GovGives: Help a GovLooper Achieve a Dream – Cancer, Slovakia, Triplets & Medical Bills
Steve Ressler
GovLoop is more than a website, more than a social network…it truly is a community.
And as a community, we’ve launched an Acquisitions 2.0 movement, created radio shows, given over $20,000 to charity via Kiva, helped kids with diabetes through the AwesomeGov Fund, and helped put people in jobs.
And when someone in the community is in need…we help them out.
So today we are launching a drive to help out one of our members: David Broadwell.
He is a former USGS employee who (worked at 3 different agencies) and GovLooper, whose wife Antonia was diagnosed with an extremely rare, high grade cancer just eight months after giving birth to triplets. Her one goal in life now is to spend her remaining months in her native country (Slovakia) surrounded by friends. You can read more about David via our Member of the Week feature as well as David sharing the story in his own words below and on his website: http://forantonia.wordpress.com/
They have asked for 20 supporters to raise $2,500 to reach their dream – build a home in Slovakia to spend their remaining months.
Will you help us to be one of the 20 supporters and raise $2,500 for David and his family? Here are the steps:
1 – Goal – Our goal as a community is $2,500
2 – Match – GovLoop will match $.50 for every dollar donated. (up to reaching our goal of $2500)
3 – How – Please send money via paypal to sressler@gmail.com (Use the link below as well as http://bit.ly/yzfq9 ) – money will be collected by GovLoop which we’ll combine and present as one check to David and his family.
4 – Thank You! All members who donate $100 or more will be sent a GovLoop t-shirt as an appreciation for their generous support (GovLoop Rockstar or I’m Big on GovLoop).
5 – Other Ways to Give – We recognize that economic times are tough and that not all of you can give financially. That’s why we’re also asking for ideas or other resources that may be able to help David and his family. Do you know someone at Habitat for Humanity or have you worked with the organization? Maybe you can help David get in touch with them (per his references to unsuccessful attempts below). What about any contacts at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?? Hey – why not!? The sky’s the limit and this community has some powerful connections.
6 – Special Note – I know some people can be skeptical even when they mean well. So I wanted you to know that we’ve talked to David several times and we’ve verified his situation with former colleagues and performed all necessary due diligence on the story – this is truly a caring govie who is in a dire situation.
Here’s David’s story in his own words…
I am writing you with an urgent appeal.
As I am sure you know by now, Antonia and I are moving to Slovakia at the end of March. We are moving there so that Antonia can be close to her family as she deals with cancer. She wants this more than anything else in her life right now.
She wants the security of knowing where her children will be raised – that they will be raised surrounded by her family.
Her parents, grandparents, Godparents, and brother all live in the same town. Her mother and father have given us a small piece of land next to them to build a house on.
This is where I need your help. I have reached the conclusion that I can not do this alone. This past year has been difficult as we have given up everything, including our home and car, to pay for medical bills to fight Antonia’s disease. And we are still fighting. There is one thing we do have however, and that is a piece of land in Slovakia called Hope.
The bottom line: Antonia is 32 years old, battling cancer, and a mother of three children, all 16 months old. All she wants at this point in her life is to live in one small peaceful corner of the world close to her family.
I have sent this to you asking that you help raise $2500 to build a house for Antonia. The cost to build a house in Slovakia is around $75,000 from the ground up. Our goal is to do it for $50,000. And with the help of 20 volunteers raising $2500 each this can be done. The construction will be done by myself, her father and her brother.
This is my last hope of trying to create something stable and certain in Antonia’s life. Now is the time. Not 2 or 3 years from now, but now is the time. I feel that time is running out. Whether this feeling is founded or not, I don’t know, all I know is that the feeling is real.
I have contacted Habitat for Humanity including their international office requesting assistance, but my application was denied twice. Even my repeated phone calls and emails fell on deaf ears.
So now we have reached this critical point in our lives. We know we will be sacrificing the conveniences we are used to here in America, but it is for one thing – and one thing only – and that is for Antonia to be able to raise her children next to her family.
I have one goal in my life right now and that is to provide Antonia with this wish.
I am aware that you have your own families to think about and I understand that not everyone is going to care. However, I am asking that you care just this one time.
Please help me do this for my wife.
The goal of raising $2500 is doable and it can be reached. People do it all the time in raising funds for cancer walks, school & team events, Boy Scout, Girl Scout projects, etc.. This is a one-time event that does something Big. Your part actually builds a home for a family. It builds a home where two brothers and a sister can grow up laughing and playing together. But more importantly, it’s a place where a beautiful young woman called Antonia can close her eyes at night and know her children will be safe and secure surrounded by the closeness of family for years to come.
This is a moment in your life that comes around where you can look back and say, “I made a real difference in someone’s life.” “I made a real and tangible difference.” Because IT DOES. Your help is something that will last forever, as long as Antonia walks this earth, and beyond through her children.
Please write Antonia and tell her you will be one of the 20 fundraisers that will build her a home.
