I'm Hijacking this Blog!

Hello everyone. My name is Kelli Standish, and I'm a friend of Dawn's, as well as her web site manager.

Today, I am doing something I've never done before: hijacking a client's blog.

Dawn is one of those amazing, perky people who finds hope and humor in everything. She is the bright red balloon that keeps on sailing no matter how rough the winds, and she does it with such sparkle and grace that she keeps us laughing in the midst of our own challenges.

But the rough winds in Dawn's life have gotten rougher lately, and I've watched my beautiful, bright, courageous, cheerful, generous client and friend pounded to the ground. Over and over.

So here I am, thousands of miles away, watching mayhem and heartache ravage the Meehan family. And I'm furious over it. Enough is enough!!!

Dawn isn't the sort of person to ask for help. Not because she's proud, but because she always sees other people's needs as more important than her own. She would rather give than receive. And she has given. Day after day. Year after year.

She's given us laughter when nothing else could. She's given us hope that we weren't alone in our challenges. She's given us hilarious videos and let us share her life. She's given us courage.

I don't know about you, but I want to give back any way I can. I want her to be safe, I want her kids to flourish. And I think if we band together, we can help make that happen.

So. Here are a few ways I've thought of, that we can make a difference for Dawn:

1.) GIVING

a.) Donate Via PayPal - I'm posting a ChipIn widget here that will allow you to make a donation via PayPal. This will go directly to Dawn's account, and will help her with the major financial pressures she's facing right now.
(Note: Donations can take up to 5 minutes to appear in the totals, so don't worry if yours doesn't show up immediately.)



b.) Buy Dawn's Book - Here's a direct link to her book on Amazon. Publishing houses watch sales closely. If Dawn's book sells well, this will really help open doors for new writing contracts, and right now, writing is Dawn's best job option. Let's boost her sales and make her publisher sit up and take notice!

c.) Hold a Fundraiser- Most of us don't have a lot of extra money just sitting around, but that's okay because we can get creative! One really easy way to raise funds is to help spread the word. You can even post the ChipIn widget on your own site. Just copy the code below and paste it into a HTML window or widget in your site or blog.

<object width="250" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/fe8c84885a4c725d"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="event_desc" value="Dawn%27s%20positive%20attitude%20and%20hilarious%20stories%20have%20given%20us%20all%20hope%20%26%20laughter%20over%20the%20years.%20%20Now%20we%20can%20help%20bring%20a%20little%20joy%20back%20into%20HER%20life%20and%20the%20lives%20of%20her%20kids%21%20%20Donate%20today.%20%20Every%20cent%20counts%21"></param><param name="color_scheme" value="blue"></param><embed src="http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/fe8c84885a4c725d" flashVars="event_desc=Dawn%27s%20positive%20attitude%20and%20hilarious%20stories%20have%20given%20us%20all%20hope%20%26%20laughter%20over%20the%20years.%20%20Now%20we%20can%20help%20bring%20a%20little%20joy%20back%20into%20HER%20life%20and%20the%20lives%20of%20her%20kids%21%20%20Donate%20today.%20%20Every%20cent%20counts%21&color_scheme=blue" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="250" height="250"></embed></object>


Or what about a bake sale, or a raffle of cool items or services on your blog, or an eBay auction? For instance, my husband and I had a vow renewal ceremony a few years ago, and we got new wedding rings. So we've decided to auction our first wedding ring set on eBay, and send Dawn whatever we make from the sale.


2.) ENCOURAGEMENT

a.) Hope Notes- As Dawn's web manager, I have seen some truly vile hate mail come through her contact forms and blog comments. I would love to see her deluged with notes of cheer and encouragement right now. Do you have a quote, song lyrics, a story, poem, or Bible verse that helped you through a hard time? Post it here in the comments section. Or put it in a card and snail mail it to her. Here's the postal address:

836 S. Arlington Heights Rd.
Suite 230
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

b.) Gift Cards- Do you have an iTunes or Amazon gift card you haven't used? Or a gift card to a fun restaurant with locations in the Chicago area? I loved getting gift cards when I was a kid. I'll bet Dawn's kids would feel the same!


3.) PRAYER

Pray for health and hope and protection, pray for great writing opportunities, pray that no more heaters go out in Dawn's house, pray for reductions in medical bills, pray for insurance help, pray that her vehicle operates well, pray for her courage... there are a million great things to pray for.

These are just a few ideas I have, but you guys are so creative, I know you probably can think of more or better ones. If you do a fundraiser or raffle on your blog, or an auction on eBay, or have other ideas on ways we can keep our red balloon friend soaring, be sure to post them in the comments here!

We might not be able to stop all the suffering and injustice in the world, but we can make a difference for this family and give them back the laughter and joy they've shared so generously.

Let's do this.

Kelli Standish, hacking the blog of....