Thursday, August 26, 2010

Posted by Anonymous |
From the REACT! Records message board:

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and former coworker of mine died in a car wreck on the way home from a weekend of camping with some of her dear friends. She and I worked together for a number of years at a group home for children who had experienced severe abuse and neglect and were placed in Washington State's foster care system. A couple of years ago, she went to work for another group home for foster and homeless youth nearing the age of emancipation from the system, a real critical moment in the life of a foster youth, let alone any youth. Although we weren't close over the last couple years, we kept in touch and exchanged stories occasionally about the work with which we were involved.

At her memorial service a couple weeks ago, all of her clients from the group home where she worked were in attendance. It's hard to express what it felt like for me to see kids that have been fucked over their entire lives go through the process of losing yet another important role model and loved one. She lived for them and it broke my heart to see them try and find the words or emotions to deal with it.

I've worked in the foster care system a long time so I have a natural soft spot for the youth she served. Her family requested that any donation be sent to the Cocoon House to be put in a NBF (No-Bullshit Fund). This money will be used to pay for the discretionary shit that you cannot buy using most philanthropic or public funding sources. I am auctioning a bunch of my bands' records and am going to donate 100% of the proceeds to the Cocoon House.

http://shop.ebay.com/benjaminjsb/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

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