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Well, I guess it's time for me to get back on my soapbox and pontificate a bit.
Erin is worrying herself into sickness or worse andit's up to US to alieviate her worries a bit. For those who regularly contribute thank you SO much. You are the backbone of the financial help for Erin and Top Shelf. Again, thank you, from my heart.
Now... for the rest of us. Folks, I live on a VERY limited budget and I KNOW how hard it is to try to pry an extra buck or two loose from a wallet or purse that seems welded shut... but consider this.
If the finances break down, if Erin and Piper and the rest can't pay their bills... well then, the site begins to fail and eventually could just die from lack of support. We NEED to do whatever we can do to help Erin and the site and that means, even if it's only a dollar or two, it's still help.
So c'mon everyone. Dig deep and let's show Erin, Piper and all the rest how much they and the site mean to us. Just think what the internet would be without Top Shelf. What would we do without it? I don't know about you, but i know it would terrible for me.
So open your hearts again and kick in whatever you can. Believe me, we'll all benefit from you generosity.
Catherine Linda Michel
Comments
Thank You CLM
The last time I wrote a blog -- like you have just posted -- I was attacked for making people feel bad. It was suggested that I had no appreciation for those who aren't as financially blessed as I am. I've decided to sit on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
It's amazing. In RL, I created a fundraising arm for my local school district which has generated nearly $7 million in total in donations and in the process suffered only two mild criticisms. Yet - here I've been treated very poorly for raising the specter that BC is a fragile commodity.
I'm happy you stepped forward (and will send $100 today) and I hope you have thicker skin than me when the critics come at you.
By the way, I grew up in a family that was in the process of losing our farm. I know what it's like not to have adequate food. I lived in a house without plumbing or much insulation on the prairie of North Dakota with nothing but a wood stove between us and twenty below weather.
I know three things:
1.) Not everyone who uses BC can afford to pay their fair share -- and Erin would be the last to ask them to starve themselves for her benefit,
2.) Erin runs a tight ship. Every dime sent to her is appreciated and spent wisely.
3.) The vast majority of the BC users can afford to give financial support to the site . . . and don't . . . for a variety of reasons -- some valid, some not.
I'll go back to my bench now.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Oh I know quite well, Angela.
Angela. You've known me for some time now. If not on a friends status, at least as a sister writer. i'm well aware of all you do personally, as well as many others who give freely of their cash and time as well as proceeds from the sales of their various books, which is why I worded my blog the way I did.
As for thick skin... well, I have it on good authority that hippos and Elephants envy the thickness of mine so.....
Plus, I'm not asking anyone to mortgage the old homestead or go without meals or anything vital. What I AM asking is for folks to go without one cup of coffee, one soft drink, one single dollar if that's all they can do and we'll all be grateful for even that small a gift. With as many members there are at Top Shelf, if each one just gave that one dollar, each month, there'd be no financial crisis every month that forces Erin to beg on bended knee.
So that's the message and gist of my plea. SO many of us consider Top Shelf an indispensable part of our daily lives, let alone a part of our mental escape from realities that grind us down every day. This place is a refuge and a resource and it deserves to continue without financial worries.
Thanks again for all you do Angela, and thanks again to all of you out there who DO help out regularly or as often as you can.
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Feeling bad.
If people feel bad about being asked to give, then they should ask themselves if they have done their best. If they have then there is nothing to feel bad about.
Too true Gwen.
and thank you for your help. hugs hon.
Cathy
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Helping Out
Catherine and Jill,
Thank you for saying what needs to be said. I am fortunate that my education and specialty skill level allow me the freedom to help as I can. I do it because I can. It is part of my entertainment portion of my budget that I follow quite closely. I know there are many who enjoy this site that choose to not help out when they are perfectly capable of doing so. Sadly what we say here will go unheeded by those who NEED to read it as this type of person never thinks it applies to them. I have few vices in my life and I do not need to provide for my former spouses vices anymore so this one is my vice and I will gladly help to do my share. Let's hope others take the hint as well.
Be Safe out there,
Francis G.
Thank you very much Francis.
Any and all help is gratefully accepted and appreciated more than you know.
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
To be fair
There is this sudden increase of a thousand bucks this month.
I of course donate what I can but if BC fails then what would Erin and company do to pay their bills?
I’ve said it before, a bit better budget forecasting is important but what will we do if Erin’s or any of our BC staff has a massive need for money due to a bad health issue or what not that is not possible to be met?
Without the site, what would they do? I hope they have alternative means of support/employment if that happens because all income from BC will fail also so all those sitting on the sidelines not donating should consider that too.
BC is great but I don’t have the means to singlehandedly support it either as much as I want to.
That said, I will mail out some more support on Monday.
Sorry but I will not pay electronically.
Thank you kimmie.
The additional amount is being used to pay down the massive personal debt that Erin put herself into out of love to keep the site running.
I will grand you that maybe things could be done better, but unless and until someone comes up with a viable idea to how to do that, we have to deal with what is right now.
Thank you for your help. hugs and love from all of us.
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
So is the debt-o-meter accurate?
It looks like we are within 6000 of paying off the debt or am I mistaken. How much of a stress relief would she have once that last 6000 is paid off?
The increased amount is supposedly temporary according to Erin, due to taxes amongst other things I would guess.
Taxes suck
For those who don't know me- I am one of the frequently sick members of the BC team. I try to keep track of projects and their progress, as well as beginning to take on some of the finance aspects of BC. The increase in our monthly kitty box is indeed going to the tax man.
The debt kitty box is a bit more fluctuating because we may have a month where we can make a good dent in our debt, but if the next month is super tight on us, we may have to put ourselves back in debt just to stay afloat.