#wv charities

[princip1914]

Hello! I hope you are well.

I was wondering- If I were to get your fic The False and the Fair printed and bound, how much would be an acceptable donation to you so I can I can compensate you since it is your story?

I understand if that’s not something you’d prefer be done with one of your stories, but I just wanted to ask as it’s a story I think about nearly every day, and I’d love a physical copy to sit and read. And you definitely deserve to be paid for your work.

Hi! I think I missed this ask when it was first sent--apologies to you anon!

It's so kind that you want to print and bind my fic and I'm honored that it means so much to you.

Unfortunately the logistics of binding a fic can be a bit complicated. Many commercial websites which offer typesetting and binding services have fine print in their contracts which essentially gives them the copyright to the work (I know it is often more of a gray area than this legally, but I have friends who have been burned by this in the past). Because it's important to me to retain the copyright for the work, I would prefer that readers do not use commercial typesetting/printing/binding services for any of my fics, but this fic in particular.

Luckily, there are other ways to get a physical copy made! When I finished writing the fic, I had it printed and bound at kinkos (a copy/print chain in the US), which does not make any layout changes or keep the files. This can be done with files of the fic downloaded off of AO3. I also have several wonderful friends who made a PDF version of the fic for me with a cover and in a layout optimized for printing. Please DM me if you would like a copy of this version.

Finally, @nieded has her own binding set up at home and I know that she has bound a version of the fic. Perhaps you could get in touch with her to see if she would make an extra for you?

In terms of financial compensation--I write fanfiction for fun and have absolutely no need or desire to be paid for it. If you do have extra funds to spare, I would recommend donating the amount you would have paid for the fic to a community organization that's in keeping with the themes of the fic. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

WV Rivers (water quality focused environmental action group in West Virginia)

West Virginia Climate Alliance (collective of many environmental advocacy groups in the state, advocates for employment opportunities for current/former coal employees as well as for environmental protections)

Appalachian Queer Youth Summit (yearly free summer leadership opportunity run by the ACLU)

Community Education Group (one of the very few Appalachian specific HIV/AIDS action groups, and an organization I don't know much about but which seems to be doing good work)

Womens Health WV (used to be the only abortion provider in the state prior to total abortion ban going into effect, provides STI diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in addition to reproductive health services)

[deposedefenddeny]

Thinking of sending something to Luigi Mangione in prison? Read this first.

As a way of showing support for Luigi Mangione, much chatter has been going on about contacting or providing for him materially while he is in prison. However, one should be realistic about whether things you could send Mangione would be able to benefit from it, respond to it, or even receive it.

To be explicit: in the federal facility where Mangione is being held, in sending letters, those incarcerated are nominally limited to purchasing at most 40 domestic stamps a week; in receiving books and publications, they are limited to keeping only what can fit in the storage areas of their cells; and in receiving commissary money, they can spend only $360 of it per month.

Therefore, below is a curated list of charitable alternatives towards incarcerated people for what people are sending to Mangione, along with a Charity Navigator rating when applicable. Unless otherwise stated, all programs are limited to the United States of America.

Letters

Letters for Liberation: A prison penpaling collective that runs a public penpal program.

Prison Correspondence Project: A volunteer collective supporting LGBTQ incarcerated people in the USA and Canada, which runs a penpal program; also accepts funds to aid in sending resources and newsletters inside.

Black and Pink (rating): An organization supporting LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS positive incarcerated people, which runs a penpal program; also accepts funds for its various support programs.

Books

Books to Prisoners (rating): Distributes books nationwide; accepts funds, or used books.

LGBT Books to Prisoners (not rated): Distributes books to LGBTQ people nationwide; accepts funds, used books, or online purchases of books through wishlists.

Prison Book Program (rating): Distributes books nationwide; accepts funds, used books, or online purchases of books through wishlists.

Sex Worker Outreach Program Behind Bars: Directory of Amazon wishlists for incarcerated sex workers, trafficking victims, and survivors to purchase books directly for a person.

Women's Prison Book Program (not rated): Distributes books to cisgender and transgender women nationwide; accepts funds, used books, or online purchases of books through wishlists.

Also: check this directory of prison book programs in CA/GB/USA curated by the Prison Book Program to support a local organization more specific to a region (such as the Appalachian Book Project, serving KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WV).

Commissary funds

The Commissary Fund (no rating): Sends commissary funds to incarcerated people in New York state.

Last Prisoner Project (rating): Among their other programs, sends commissary funds to people incarcerated for cannabis offenses.

Mission [Green] (no rating): Sends commissary funds to people incarcerated for cannabis offenses, in addition to legal advocacy.

Other forms of support

Innocence Project (rating): Criminal justice reform organization working against wrongful convictions.

The Marshall Project (rating): A nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization about the criminal justice system.

National Bail Fund Network (rating): A directory of community-led bail and bond funds throughout the nation, with the option to give to all as a collective through the directory, or pick out a specific local organization to give to.

Prison Math Project (not rated): Connects incarcerated people with mathematicians to support their interest in mathematics by correspondence.

[haasmaxxing]

Watch the whole Candlenights show here! All money goes to a charity called Harmony House which helps out homeless people in the McElroy's home town, Huntington WV!

[thebikerbookforcharity]

❤️❤️❤️

#hinton #westvirginia

Good morning, who is ready for Saturday and this Dice Run to support an awesome organization that in returns does so much with our Veterans! This fundraiser is to support Warriors in the Field, Ltd, so they can keep doing great things to support Veterans. We will be giving out giveaways again this year, silent auction items, 50/50 drawing, Tshirts for sale, pork plates and sides for sale, and giving away the 2007 Harley Davidson Sportster, which we still have a few tickets remaining.

The weather is looking better everyday, so come out, spend the day with us. I have spoke with Cantrell’s River City Grill and they will have the breakfast buffet set up for us, if anyone wants to eat. If you are planning on coming this year, click the link below and hit going so we can get a head count for the food, so we can make sure we have enough for everyone. Hope to see yall Saturday. Remember this ride is for motorcycles or any street legal vehicle, or you can come to the end of the Run, view the bikes, enjoy the live music and eat with us at John Henry Park in Talcott WV.

https://facebook.com/events/s/2nd-annual-warriors-in-the-fie/323639443895949/

#motorcycle #charity #charityevent #veterans

[gaptv]

WVS Promo from Greg Atkins Productions on Vimeo.

A promotional film for The World Wide Veterinary Service, a charity delivery help in the places in the world were there is none.

[dualcon]

Our Charity Fundraising Results

I wanted to share us handing over the funds we raised at the convention to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) WV Chapter. We were able to raise $1,056 between our charity auction and raffle. I wanted to thank everyone who helped out. I want to thank all the celebrities who donated along with Pithy Production, the Board Room, Kanawha Valley Astronomical Society, and anyone I…

[chronomally]

Justin and Sydnee McElroy seem like they have decided they are personally responsible for the health, safety, and comfort of the entire state of West Virginia and every so often they use Twitter account to remind everyone of this

[rhett-miller]

BASICS

FULL NAME: Rhett Thomas Miller NICKNAME(S): none BIRTHDAY: July 18th, 1961 AGE: 35

HOMETOWN: Prosper, WV BIRTHPLACE: Prosper, WV RELIGION: Questioning Protestant 

FAMILY

MOTHER: Helga Miller (Anderson)  FATHER: Thomas Miller AUNT(S): Margaret, Ruth UNCLE(S): Ned, George, Mark SIBLING(S): Nancy (38), Andrea (32), Francis (29) SPOUSE: Leslie Berg (m.1985 -1995) CHILDREN: Daisy (8), Colt (5) PET(S): Peaches a white and orange cat and Goldfish (Gold for short) a ginger cat.

APPEARANCE: 

Brown hair, hazel eyes, 6’1”, average build. Rhett looks like your average thirties aged dad. He keeps his hair about two to four inches on top and shorter at the sides. Always styled, unless he’s having a bad day or is wearing a baseball cap while he coaches. His most distinguishing feature is his big, charming smile that he always tries to wear on his face and his arched brows.

STYLE: 

80s/90s Dad see: https://www.pinterest.com/kitmeowza/ch-rhett-miller/style/

Always has on bracelets made by his daughter and the kids he coaches or counsels. Also his watch. When he’s coaching he always has a stopwatch and a whistle around his neck and aviator sunglasses to shield the sun. He also keeps a swiss army knife in his pocket at all times, just in case.

FAMILY: 

Rhett loves his family. Until his parents retired to Florida, he would often visit with them and stop by their house to help out with various odds and ends. Now he visits them at least once a year, and they come back to Prosper for holidays with his grandma and him and the kids if he has them that holiday. They call each other once or twice a week and catch up. His grandmother Mabel still lives in Prosper, his father’s mother. She attends church every Sunday, and he escorts her ever since his grandfather Wyatt passed a year ago. Once a week she cooks for him and they share a meal, where he usually listens to her gossip (and often judge) everyone in town. Rhett chimes in to try and sway her otherwise, but she is who she is and he loves her all the same. Besides, she instilled the fear of God in him many years ago and he’s terrified to stand up to her. 

He has three siblings, all of which he talks to often. Nancy lives one county over and Andrea moved to Boston for college. They’re both married with kids and he loves being the fun uncle whenever he visits or they come to town. Francis still lives in town and they meet up whenever she decides she wants to talk to her goofy older brother. He’s very protective over all of them. 

Rhett was married to his now ex-wife Leslie for ten years. They were high school sweethearts and separated for a short time when they went to college. He loved her with every ounce of his being, but she wasn’t in the same mind set. After two kids, and nine years, Leslie started having an affair with a man two hours away from Prosper. In 1995, they divorced and she moved there to be with him. It enraged Rhett to think about it but there wasn’t much he could do about it at the end of the day. He could have fought her for full custody, but regardless of what she did to him she was an excellent mother. They split custody as evenly as possible. Daisy and Colt would come stay with him on school breaks, rotating holidays, and all summer. It was tough, but they made it work. He misses her sometimes.

Being a dad is one of his favorite titles. He loves Daisy and Colt more than anything else in the world. Watching them grow and ask questions and learn about life. Every single second he gets with them is precious and he’d do anything to make them smile. Rhett always hopes he’s doing right by them. He worries sometimes, especially being separated from their mother. But, he will keep trying to do his best and raise them to the best of his ability. 

FRIENDS:

Rhett has a few friends and a lot of acquaintances. Most people in town know who he is, whether from coaching or fundraising for various activities and charities, or counseling, etc. He tries to remember everyone’s first name and say hello to them whenever they cross paths. There’s a few guys he bowls with once a week and sometimes has a few beers and plays darts. Most of them he’s known his whole life, some just moved to town. Some of them hang out just because there’s no one else to hang out with but he does have a few close friends and he cherishes them. 

LIVING SITUATION: 

After he got divorced, they were forced to sell their house and split the money since neither of them had enough to buy the other out. Rhett moved in with his parents for a year until they decided to move to Florida and signed their Prosper family home over to him. It is a nice home, but quiet when his children aren’t around. Him and his two cats fill the space when they are away. It’s nice to be in a home filled with love and good memories from his childhood. Someday he hopes he will get to share it with someone else and make it less lonely. 

WORK: 

Being a counselor was something he never thought he’d like, but ended up loving. Though coaching is his first love. He went to college and got a degree in social work and education. Rhett always knew he’d come home to Prosper, however. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Since there were no openings at the school at the time, he took on a position as a counselor at the community center and coached youth athletics at the school and with the parks and recreation department. Most of his earnings go towards bills and raising his children. He occasionally gambles from time to time, usually on sports games. He feels like he’s good at what he does and will continue as long as he’s still helping people. 

SCHOOL: 

He was always the class clown. School was fun and while he wasn’t a straight A student, he did well enough and loved the atmosphere. He played baseball and basketball. Rhett was a part of the popular crowd but he liked to talk to everyone. He definitely participated in a lot of pranks, especially ones that were rivalry related. They were teased a little bit in elementary school, but that faded as he got older and he didn’t like to tease other people. There were likely times when he did, but he felt bad for it later and would apologize if he could. Most times he tried to lift people up and spread confidence and positivity. 

ASPIRATIONS: 

All Rhett wants to do in life is be a good dad, son, friend, help people, and hopefully find love again. If the school counselor position opens up at either of the schools he would love to fill that role or maybe be able to build a new community center and expand the towns he loves so much. He believes he’ll be able to do it eventually, the only big thing in his way is money and maybe some support. Rhett really hopes he can get people to love Lockhorn county as much as he does and put the work into it to make it desirable for more people to come in. 

RIVALRY: 

Prosper has always been home to Rhett and his family. His meemaw would tell stories about the Miller pioneers and how they helped discover all sorts of land in West Virginia. Though he is certain only half of it is true. Rhett loves Prosper and Hazzard, too, but Prosper will always have a special place in his heart. As long as the rivalry is all in good fun, he’s all for it. When one side acts better than the other because of where they’re from, that’s when he has an issue with it. Good people come from everywhere, and so do bad ones. If they want to play pranks on each other, he’s all for it as long as no one gets hurt. 

[zeppelin-and-unicorns]

I'm gonna say something mean... I hate half of the cast of T7S. Obvs D*nny takes the gold, but WV is an asshole creep that groomed girls way younger than him in the industry. LP allegedly used her connections with Scientology to help cover up DM's crimes. AK I think's misguided more than anything, but him defending Ellen Degeneres was a big 'oof'.

The only ones I kinda respect are Mila, Topher and the adults and even then I'm wary. I personally try to stay away of any new content by the others and if they come back for the spinoff I'll probably do the same. Awesome characters, really crappy people.

I feel the same way about everyone but Ashton. I like him, and I've liked him way before I started watching T70S. He spent millions and millions of dollars to create an organization to help victims of sex trafficking, and he's known for doing a lot of charity, I admire that a lot. The whole Ellen thing was bad, but I can understand him a little. I mean, he probably never saw the nasty side of her that other people have seen, and he was just defending a friend. I'm not saying he was right (he wasn't), but I don't think that's something people should cancel him for.

But I'm also very wary about stanning irl people. I like AK, but I'm not a AK stan. He, just like any other famous person, is a person that I do not know in real life, so I don't know what's he really like, and I probably will never know.

I was so disappointed when the news about DM came out that I promised myself I would never create expectations for any other famous person ever again, and I haven't.

I honestly couldn't care less about the cast now, I'm not interested in them, I'm interested on the show and the characters and that's all.

T70S is a big part of my life, the show has helped me through many difficult times, and I refuse to let the actors ruin that for me.

[beerselfie]

#Repost @wild_wonderful_women_of_brews WWWOB: SNOW IS HERE IN WV! Grab your @carhartt hats, warm sweatshirt and a good cold WV beer! ❄️🍻 We can make it through this! 😆☃️🍻 . . First off, I can’t say enough about WestVirginia brewery @highgroundbrewing ! Owned and operated here in WV by military vets! 🇺🇸 Oh plus they are awesome guys! Quick story, I was helping out at a local Winter beer festival and a bunch of the breweries were having trouble where so cold with their kegs. High Ground were helping a bunch of other breweries and distributors with their kegs. They didn’t have to but they did. We see you. 💙💛 Plus they make amazing brews like this one called To Be Fair! Immediately I could taste the blueberries and maple syrup. So smooth at 7.7%ABV!! It’s a tart milkshake IPA using WV local ingredients. And so good!! Plus cool can art from @pikuledpeopleart Adam Mathews. 🍺🎨 🙌🏻 . . And one reason I’m featuring a local WV brewery is because my fabulous beerfriend @txbrewhopper has these cool sweatshirts (almost gone) and other cool merch (link in his bio) and he is the best dude in supporting his local Texas area breweries and festivals. @txbrewhopper also helps raise money for so many charities and people with needs and puts in so much time and effort. Go check out his retro comic book 😉 along with so many killer beer items! 🍻 . . Cheers to Supporting Local! Stay Wild, Wonderful! 💙⛰🍻 Who’s a local beer business/brewery you love supporting?!! . . #beerbabesfamily #beerbabes #supportlocal #wvbrews #craftbeerbabes #girlswhodrinkbeer #wwwob #wwwob1863 #wwwomenofbrews #womenofbrews #daytripping #craftbeerlover #craftbeercommunity #craftbeerlife #craftbeerdrinker #craftbeerinstagram #craftbeerinsta #beerinstagram #beerpics #wvbrewery #staywildwonderful #craftbeerpics #womenandbeer #iheartbeer #lovelife #drinkgoodbeer #ladiesofcraftbeer #lifeisshortdrinkcraftbeer #highgroundbrewing #wvbrewery #beerinstagram #craftbeerlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CYeXbOOlk6o/?utm_medium=tumblr

[visionsofus]

The character head cannon thing- Wanda + 2, 12, 13, 14 and 20 please 😁

ah thank you for satiating my headcanon brain anon 🥰

2. their emotional / moral weak spots 

Hmm I think post-WV Wanda has addressed some of those emotional weak spots and come a long way (particularly in terms of her acceptance of her powers both the good and the bad). but I don’t think that we’ll ever get to a point where Vision isn’t a weak spot for her - we didn’t get to see her fight WhiteVision but can you imagine what that would be like for her? I definitely think he’s still a massive weak spot for her and it will be interesting to see if he gets used against her if that pops up in MoM. 

in terms of moral weak spots I just know its kids - especially after having and losing her own children. given what she went through as a child I just feel like this would be a very touchy topic for her - I stand by my previous Headcanon that Wanda helped with Nat’s charity after her passing.

12. grudges and vendettas 

Ok look we all know the main one against Stark and the US generally, then there’s what I would call a vendetta against Proxima in IW, Thanos in Endgame - we know Wanda can hold grudges and act on them that's for sure. I think that’s what makes her ‘walking away’ in WandaVision so good, it’s such a key development point in her character. So yes I think she would have held a grudge against Hayward (how could you not?) but I don’t think she would have acted on it (despite everything the bastard did) - after all we see her walk away right? It’s only when he prods her with a stick yet again that she reacts. 

13. what gets them flustered?

Vision - literally anything Vision does - but especially when he’s being capable.  she obviously finds it endearing when he’s goofing around (like ep 2 with the tree branch on the window 🥺). but oh boy does she get flustered when Vision is in the zone and doing what he does best. I can totally see Wanda struggling to meet his eyes in mission planning sessions early on, simply because she finds it so attractive when his confidence comes through like that. Wanda pausing mid-mission to just admire Vision as he works and Nat runs past yelling ‘you’re so smitten!’. I definitely think he would serve as a major distraction for her at the most inconvenient times ( so much so that maybe Cap hesitates before pairing them up because yes they always work so well together but at the same time they are at risk of just making out and getting distracted) 

14. ingrained habits/ force of habit 

ooh this one hurts - but a major force of habit for Wanda is totally reaching out mentally for Vision. We know she feels when he’s there (and when he’s gone) so I just think after living together for so long it would become instinctual to recognise Vision above everyone else. Wanda being brought back in the blip and instinctually reaching out for Vis in Wakanda and coming up empty, searching the battlefield for him once she’s brought through the portal, post-WV waking up in the cottage for weeks after the events in Westview and reaching for him again and again.  

20. what ifs/alternate timelines 

ah the perfect alternate timeline where Wanda and Vision get to live out their suburban lives in Westview. They have the kids in their own time and yes the threats keep coming after them but they always face them together, as a family. imagine a ‘the incredibles’ type deal where sometimes they get called in to help with avengers missions but otherwise they just enjoy living. 

questions from this list 

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

MM double-dipping by asking for freebies and pocketing the clothing allowance from Charles plus conveniently leaving all her clothing in storage in Canada really makes you wonder how long she has been thinking about this. This double-dipping doesn’t just happen, she must have planned it. Did she come up with it? Did Jess suggest this? This isn’t a “hollywood maneuver” since actresses ask for freebies because they don’t have a royal purse to pay for their clothes!

I imagine people do it in Hollywood. They get a clothing allowance then ask for freebies and pocket the allowance.

But I do wonder how long she planned it and how she planned it. There’s a weird mix of careful strategy (the pre-written essays, the Reitman’s launch, the WV set-up) and total disregard (no clothes, randomly calling up people and asking for freebies, no coherent charity plan, haphazard Michelle Obama interview, no grooming or ironing). 

My working theory is that the stuff that worked well was stuff that was planned by other people (Amy did the cookbook, Nina did the essay and WV stuff, Keighley did the romance pr) and the mess is all Meghan.

[faemytho]

Oooh uh maybe warrior dream? Or felle-dreamswap with anyone of your choosing

OH!!! i’ll do warrior dream bc someone sent in an fds ask just after this one uwu

Rior - Dream Alt. // Warriorverse

B A S I C S

full name: Rior (Dream Sans)

gender: Agender

sexuality: Demi-Greyromantic

pronouns: he/him, they/them (note: prefers they/them but won’t correct you if you use he/him. kinda flips between the two)

O T H E R S

family: has none. the closest thing he ever had was arir, and that

birthplace: if it can be counted as a “birth” in the first place, dreamtale

job: does hiding and hoping for the best count?

phobias: loud noises, being loud, arir,

guilty pleasures: ,,, chocolate. and also not dying

M O R A L S

morality alignment: lawful good

sins: pride, envy, wrath

virtues: chastity, charity, diligence, kindness, justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert: introvert at heart. absolutely hates interacting with people tbh

organized/disorganized: organized as Fuck

close minded/open-minded: close-minded, but that’s only due to ✨trauma✨

calm/anxious: anxious as fuck, puts on a calm face

disagreeable/agreeable: agreeable, but only to get you to shut up and get out of his face

cautious/reckless: extremely cautious

patient/impatient: very impatient, tries not to be

outspoken/reserved: reserved as fuck.

leader/follower: follower masquerading as a leader. they just really need some therapy, honestly,,

empathetic/unemphatic: unemphatic, absolutely hates being a walking empath

optimistic/pessimistic: pessimistic as fuck. if it can go wrong, it will go wrong

traditional/modern: traditional. definitely is not modern at all

hard-working/lazy: hard-working

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: you know what? probably rior/wv cross, bc its an interesting dynamic

ot3: rior/wv ink/wv blue. i swear ill give them names someday

brotp: rior/wv blue, actually. they’re cute, and blue Understands

notp: rior/arir, just bc its Fucked UP, but ill still make content for it lmao

[lawfulgoodness]

Today’s the day for the annual Tumblr RPG community unveiling, and I get to announce that @theadventuregay was the name I pulled.

She is a ‘bino (aka, a fan of the McElroys & TAZ), as well as a fan of Critical Role.  Of course, because things have been really overwhelming the past few months, I’m chronically behind & her actual gift is still in the mail.  However, I thought perhaps as a sign of good faith I’d go ahead and make a donation in her honor to MBMBaM Angels, a charity she made me aware of.  It’s an effort by the McElroy Brothers, (Of “The Adventure Zone,” “My Brother, My Brother, and ME,” and other efforts).  MBMBaM Angels seeks to provide Christmas cheer & provisions to the less fortunate in the community of Huntington, WV, where the McElroys hail from.  If you’re interested in participating, you should check out the site.

Sorry your gift isn’t ready, @theadventuregay, but I’ll get it to you as soon as I can!  Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

[cynicalsonya]

Salvation Army Angel Tree, participating as a needy family, part 1

Sometimes I'll go looking for a post about a topic and find nothing useful. This is why I started the autistic adult Disney guide. This time, I tried to find posts about what it's like being on the receiving end of Christmas charity and having a kid on the angel tree. I only found posts about people donating or choosing to purchase things for a kid on the tree. I'm so happy that so many people are kind and giving. I was just also interested to learn more about what happens when you're the family that signs up.

I've been open that my family is having financial problems. I have a job ($13/hr), but my husband hasn't been able to find a job in almost 2 years. We live in a relatively small town in WV and the opportunities are limited. I have 3 bio kids and a fourth kiddo who lives with us due to difficulties at her bio home. I've known her since she was a little girl, and always adored her. I'm glad she lives with us and she's a wonderful kid.

It is currently hard for us to manage bills and finances. We ask friends and relatives for help and I think we're wearing thin our welcome mat in that department.

Knowing Christmas would be difficult, I started looking for help. There are a lot of great programs in my area because, to be honest, even living at or just below the poverty line is statistically middle class here.

We ended up choosing the Salvation army angel tree program for our 9 yr old. We chose it because it also enables us to pay it forward when we're better off. I told my kid that this year we needed help, and it's ok to ask for help when you need it. Hopefully next year things will be better and then we can help another family and child who needs help. I also told her that when things are better that she can be the one to choose the kid on the tree and help pick out their gifts. She's super excited about both getting toys this year and about being able to help another kid next year.

Our Salvation Army is next to their thrift store. They offer help if your utilities are about to be turned off. They offer food if you need it. They have people there volunteering to help you with all sorts of problems.

They gave my kid an apple when she went in. She loves apples, and they're a rare treat for her, so this was a huge highlight for her.

In order to participate, you have to show proof of need, but this can vary by facility. We just showed our Medicaid card, and our daughter's birth certificate and that was good enough. We had brought paystubs and more in case they needed them.

The lady who took down my kid's info was very nice. My kid provided a few interests (FNAF, plushies...) and her sizes. The lady wrote it down and then gave us a pickup time and place.

There was no shaming or judgement, just kindness. My kid felt welcomed. My kid is excited about Christmas, and I am so much less worried about how we are going to manage.

I will add more after my angel tree pick-up in early December, sharing that experience as well. I'm assuming other people are also curious about the other side of the angel program. I will also update with my kiddo's reaction to their gifts at Christmas. Perhaps even people who donate to this program are interested in knowing more about what it's like for us on the tree.

[dualcon]

Charity Raffle

In addition to the Charity Auction we are going to have a Charity Raffle for some items as well. This is a way to raise some more money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention WV Chapter. We will have autographed pictures from Luci Cristian, Austin Tindle, Tia Ballard, Marty Grabstein, plus some overnight hotel and restaurant gift certificates. Plus we have games and graphic novels…