't fully accept that their personal contribution may have been
unusually important to others."
--Jerry Olivieri
(the small print)
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CUADP ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL
INFORMATION MAY [SOON] BE OBTAINED FROM THE [FL] DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE
800-435-7352 (FL only) OR 850-413-0840. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR
RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
Click Here to
make a contribution to CUADP
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