Dear Members-
In the past, many of you have been generous enough to participate in efforts to help when some of our members have experienced grave difficulty. We are distressed to learn that two other individuals are truly having a rough time. Below you will find a letter composed by Una Persson and myself explaining what is going on and how we may be able to help.
Some of you may know that Cajun Man and DrMatrix have fallen on very hard times over the past two years. For those who are not familiar with their story, here are the general details: DrMatrix was laid off directly after 9/11 - as a direct consequence of 9/11 - and has been without a job since that time. He has since been ceaseless in looking for new work, and has done everything possible to support the two of them, including community service in return for community help. Cajun Man has done what he can to improve their situation, but due to illness has had difficulty finding work that he can do. Although other members of the SDMB Staff have assisted them in such things as living arrangements, and although they have tried extraordinary measures to live as frugally as possible, their savings have gradually been exhausted and they are becoming close to destitute. In short, they need some serious help from the Members of this Community.
There are three ways that we see that Members of the SDMB can try to help these two worthy gentlemen. First, to be blunt, they need money - for food, electricity, phone, heat, and rent. Their need is great, and ANY amount that you can and are willing to contribute would be appreciated and would make a difference. Scotticher can accept Paypal donations, as well as personal checks, money orders, and even hard cash via mail… and can pass it on to them. Using a “blind” system which we set up for a previous effort, Cajun Man and DrMatrix will not know who donated, nor how much exactly each donation was - such that their performance and partiality as Staff Members here will not be compromised. However, if you wish to contact them directly and offer to send some direct assistance, you will need to work that out with the gentlemen themselves. Keep in mind, however, that they may be limited in what they can directly accept due to their positions on this Board.
Second, they could use non-cash donations as well. They could very easily put to good use such things as prepaid phone cards for calling relatives and possible job prospects, gift certificates at major retailers (Wal-Mart, etc.) so they can purchase staples and raw materials of life, and…as the December Holidays are drawing near, we are certain that they also might appreciate some sort of other thoughtful items as well so the Christmas tree is not bare.
Third, and this is the most important point, they need work. These guys desperately want to support themselves, and we want to plea to the SDMB community to review DrMatrix’s resume, see if you can think of any job prospects anywhere near them (Rock Island, Illinois), leverage any connections or industry inroads, and see if you can help DrMatrix get a foot in the door. Here is an online link to the good Doctor’s resume - if you think you have a place for him, a contact, or other information, please contact him directly by the e-mail at the top. They are willing to relocate to nearly anywhere, although moving expenses might be a concern. DrMatrix is willing to take any job that puts them in a better situation than they currently are. They also tell us that they are somewhat dependent upon public transportation, as neither of them drives a car. Please look at his resume - surely someone here knows someone who would benefit from his experience and skills.
http://members.aol.com/drmatrix1953/resume.doc
You know, people often talk about supporting the SDMB via donations to improve the speed, which is a good and worthy cause. But this cause is far more worthy, in our opinion, as it’s a direct outreach of the Community to help a couple of Members of it who really, really need it. And since you cannot direct your funds at this time to help the SDMB hardware directly, why not see about helping the human element - the Community, as it were - of the SDMB? Using Paypal makes it quick and easy to donate even something as small as $5 or $10 - which while not a huge amount to most of us, can put food on the table for these guys - and help keep them indoors this Winter.
We really think it best, as does TubaDiva, that all cash and small physical-sized donations be sent to Scotticher to forward on to these gentlemen via the blind system we have. Like we said, you can contribute via Paypal, send a personal check directly to Scotticher, a money order, travelers checks, or even cash (not recommended). Please only use or send US monetary instruments, as Scotticher has no easy way to exchange Rubles for Dollars. If you feel you have a large item you can donate or can provide direct assistance to these gentlemen on their job situation, then you should contact them directly to see what they might be able to use.
Let’s try making this a much better holiday season for these men, please?
Una Persson
Scotticher
Just a final note from me…if you would like to send a check or money order, please email me for my address. Scotticher@aol.com To donate by PayPal, you may use the same address…please put SDMB in the subject line, as I am still accepting donations for other efforts. You can mail DrMatrix at drmatrix1953@aol.com, and can mail Cajun Man at cajunman1951@aol.com . If you are mailing concerning this effort, they request that you put “SDMB” in the subject line, so your email won’t get caught in their “spam” flilter.
Please search your heart and do whatever you can to help these wonderful men. Every little bit helps, and if $5.00 is what you can afford, we will gratefully accept it.
Thank you for your consideration,
Cheri