Sunday, August 4, 2013

Emancipate Yourself From Mental Slavery, None But Ourselves Can Free Our Minds.

One of my first long term jobs was at a Domestic Violence Shelter. We would take women and children who were fleeing domestic violence and needed a safe place to stay. My job was to answer the crisis line, perform intakes on potential clients and basically make sure everything in the shelter was running smoothly. I've done everything from break out fights, to unscrew deodorant bottles to find baggies of cocaine, talk people out of committing suicide, and making phone calls to Protective Services about bruises on children. All while making a colossal $8.37 an hour. It was THEE toughest job I ever had. 
The burnout was constant. And seeing your paycheck only made it worse. You were emotionally, mentally and physically drained at the end of every shift. Some days you were told "Thank you." Some days you were called a "bitch" and had to avoid being bit. I've seen women come running in with only pajamas on and no shoes. But...it was also the best job I ever had.
I had a better understanding with those with PTSD and mental illness and drug addictions. Hell yeah I can now understand why someone would turn to a substance that would numb them after a day of being beaten and abused. I can understand how someone would become mentally ill after YEARS of being manipulated. 
Not only did this experience open my eyes to Domestic Violence, but it also opened my eyes to homelessness. Domestic Violence is one of the many factors that lead to homelessness. As is mental illness, loss of job, foreclosure, drop in assistance programs, the list can go on and on.
While working at the shelter my biggest wish was to have every person required to work in a shelter for a day. Mostly because I wanted them to see what they had to go through to make $8.37 an hour. Now because I want them to see what it's like to be in a shelter environment.
When you leave a situation like domestic violence you are looking for a place that is serene and calm and quiet. As much as I would love a shelter to be like that, most of the time it is not. Babies and children are screaming and crying, as are women sometimes. There's little privacy if the shelter is full, and many times there is tension between other women and workers. I know what it is like as a worker to be in that environment but to have to LIVE in it. Those women are definitely stronger than I am.
The fact is, is that there is no way for everyone to know what that is like, unless they live it, and I don't wish that on my worst enemy. But it is something that needs to be discussed. And now there is a group of people trying to. 
It's called Dogtown Redemption. And they made a film based in Oakland, California. They have followed the lives of individuals who are living on the streets, doing what they can to survive. They are telling the stories that need to be told. But in order to tell it to the masses they NEED YOUR help. In order to have this film finished they need $47,775. They already have $24,620. They only have 24 days left to go. I have on average 4000 views a month. If every one donates $1 that's $4000, if you tell 1 person and they donate $1 we now have $8000 if they tell 1 person and they donate $1 that's $16,000 and so on and so forth. In order for them to reach their goal they need almost $1000 a day. SO easy if everyone does it. So here's the plan:
1.) Watch the trailer: if you aren't inspired to help...check your pulse
http://www.redemptiondoc.com/trailer.html 

2.) Go to their kickstarter page and donate, for those who donate will be entered to win a prize (prize TBA Tuesday)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/22534752/dogtown-redemption-0 

3.) Tell your friends: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter ( use #redemptiondoc if you want in on the contest), or use the whole that makes the words. 

This is something that is SO important! We are all equal. We all deserve the same amount of love and happiness and success. We all deserve a place called home and to feel safe there. We are all divine. NO one is lesser than or more than. 

 

1 comment:

  1. This is such a great cause! If I see any extra dough in my budget in these next couple of weeks, I will donate. Good luck. :)

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