Thanks Melanie, you're a real-life hero to a lot of us. Your words about moving on to the next book when the first book doesn't sell is particularly relevant to me.
Martha - I think you should send out what you wrote about Type 1 in this post, as your letter for donations.
I about cried when you kept saying "Fifteen years." Maybe that would get through some of those people - put them in your shoes for a moment .... what would THEYdo for their child, to regain those last fifteen years??
Good luck to you on this years walk. I hope you are able to surpass your goal of $5000. We did our first walk this year and raised $1200. I hope we can do better next year.
Take care!
Martha-
My son Anthony also has Type 1 (you may know me from the cwd list) and this is our third year doing the JDRF walk. I have experienced the same 'excuses' you have with people not donating. I think people are approached so frequently (especially businesses) that they forget what it is we are asking for, they just become stone cold and say no. My own BIL said he wasn't going to ask any of his co-workers for donations last year because he asked them the previous year. Well, shit, my son isn't cured yet and I had hoped he'd keep asking every year. It's frustrating. Maybe if he spent a day with my son he would get it. Maybe if he SAW the 12 blood sugar checks a day, maybe if he SAW what a low bg 'looks like' and how it makes my son feel, maybe if he changed his site (ONCE), counted every carb that went into my son's mouth (tricky with a 4 year old), maybe if he experienced what it was like to be a 1, 2, 3 and 4 year old with Type 1 diabetes. Maybe if he knew the meticulous, constant care it takes to just be alive. It makes me sad that he doesn't see the need to 'keep asking'. If nothing else, it makes me more thankful to those who do donate.
This was an interesting post. You don't know me, but you asked for readers' comments, so here goes. I think there are so many worthwhile charities out there calling, writing and asking for donations, and so many worthwhile causes, that people get kind of blase about it all after awhile. Most charities take the approach that the donor owes them money, and use a combination of guilt/chewing the donor out about not donating. In most charity requests, the tone is so demanding that I almost expect to see a little note at the end saying the matter will be turned over to collections in a month if I don't donate within thirty days.
I saw in the Mennonite website (for Amish donations) the Amish mentioned they would take the assistance given for the injured schoolchilren, even though they generally believe in self-sufficiency, because the donors would be blessed by assisting, and to refuse it would deny them the blessing. The website also carefully explained how the donations would be used. This was such a different tone from most donation requests/demands (they actually requested nothing - the donations were voluntary) that it felt good to donate.
How this helps your cause I have no idea- just thought I'd throw in my two cents. Hope this is not offensive.
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