Etsy Recyclers Guild Attempts to Raise $5000 for Fire Victim They Don't Know Calling Out to Ty Pennington

This is was Ron's House. 

THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANY OF US.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I'm pleased as your Team Captain to announce a huge Fundraising challenge. I am asking for help spreading the word to our readers, followers, team members , people on other Etsy teams, your twitter friends, your blog friends, and people at your church or youth groups, so that if everyone donates as little as $1, we can raise $5000 to  help someone in dire need.  As you may or may not already know, I personally work with many charities and often times I don't get to know the actual person I'm helping. In this case, I selected this cause we will be helping just one person and that's something we can feel good about.  I honestly think this is a cause for Extreme Makeover Home Edition but we have to start somewhere.

RON FEEDING HIS HORSES
This cause is RON.  I am asking each of you to help spread the word.  I've never met him. I live in Baltimore, Ron is on a farm near Ames, Iowa. I heard about him through Etsy seller, Marie, WearTheHeartIs who shared the initial story her blog.

Who is Ron?
This story breaks my heart and I know we can help!  The key thing to remember is, Ron could be your neighbor or mine.  This could happen to any of us. Ron had a beautiful home on an Iowa Farm.  His address is in Ames, Iowa, but he's inside the town of Story, Iowa. Ron worked hard and loved animals, often taking in strays (cats, he loves them, and can never refuse a cat.)  He had a love for horses, he has 4 horses, who are ages 14, 25, 26 and 27 are alive and fine and getting fed everyday even though Ron is not.  He was a kind man, and always generous. When the recession hit, Ron was not spared.  Ron felt the economic fallout when he had lost his job at 3M.  After that he served on the Census board, and tried desperately to make ends meet. Soon Ron found himself juggling which bills to pay, as well all know, times are tough and we are often forced with these type of decisions. Ron let his home insurance lapse.

August 23, 2010 a fire swept through Ron's house, all but destroying it.  Here is a video that was taken of what is left of Ron's home by Marie.  I must warn you it is sad to see this once prestigious home in shambles.  No insurance means this is the way the home stays.












If you can't watch this video, go direct to Flickr and watch it here.
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Ron has been making due, but never able to regroup after such a devastation. He has been trying to fix up the small, cabin-like offshoot to the north of the house. The truth is, it is riddled with raccoons, and Ron is the type of man who doesn't want to ask or bother anyone for help.  It doesn't have electricity or running water.  It is unfit, but we can help make it fit. Ron made it through the winter huddled inside the small building.  Over the winter, he took in two stray cats.  That's just Ron.  He has a heart of gold.  You can see by this photo, taken from the video, that Ron's cat "Hillbilly" is eating, but Ron's shoes are busting out the sides.

He's been taking showers at a local health club and getting evening meals at friends or relative's houses. He has a tracphone only with limited minutes, often running out of them. He went from living in a beautiful home, trying to make ends meet, to having absolutely nothing. Marie from WeartheHeartIs has been bringing him food and even cat food and selling some items she finds on his farm on Etsy to help Ron receive some sort of income.  She spends one day a week rummaging around through any of the half dozen, dilapidated buildings he has on his farm, looking for things to sell, and that helps somewhat....sadly, not enough to even begin picking up the pieces that once was known as his life.  Nothing is salvageable from the large home, nothing.   Ron is just happy to be alive and like I said, hasn't asked anyone for help.

When I heard this story I knew I had to do something.  There comes a time when I have to look at our team and know that in numbers, we can make a difference.  This story touched me and I know I was meant to do something. 

This could happen to any of us overnight. I realize that everyone is feeling this economy, but I'm asking everyone to open their hearts and help spread the word. If you can't donate $1, that's fine, you can help by spreading the word. 

Here is how we can help Ron.   

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

1) SPREAD THE WORD, it doesn't cost you a thing but a few moments of your time:

Tweet, Facebook, Blog, Digg, and talk about this story and this post to anyone that will listen. If have an Etsy shop post this story in your announcement, and in your automatic Message to buyers, send them the link and ask them to spread the word.

We need to get this guy to Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I'm printing out this application and blog post and sending it to them.  You can do the same here's the link. If we continue to put the word out, people will donate, help, and eventually someone who has real means to help Ron will come forward.   I am calling out to Ty Pennington and I encourage you to post THIS STORY to Extreme Makeover facebook page, post it to your local news, your church, or anywhere anyone will listen.


Send this story to o Friskies or 9 Lives and ask them to send cat food, to Ron. Send your friends or family back to this link, so they read about Ron and send just a $1 or more to help Ron.  If you send to twenty people, and they send to twenty people, and everyone sends $1, Ron can some temporary help he needs to possibly make his outbuilding more liveable until someone comes in and fixes this home!

If you know of any huge construction companies that build residential homes, send it to them. Ask them to rebuild Ron's house. You would not believe how charitable people can be.  The key here is we are doing this for someone we've never met, and do not know. A stranger to us.  Has a stranger ever helped you?

2) DO MORE AND DONATE, if you have the funds to do so here are a few ways:


Mail a small donation as little as $1 bill to Ron.  ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!

Ronald Craig

55089 282nd Street

Ames, Iowa 50010

TRAC PHONE: HAS VERY LITTLE MINUTES

515-708-5639

You can donate via this paypal button and I will send the Donations to Ron as they come in, and I'll add you to the spreadsheet. (WARNING: This won't be tax deductible because I'm not a 501C! and Paypal does take fees unless you send me money as A GIFT to IraMency@verizon.net

:( I tried to use a site like Kickstarter but they said NO CHARITY CASES!)
You can donate below but know they will take fees!

Send some cat food or clothing or figure out how to refill the TracPhone!  ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!


Sell an item in your shop, and send the proceeds to Ron!  When you do, ADD IT HERE TO THE FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET!


Or you can purchase some of the items that are listed from WearTheHeartIs wherein you obtain a cool item from Ron's estate of which net proceeds after packing and fees go to Ron. These items are tagged "SUPPORTS RON" and click here to see them and Marie is constantly finding new things to sell from Ron's estate. 

It's stories like this where I know, if enough people reach out, we can make a difference. 
I beg of you, to spread the word and help this man.  I believe that if we do, someday someone will help us when we need it.  Such is life, and random acts of kindness.  Every tweet, every facebook post, will help this man.   It is now I will stop blogging for awhile and start helping Ron.



Copy and save and post this banner to your shop. Do what you can for Ron~!

We are banding together to help someone we've never met because random acts of kindness is what we are all about.

Thank you,

Cindy Fahnestock-Schafer
aka Ira Mency
http://www.IraMency.com

Update: STORY ON YAHOO HERE 

410-908-9241

Art for Charity : Whatever the Cause , Good Kharma Thought for Today

A small sculpture with a big cause, for charity's sake.

I'm still working on this blog, it's an ongoing process and one that will take some time so I thank you in advance for your patience. In light of giving the customers what they want, MANY INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES, I thought I'd throw this one in the fry pan--just my thought of the day.

Today I'd like to discuss Art and Causes or Charity and the link between them. Let's face it, we aren't the next Warhol or Picasso and our art isn't selling for $30 Million a painting is it?   Not really.  Heck, if mine were, I would probably only keep one of my paintings a year and donate the rest to charity, because there's no way I could actually spend all that money!

Most of us like to think we are the next Warhol, especially when covered in paint, glue, and ick while creating in our studio. Mine in fact has now over crowded my office space and is quite a mess. In order to do the paperwork I must move my half completed art projects.

Works in progress and I must admit I'm getting used to working in chaos.

I like to keep my husband and visitors wondering just what I'm up to with my half-finished sculptures and parts of found objects scattered all over. One may never really understand just what goes through my head, or what I see in a pile of junk - but that's the artist's mind for you.

Now for those of you crafters who are very neat and not messy, I want to say I envy you very much because you seem to have a nice neat desk, workspace, and uncluttered studio and I so wish I could get to that point. I really want to know if that's what your studio really looks like, or if you just straighten it up for said interviews? (I like to think I'm on my way to clutter free desk space, but in the meantime I choose to function well in chaos!)

So I spend more time donating my art to charities than I do selling it. Why is this you might ask? Because I can, and because it makes a difference.

From the American Saddlebred Youth Association to the Bassett Hound Rescue, from Damien Echols sitting on Death Row in the West Memphis Three case to raising money for a lady who left her abusive husband with two kids at 46 with only the clothes on her back, I'm always game for a good cause and I've raised thousands of dollars thus far for charities--and proud of that.  I will say I learned my lesson in making sure it was a reputable situation as there are always one sour grape in the bunch. 

For this is what it's all about - my art making a statement and making a difference. That was my personal goal as an artist, to have my art BENEFIT others. Not to mention, raising awareness and raising money for various charities makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Art can raise awareness, or help put the word out in something you believe in.

Your time, supplies and efforts are rewarded when you know that you have done what you can do to help others. There's something to be said for kharma, and I can honestly say I believe in it. Not to mention there are other benefits as well- a lot of non-profit organizations will offer you a tax deductible donation form so you can write it off. Others will also link your name to their sites, or hand out some promotional materials for you which means more exposure for you in the long run.

So if you are worried that your items aren't flying out of your Etsy shop, or you aren't making a million off your art, maybe you are approaching the goal the wrong way. Isn't it really about being a respected artist or crafter? Get your name out there and do something GOOD, then sooner or later this goodness will come back around at you. Need ideas? Why not visit our friends at the EGG TEAM (etsy Goodie Goodies) as they are always up to something.

Visit our friends at the Etsy Goodie Goodies team, on Etsy go to their shop page HERE.

Maybe you have or know a local charity or religious organization that needs your help. Maybe it's dogs, cats, people, or a disease you wish to donate to. What about the local school?  Art is therapy and healing. Maybe something negative in your life can be turned to a positive in your life. For instance, if someone was hurt by a drunk driver, or someone you know suffered abuse you can seek out organizations that are non profit such as MADD or an Abuse Shelters in your area or anywhere for that matter and offer to donate art for their next fundraiser.  Have someone near and dear to you with alcohol problems or drugs? Find an organization that helps these type causes.  What about someone in your family who has suffered an illness, perhaps specific like crohn's disease? MOST specific illnesses have charities and you can find something at the local level and get on board.

Whatever you do, always remember that your art can move mountains.  Little by little, piece by piece, you can make a difference.  Like I told Damien Echols' wife Lorri that I didn't care if anyone actually BOUGHT the sculptures I was selling for them, (Ironically I sold my first piece directly here in Baltimore the next day for $306 not too shabby!)  but more so it was the point of people knowing about the cause I was supporting- for just creating awareness and getting the word out there is also making an impact. 

"Fate" is  a tribute to Damien Echols who sits on Death Row, sadly the dinosaur doens't have a way out of this sculpture--

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There are causes and things that happen in all of our towns that others never hear about, much less know about, so this is your opportunity to make a stand and tell them.   I remember reading something on Jo's page at 42Things shop on Etsy how she was helping raise money for kids who lost their mom.  There are so many people who needhelp, and if you drive one or two people to learning something new a week, then they drive one or two people, then they drive one or two people, soon you have moved a mountain, and what you may have thought was a tiny thing, has become a huge movement.

Whatever cause you support, do it whole heartedly, and it will come back to you.  Other's don't have to agree with your cause and some such as political or religious views (or in my case a high profiled Death Row Case certainly to kill your career in the minds of some) will surely put you in the hot seat - but no worries, this is what makes our nation so great - Freedom of Speech and Free Thoughts for all.

Here is a site that claims they offer searches for zillions of non profits!   I typed in the word "cats" and got over 1938 entries, surely one I could make some kitty things for!

I'd love for you to comment and post links to your shops or charities you support here under this post, or if you would like to blog about your cause you may convo me and I can add you as a guest blogger.  In the meantime, happy creating!

xoxox
Ira Mency