Helping Others

I can't believe it.  I can't believe how horrible some of our systems are.
My daughter has a friend with stage 4 cancer.  I hate referring to someone as her or she, so let’s give her a name.  Let’s call her Bella.  The cancer she has is now in the lung area.  She is currently having radiation therapy.  The bad news is she has cancer.  The good news is she is getting treatment.  But there is a lot more to this story...
As an outsider looking in, I am mortified of the way she has been treated.  I will tell you the story as I know it.
Bella had cancer before and was given treatment.  She then went into remission. 
Bella has three children.  I know that one is three, one is five, and I don't know the age of the third one.  She lives in one room efficiency with her husband and children on the south part of town that her brother pays for.  Of course she is glad to have it, but can you imagine living in an efficiency with children!  I guess it could be worse.  You might ask why her brother is paying for it, well, because her husband gets fired from just about job he has been lucky to get because he either has to take off to take Bella to treatment or she is sick and can’t take care of the kids.  Don’t judge, unless you have been there.
You might ask why she is living in the efficiency, it is because she applied for public housing and was denied.  Are you ready for this?  She didn’t have any rental references.  No references, no housing.  Really, now I know why people lie!
Bella applied for social security disability benefits.  She was denied.  This I honestly don’t understand.  I guess they feel like they can flood the poor person with paperwork and they die before anyone assistance is given or because she is only 34, it can’t be that bad.  That is not a fact that is just my personal feelings.  I tried to call District 10 ProBono Projects, but hey only have live people taking intake information on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursday from 2-5 p.m.  Of course I am not Bella, I don’t have a power of attorney and I don’t know enough personally to get her help. 
Help, right, she needs help.  That was my goal, get someone to help her.  She is too busy fighting for her life and keeping her family together, she can’t fight the system too. 
My next thought was Adult Protection Services.  Well, that won’t work, no one is being abused.
I called a church.  Can you believe they actually asked me what I expected them to do?  “Nothing” I said as I hung up the phone.  Nothing.  What I wanted was for them to treat her and her family like their neighbor.  I wanted someone to go to them with a casserole and let Bella know someone cares.  I wanted them to go ask what she needs, how can they help her in her time of need.  I want them to offer her emotional and spiritual support now.  I want someone to ask if her children need clothing or if Bella needs childcare so she can puke her guts up without her children worrying about her.  But who am I to tell the church what to do. 
It took a little bit of work, but I found out who the social worker is where Bella is receiving treatment.  I know she can’t tell me anything, but there are things I can tell her.  I sent her an email telling her all of the things I knew about Bella and how when someone in authority says no, she takes it as a no and doesn’t fight. 
We are missing something in our community.  We are missing advocates for those who are young and sick.  I know, I know, we have the community kitchen, shelters, and such, but we need someone who can go to the client, not wait in your office for the client to come to you.  Sometimes they are too busy fighting for their life to come and beg you for anything.

Just a Girl and Her Blog!

Just a reminder about my friend, Just a girl and her blog.
She has done the work for us!  In her ebook, she has already done the hard work and tells you how she built her following and made money the first year!

https://transactions.sendowl.com/stores/3481/11897

WOW. February 14, 2015

World of Wheels!  Indiana State Fairgrounds today.  We had a great time.  Now, if you are going, let me fill you in on a few things.  They advertise it is $16 for adults, but you can get them at O'Riley auto parts for $14.  I would get them.


 It's $5 to park and yes, the wind was blowing with some snow, so it wasn't pleasant outside.  The parking assistants weren't very assistive.  We ask about handicap parking and were told we would just have to park with the general public.  Huh? Aren't people with disabilities "General Public"


Anyway we were directed to infield parking.  We had to use steps (I know why the guy in the wheelchair was pissed) to go through the tunnel, and of course another set to get out.  Snow wind or pleasant day, they could have done a little better with their ADA accommodations.


We headed in the building and paid, $16 for adults and $6 for child from age 6 to 12.  Then through the doors and yikes, people everywhere.


This event had excellent attendance!  Cars, trucks, van, anything and everything!  It was so cool!   Corbin had a great time, but so did Bill and I.  Enjoy a couple of picks! If you ever get a chance to attend World of Wheels, go! I am so glad that Riley Children's Hospital was represented!


Remember to visit my friend, Just a Girl and her Blog at https://transactions.sendowl.com/stores/3481/11897

Crazy!!!

Today I was thinking about making a time to write.  Maybe just wanting to schedule some time to write and think.  What am I doing today?  Writing and thinking!
So, what am I thinking about.  Somehow, someway, without going into debt, I can sell my crochet items and actually make some cash.  I know, I know, people don't buy crochet like they used to.  It is quicker and cheaper for machines to do it.  I don't get it.  Handmade is handmade quality, normally.  But, today I am off to find additional information.
I think my first thing to do is to learn how to take the pictures and describe my items.  OK, that's now my plan for today.  Today I will search the web for descriptions of items that I am making, and then create my own descriptions and write them down!  I have a ton of things written down, but nothing together where I can find it.  The other problem is that if I am in the office, my "stuff" isn't, and if I am at home where my "stuff" is, I am not working on it.  What to do?

One thing I do know, I want to read more and more.  I have been reading another blog.  Talk about someone who knows what they are doing, check out Just A Girl and Her Blog!  She can tell you how to get your blog up, running, and cashing in!  Want to know what she is doing?  Follow the link below:

https://transactions.sendowl.com/stores/3481/11897



until later,
Beth