Saturday Comics

Thanksgiving
Eat Up
Doggie Style
Done Did It
Turkey Shoot
Just Desserts
The Butcher's Bill
Dead Center
WTF
Stay The Course
Problem Solved
McPresident
John & Bobby Kennedy
Diplomatic Concession
Three Phat Ho's
Circular Logic

And my favorite for today: Oedipus Wrecks


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Panda update

I decided to post a new thread with an update on Lun Lun's cub before turning in. Because baby pandas are cool, that's why.

Heh...I'd forgotten about this, but I just now remembered that Demetrius had a panda puppet back in college. Named "Buddy". Eventually Buddy acquired a wife and kid. But I digress...

Wednesday, November 22
78 days old!
She weighed 4.1 kg (9.1 lbs). Two teeth have erupted on her lower jaw and her ear canals are open.

And, for anyone who's interested, there's a Barbaro update here.

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Peace on Earth

I just read this post on Firedoglake: War? On Christmas? It has today's date on it, but there are a number of newer posts by now. Anyway, I thought it was worth highlighting here.

Here in my town, a popular FM station switched over to all Christmas music, all the time at least a week ago. I usually find the vocal gynmastics and contortions of the "artists" in rotation to be so kitschy as to be unlistenable, but my partner likes the station, so I hear it a bit.

The other day, I heard John Lennon's Christmas song and it put a lump in my throat, given all that's going on.

War? On Christmas?

Let's bring our sons and daughters home, and stop sacrificing them to George Bush's intransigent vanity. Let's do it now.

The post at FDL has a link to a YouTube of John Lennon's song.

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Gene Robinson on "Justice and the Common Good"

The following is from a talk by Gene Robinson to the Center for American Progress, on the topic of Working for Justice and the Common Good. It took place on the third anniversary of his becoming the bishop of New Hampshire. Initially, I was thinking I would just try to summarize it, but there is a lot of good stuff here, so I ended up largely transcribing about the first third of it. Will share more in a future post, and in the some of the parts toward the end of the talk/interview, I'll have more of my own thoughts to share.



Bishop Gene Robinson: Micah said "love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with your God". For the Episcopalians in the crowd, there is a typo in the prayer book--whoever did the typesetting transposed that into "love justice and do mercy." That's been in there since 1979. And I think that's the temptation that we have, which is to just *love* the notion of justice, and be perfectly willing to do those merciful acts of charity. But not do the hard work of justice.

And who is the common good for? This year (in the liturgical cycle) we are reading from the Gospel of Mark. It's the oldest, "lean and mean", "Cliff's Notes" version. Gene mentions being a proponent of studying the Gospels in terms of how they depict "what did Jesus know, and when did he know it" with regard to who he was and the nature of his mission. In the Gospel of John, which is believed to be the latest written, Jesus seems to know all.

In Mark, Jesus seems to be figuring it out as he goes along--which to Gene makes sense, because if God chose to live a completely human life, we don't know what's going to happen an hour from now. "And I think that's how Jesus lived his life, so, as you read Mark's Gospel, you can begin to see Jesus kind of putting all this together in his mind...I think Mark's Gospel gives us an idea of the development of Jesus' self-understanding.

Gene goes on to set the stage for telling a story that he sees as a turning point in Jesus' self understanding.

"Jesus is, of course, always in trouble, especially with the religious types. ... So Jesus was really fed up to here with all this, and he goes on vacation. Well, it doesn't actually say that. It says he went into a foreign country--into Tyre, which is in modern day Syria. It does say that he didn't want anybody to know he was there, he didn't want anybody to know his name (which I can perfectly understand these days!) He just wanted a little peace and quiet.

But a woman who's described as Syro-Phonecian finds him. But she finds out he's there, and she comes to him and says "My daughter's possessed of a demon, will you heal her?" Now, he's still feeling pretty cranky--he's up to here with all the crowds and demands and stuff. So he says something that's really quite amazing that it made it into scripture. Because, if you're going to whitewash the story, this is not something you would tell.

He says to her, "Woman, the bread that I have to give doesn't belong to the dogs." Meaning *her*.

Now, she's got three strikes against her. She's a foreigner, she's a Gentile, and she's a woman, which counted for simply nothing in those days. And all three of which would have made him ritually unclean as a Jew.

And, she may not have been a Jew, but she sure had chutzpah. She kind of like puts her hand on her hip--you can almost see it--and says to him, "Well, you know, the dogs even get to clean up the crumbs after the meal!"

Now, Mark doesn't say this, but I would have put in a little thing that says "Gulp!" Because you can hear Jesus react like, "Whoa!" Here's this woman who has no business being with him,who has no claim on him, and yet she is laying claim to the good news that he's been preaching to the Jews.

And you can almost hear the wheels in his brain turning to say, "You know, maybe my mission isn't just to reform Judaism" (which is what I think he first had in mind). But maybe the mission, maybe this good news about the love of God, extends to *everyone*--to the whole world.

I think that's the kind of shift that we need, especially in this country, around who the common good is for. It's not just for me, it's not just for people like me, it's not just for people who think like me, but it's for all. And I think that this is a very difficult time to get that message across. I think it's a particularly American problem with our focus on individualism. Whether we say it or not, it's every man, woman, and child for themselves. It's at least *my family* for themselves.

People will tell you that Scripture says "God helps those who help themselves". It's not in there. What *is* in there is this mandate to care, not only just for everyone, but especially for the marginalized, for the poor, for those who have been pushed to the sides of society for whatever reason. We seem to be at no loss for finding yet more reasons to push someone to the side.
...
I think that the greatest enemy of the common good is anxiety. And probably every age has felt anxious, but boy, let me tell you, this one feels like it's right up there with the greatest times. And we have an administration right now that is using that anxiety, *promoting* anxiety, I think, to forward its own agenda.

Because, if I'm anxious enough, I'm willing to give up all kinds of things to make the anxiety go away--whether that's in the name of Homeland Security or--well the list goes on. Our anxiety is even color coded...you go to the airport and find out how anxious you should be that day.... We're told to *be* anxious--but we can't tell you what to be anxious about, we can't tell you *where* you should be anxious, or what to do about it, or how to avoid it, just be more anxious. And it's just in the air that we breathe these days.

And I think it's a great enemy to us, because when people are feeling anxious, they're thinking more about themselves and *not* about the common good. And I would say that one of the great instruments of promoting the common good right now is to acknowledge people's anxiety, and to look for value systems that speak to that anxiety.

Robinson goes on to tell about a book by Ron Heifetz called Leadership Without Easy Answers, in which the author says that leadership in today's culture is really about holding the hand of the organization, the people in the organization, and assuring them that we're going to live through this. That's the primary role of the leader is to lower the anxiety level of the institution enough so that they can get their work done. Because if they're highly anxious, if they're worried about survival, they're not going to be about their mission, because they're going to be all about survival.

...and I say this to clergy, with all the hubbub the Episcopal church is going through these days. We need to take the hands of those we are leading and say, 'You know what? This is going to be okay. God's in charge here.' We may not see the end of it in our lifetime, but, okay. That's okay. I mean, it's not *okay*, but we can live with it. And we can work with it. And in the end, God's will will be done. *Every* human being will be valued for who they are, so let's do our piece, and let's not beat ourselves up when we're not successful. And, by the way, let's find a little joy in it along the way!

And, my message would be, it is exactly where you find God. It is exactly where you find God--in the midst of that struggle.

More to come. You can listen to the streaming audio here.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all enjoy a happy, healthy holiday. I feel blessed to know you all.

I won't sully this page by posting Bush's picture, but click here for a picture of him "pardoning" a turkey for Thanksgiving. And here for a funny post about the turkeys refusing the ceremonial pardon.

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"Big Butter Jesus"

Right Angle Blog's response to Buckeye State Blog posting a link to "Big Butter Jesus":

Check out the stupid and offensive youtube video he posted here.

I love how socially acceptable it is to make fun of Christians. I guess its easy, because unlike some Muslims, Christians won't have violent riots and chop Russell's head off.

I listened to the whole song. It doesn't make fun of all Christians, but it does call out hypocrites. Sort of like that one guy did. Dang, why can't I think of his name? Wore sandals, hung out with a bunch of fishermen....

Yeah, that's the guy.

Here are some of the lyrics from toward the end of the song...

Don't make no graven images
That's one of the Ten Commandments
I hope the grading curve is kindly
You get to heaven with a 90

Making fun of this statue is not making fun of Christians.

Now, with regard to the comments about Muslims, Christians, and violence, I'll defer to Katharine Jefferts Schori. From her recent interview, published in the New York Times Magazine:

Have you met Pope Benedict?

I have not. I think it would be really interesting.

He became embroiled in controversy this fall after suggesting that Muslims have a history of violence.

So do Christians! They have a terrible history. Look at history in the Dark Ages. Charlemagne converted whole tribes by the sword. I think Muslims are poorly understood by the West, and it is easy to latch onto that which we do not understand and demonize it.

And one other thing--you're not likely to see six *Christian* religious leaders kicked off an airplane for *praying*.

I'm aware that right-leaning "Christians" have a lot invested in this "most persecuted religion" competition. But, sorry guys--it's not even close.

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Donna's Deaniac pre-Thanksgiving get-together

From Renee--just *had* to front-page this!

Hey guys. You'll never guess who surprised me at the salt mine today.

Give up? It was Thankful, Bob, and...puddle! At last we have met. They waited until I was finished and we four went out to dinner at the Celtic Knot, the place where Evanston/North Shore DFA has its linkups.

All three were tired from their travels, and of course worried about Thankful's brother Rene, but we had a great relaxing dinner. And I'm so glad that I finally met my dear friend face to face.

We are all planning to go to DemocracyFest.

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Please help Lee Kinchen, and help spread the word

I just saw this story on Booman Tribune. It is just heartwrenching...

The short version is that Lee has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, which is part of her disease, and that this tumor is pressing down on 8 of the 15 major nerve branches in her brain, as well as causing blockages and constriction of most of her major blood vessels in her brain. Since Lee has been f***ed out of SSI/SSDI, Medicare and Medicaid by the illiterate state-level bureaucrats who think that they know what a "disability" is, and her job at Fred's Super Discount Store isn't even enough for that child to pay RENT on, she needs your help.

She needs a LOT of help.

If she waits for the one remaining major hospital in the Louisiana state hospital (charity) system, she won't get a surgical date until March or April. Even though she is still working her skinny little ass off, she has already had her legs collapse out from under her, and has had the physical requirements of her job curtailed by her manager, Susan.

Her manager, as I discovered by following the link to the For Lee blog which has been set up to help her, has been an absolute angel for Lee. (That link also has a lot more information about the condition, and Lee's situation.) The For Lee blog has a PayPal button, but also lists a snail mail address for donations.

Snail-Mail: Fund For Leola Kinchen
(c/o) Susan Hammer
Bank Of St. Francisville
P.O. Drawer 818
St. Francisville, LA 70775 USA

Please do read this story, and about all the people who are trying to help this brave young woman who has been dealt such a bad hand. Even if you can't donate, just passing this story along to mailing lists, or crossposting it on other blogs, is bound to be a big help.

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NYT interview with Katharine Jefferts Schori

For anyone who missed this earlier...

Thankful's brother is in ICU in Chicago. It doesn't look good. We're leaving in a little to go there. Prayers, light, anything you can muster, please. Love from here to there.

Check back when we can.
puddle | 11.21.06 - 1:45 pm

Here's the virtual candle page for Thankful and her family.
--------------
The picture below is of Katharine Jefferts Schori and her husband, Richard Schori, and is from the web site of the Diocese of Nevada.



There's a nice interview piece in the New York Time Magazine from this past Sunday. Here are a couple of excerpts:

As a scientist with a Ph.D., what do you make of the Christian fundamentalists who say the earth was created in six days and dismiss evolution as a lot of bunk?

I think it’s a horrendous misunderstanding of both science and active faith tradition. I understand the great creation story in the scientific sense — big bang and evolutionary theory — as the best understanding of how we have come to be what we are: not the meaning behind it, but the process behind it. Genesis is about the meaning behind that.
...
I like the word “shalom.” I use it in my correspondence, I use it in my sermons, and that’s how I sign my e-mails — “shalom.” To me it is a concrete reminder of what it is we’re all supposed to be about.

Because it means peace in Hebrew?

It means far more than peace. I think it’s a vision of the human community. Those great visions of Isaiah — every person fed, no more strife, the ill are healed, prisoners are released.

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16 Hats

The online community at Howard Empowered People (HEP) will be sending winter outerwear to the Cangleska Battered Women’s Shelter at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation this holiday season.

The shelter has listed this as an “Urgent Need” at the Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation website, explaining that many women come to the shelter with nothing, and winters are cold in South Dakota, with average temperatures well below freezing.

The shelter is asking for the following items in new, gently used, or handmade condition:

- Winter Coats, Jackets, Hats, Gloves, Ear Warmers, Scarves, etc

- Any size, childrens, womens, or mens. For the babies to teenage boys who arrive with their mothers, and the mothers themselves

With all the suffering in the world, it’s hard to feel like you can make a difference. That’s why I love this HEP Corp Project. I’m sending 16 baby hats, 16 hats that my children wore…and I know that those 16 hats will warm the little heads of 16 babies that need them now.

If you can send winter items to the women and children at the Cangleska Battered Women’s Shelter, please post the number of items in the comments here, or email the number of items to me at jjem1999@yahoo.com. We will keep a running tally of donations at HEP.

Items should be sent directly to:

Via UPS or FedEx: Cangleska, Inc., 1 Public Safety Road, Kyle, SD, 57752

Via US Mail: Cangleska, Inc., P.O. Box 638, Kyle, SD, 57752


Crossposted at Blog For America and DailyKos

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Don't address the problem, just rename it

More word games from the U.S. governnment. In a Washington Post article entitled Some Americans Lack Food, but USDA Won't Call Them Hungry, Elizabeth Williamson writes:

The U.S. government has vowed that Americans will never be hungry again. But they may experience "very low food security."

Every year, the Agriculture Department issues a report that measures Americans' access to food, and it has consistently used the word "hunger" to describe those who can least afford to put food on the table. But not this year.

Mark Nord, the lead author of the report, said "hungry" is "not a scientifically accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured in the food security survey." Nord, a USDA sociologist, said, "We don't have a measure of that condition."

Now, I *do* understand the point of wanting a more accurate word for what is being measured. But, coming from *this* administration, which has been adept at choosing emotion-laden words for what they hope will be their "winning issues", I can't help but wince when they shift to a *less* emotional, more "clinical" word in this particular case.

Brings to mind this piece from Douglas Adams...

[W]hen the Editors of the Guide were sued by the families of those who died as a result of taking the entry on the planet Traal literally (it said 'Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts often make a very good meal for visiting tourists' instead of 'Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts often make a very good meal of visiting tourists'), they claimed that the first version of the sentence was the more aesthetically pleasing, summoned a qualified poet to testify under oath that beauty was truth, truth beauty and hoped thereby to prove that the guilty party in this case was Life itself for failing to be either beautiful or true. The judges concurred, and in a moving speech held that Life itself was in contempt of court, and duly confiscated it from all those there present ...

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DemocracyFest Discount - Last Chance!

The 4th Annual DemocracyFest will take place in Manchester NH, on June 9-10, 2007.

http://www.democracyfest.net/

Today is the last day to get your DemocracyFest Ticket at the discounted rate of $135. You'll also receive a free commemorative Nov. 7 t-shirt, while supplies last.

After today, tickets will cost $155, so don't miss this opportunity to save money!

Tickets include:

- 2 Breakfasts (including the One-and-Only Blogger's Breakfast),
- 2 Mid-day snacks,
- 2 Dinners,
- All speakers,
- All panels,
- All entertainment,
- Free parking, or transportation to/from airport
- Optional Friday night Meet and Greet

http://www.democracyfest.net/

This is THE event of the year for people inspired by Howard Dean to celebrate all we've accomplished and plan for the future, so don't miss it!

On-site lodging is also available for a discounted price of $87 per night, but must be purchased directly through the hotel. Please call the Wayfarer Inn at 603-622-3766 to purchase lodging. Make sure you mention you are with Democracyfest!

If you are unable to attend DemocracyFest this year but still want to support this great event, or if your organization or company would like to sponsor DemocracyFest, please check out our Sponsorship opportunities!

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Charlene, Jessica, Liane, Pam, and Quintus
DemocracyFest Incorporated

Contributions or gifts to DemocracyFest Incorporated are not tax deductible.

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Video clip of Howard Dean on Wyoming news

From the comments, floridagal writes...

I am trying again to post the video of Howard Dean in Wyoming before the news site takes it down. They sang Happy Birthday to him.

I watched the video myself, not knowing at the time that the people in Wyoming sang happy birthday to him, so it came as a pleasant surprise when I saw that part. I hope he ended up getting boatloads of cards.

On that topic, thank you to everyone who helped break the Howard-Empowered bat on Howard Dean's birthday.

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The Gift: a Christmas card to the world

by Subway

Here I go again, thinking that just one person can make a difference.

But it's a true story and I'm the one who told it twelve years ago when no one was noticing. I read it aloud at Cordtlandt Street, at Rector Street and Wall Street for three Holidays and then I posted it on the web in June of 1998 and it was STILL a true story. Even after we invaded Iraq I knew the miracles were coming.

But the beauty of it is I can't sell it to you because it's already yours. The only way to buy it is to give it away. Then, in giving it away, you gently alter the course of Human Civilization. Not bad at 2 bucks a pop if you ask me.

So take it from the Deaniac's Court Jester for what it's worth, folks. You've changed the Country in the Election. Why not treat yourselves and change the world for the Holidays?

http://teocawki.blogspot.com

Subway Serenade

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Making a difference

Yesterday, in a post entitled Being "my sister's keeper", I raised the issue of women in Afghanistan who are subject to alarming rates of domestic violence and little hope of escape.

From the comments, Jessica wrote:

Abused women in *this* country feel like there's no way out. I don't know what the women over there could do even if they overcame the emotional entrapment...

And SusanD added:

And, actually, our women's shelters here in the US are woefully undersupplied. Many of the women and children have only the clothes they were wearing when they escaped. I donate blankets and stuff that the church pantry funnels to them.

Anyway, that is where the discussion turned to "what can we do to help women in tough circumstances *here*, and what prompted last night's post about the Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation Donation Drive. This morning I added a button to the left sidebar, just above the UN Millennium Development Campaign button--another program I encourage people to learn more about.

Right now I need to take Daughter in Ohio to choir practice, and later in the day I need to play "catch up" with things I couldn't get done when I was sick. But I wanted to get this post up before I go. If you agree that this is a worthwhile cause, please crosspost. People are welcome to download the graphic button for use on their own blogs, or you could create your own.

Here are some posts from last winter about Friends of PRR:
Dean Corps
Howard Empowered Friends of Pine Ridge

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Personal Responsibility

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

Matthew 19:1-12

One thing that I find to be exceedingly humouros is how people will scream at the top of their lungs that there is no such thing as absolute truth, that it is wrong for someone to try to assert their opinion as God's truth, yet when it comes to a heart-felt belief of theirs they immediately pirouette and embark upon a crusade to make sure that their prefered principle is followed from Alabama to Africa to Afghanistan. This does not mean that their prefered principle is necessarily wrong - it may well be a universal truth - but if one is going to assert universal truths then it would be a good idea to affirm the existence of universal truths.

This is the kind of problem that the Pharisees faced in our text today. They tried to trap Jesus, making Him take sides in a debate among the Pharisees between the schools of Shammai and Hillel regarding the correct intterpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1. It was a classic case of missing the forest for the trees as the Shammai school believed that divorce was permissible for anything indecent - even something as trivial as burning dinner - while the Hillel school believed that divorce was permissible only for something indecent, specifically infidelity.

Jesus corrected both schools, faulting them for focusing on getting out of marriages instead of honoring God's intention for marriage - a man and a woman bonded together for life - saying, "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Jesus didn't speak to the mechanism for bringing a couple together, be that dating or arranged marriages or eHarmony, but spoke to the life-long commitment between a man and a woman to become a "one flesh" union.

One problem that too many people experience is the divorce of power and responsibility, especially in the Western world. Too many people seek power and not enough people seek responsibility, because the Biblical motif is one of servant leadership, not the tyranical exercise of power. People are given "responsibility for" and not necessarily "power over" - this is what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 20:25-28 when He told His disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In marriage a husband is given responsibility for his wife, not necessarily power over his wife. He is responsibile for her well-being just as Jesus is responsible for the well-being of the Church (q.v. Ephesians 5:15-33). And just like Jesus does not coerce the Church into anything, a husband is to lovingly head his household - taking responsibility for all that goes on within the household. Now any effective leader will delegate responsibility to those who are better equipped to handle those areas, such that if a poet is married to an accountant then the poet would be wise to let the accountant handle the check book, but ultimately it is the husband's responsibility - he is accountable. In many ways this is akin to the Miller Lite Man Law commercial where they ordained the "You Poke It, You Own It" Man Law. Essentially, if you put you finger in a beer while carrying it back to the guys at the table then you own that beer. Likewise, if a man decides to have sex with a woman then he is responsible for her upkeep for the rest of her days. No exceptions.

People like the power, but they too often duck the responsibility.

Jesus' disciples understood exactly what He was saying and they weren't having any part of it, saying, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry." To their thinking the only way to get their wives to "act right" was to threaten them with divorce and starvation - divorce and starvaton were closely linked back then because women weren't strong enough to be employable as manual laborers and the economy wasn't one where you could just go get an office job or work at McDonalds. The disciples, as most men of their day (and ours), were interested in having their wives serve them, in having their wives in a place below them or behind them, but Jesus corrected them by taking them back to creation - a woman's place is beside the man, not behind or under or in front of the man. The man is responsible for the woman, but the woman is his equal in dignity and stature even while he is the head of the household.

This order can be seen within the Godhead. Jesus is fully divine, yet He submits to the Father. The Holy Spirit is fully divine, yet He submits to the Son. There is a functional subordination within the nature and character of God, so it should come as no surprise that within God's creation He has ordained functionally subordinate roles for the family.

Not everyone will accept this.

Naturally, there are those who will not accept any kind of subordination - functional or otherwise - as they view themselves as prime movers, the captains of their fate, the masters of their souls. It is a cute fantasy that is easily debunked by one well-placed hurricaine or tornado, but it is a fantasy that people are entitled to maintain if they so desire, free will and all that. This is what Jesus meant when He told His disciples, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given" and "The one who can accept this should accept it." Much as it may gall some people, not everyone is called to salvation - some people are perfectly happy on their road to perdition and there is nothing that I or anyone else can do to deter or detour them - but those of us who are called by the name of Jesus Christ should accept the words of Jesus and live accordingly, fulfilling our responsibilities and exercising power from a loving perspective of servant leadership.

Man Law.

May the LORD bless you and keep you;
May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
And may the LORD,
Who wants you to know where your towel is,
May He turn His face toward you and give you peace.

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Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation Donation Drive

Thank you to Jessica for posting this in the previous thread. If you go to the current projects page you can find other ways to help, such as donating wrapping paper, toys, books, etc.

Urgent Needs
Winter Coats for Mothers and Children

It's that time again so please help us get the word out to your friends and relatives that we need to get some winter gear out to Pine Ridge!

As the weather is getting colder on the reservation the mothers and children that come through the Cangleska, Inc. battered women's shelter (and there were 418 moms and kids served by the shelter Jan. through June of this year alone) are in dire need of new and/or gently used warm winter coats, jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. and the shelter doesn't have the means to purchase them. They need kids coats up to size 12 (and there are lots of babies and toddlers there) and coats for women and teen girls of all sizes. They can also use some coats in men's sizes for the older teen boys. Any coat that gets donated will find a good home.

Click here for more ways to help.

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