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Fascism isn't defeated by love or the ballot box.
And tomorrow can give rise to action, but today is for healing.
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Let's start with a giveaway.
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This is "Tree of Life". It's dotted with blood.
Choose how you'd like to enter:
- Make a donation to the Tree of Life congregation of Pittsburgh and post about it here. If you'd like to keep it anonymous, just PM me about it then post a reply in the thread so you're counted in the raffle.
- Make a promise to better your community some time this week. There are many ways to go about this, so however you see fit, it's appreciated. Post what you have in mind.
I will make the drawing for the giveaway today at 1pm EST.
At that time, I will then open up the form for Pumpking.
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So I'm attending school to get my Ph.D, I went here as an undergraduate and have a lot of local connections to programs I used to participate in. Unfortunately I don't have nearly as much to help as I used to. The deadlines to volunteer for some of the programs I value most is coming up (next week) and I'd been debating if I should participate again since my spare time is so limited.
One program is to help children (grades 4-8) who's parents lifestyle doesn't expose them to the possibility of higher education. We don't tell them college is necessary, as it's not to lead a fulfilling life. We show them what general life is like for students and what opportunities we have, generally just exposing them to liberal arts and STEM programs, athletic work and gauging their interest. The goal is just to show them it's a big world, bigger than this rural county they live in, and it shouldn't be limited by where they are now in life.
The other program is more of a mediator for at risk students in college, those who are truly having trouble in school due to family life or poor situations generally out of their control. We try to help those looking for it by just being their to talk if they need someone to vent to or leading them to someone more qualified if their needs are more demanding and require a professional.
I remember how fulfilling these programs can be and how important they are for the people who utilize them so i've texted my usual contacts for these programs telling them I'll be there to help for a few of the organized sessions this coming month. Thanks for the reminder that there's always someone who needs a hand.