I developed a theory over 30 years ago while working in social service ministry in Western Kentucky – if we could find ways to help folx out with small problems, we’d avoid a lot of bigger problems. I saw this play out nearly daily in the rural community with no traffic lights and nearly 100 churches. Most pointedly, a man I knew drove a beat up truck he maintained himself. He had a wife and three kids. They lived in ramshackle rental housing because the landlord could do that.
His truck broke down. He didn’t have the money to buy the part and he would need help with the repair. So he couldn’t get to work where he would barely be able to scrape together the $250 over several pay periods.
Before we learned about this, he walked to work. Five miles each way. Five miles with eight hours of labor in between. He and his wife walked everywhere for several weeks. There were no busses, no cabs, nothing but hitchhiking.
He needed an investment of $250 to maintain his family’s bare survival. Had he continued to walk, his body would have rebelled. Something else would have gone wrong. He might have lost the job. You can see where I’m going with this.
We were able to fund the auto part. It was mutual aid. I just didn’t have that language at the time. It wasn’t so much that I thought I had invented this, as I had become aware of it and that lightbulb never went out.
Fast forward to today and the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry.
One of our pet food pantry caretakers has a pet cat with chronic urinary issues – he has to be on an expensive food. She keeps an eagle eye on him, today she noticed he’s ‘off’ in that he’s whiny, unhappy. He’s urinating, drinking, eating, etc. But she knows her cat. She ran out of the prescription food. And canned food. And her car broke down so on top of this stress, she hasn’t been able to get to her colony.
You see where I’m going with this?
I asked her if we could try something – we would pay for her cat Cosmo to see our vet, get an exam and urinalysis now before he gets sick. That would give us information to talk over the options with Dr. McGowan and think about a sustainable intervention by the pet food pantry.
If Cosmo can only have one type of food period, it makes sense to set up a subscription for the savings and the regular deliveries. Maybe there is another option foodwise that we simply don’t know about. Or a fill-in that can bridge deliveries. Are there alternative treatment options?
So we put up a crowdfund to cover the veterinary visit and perhaps some food. Will you help us with two forms of mutual aid – the vet visit/OG food order AND then supporting ongoing food needs. Like maybe the food is $40/month so we find four people to chip in $10/month to help Cosmo?
And help Cosmo’s human who can focus on rebounding from her car issues. And help the colony cats. And so forth and so on.
Maybe it won’t be viable or sustainable. But maybe it will. Or maybe we’ll help this one cat and get some good experience on how to structure the pantry. As long as Cosmo’s health hasn’t deteriorated, there’s no lose/lose outcome here. And if it has, we’ll know and can help him.
If you can chip in a little to help Cosmo, we’d appreciate the support. You will donate through our non-profit Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities.
Facebook Crowdfund https://www.facebook.com/donate/1446263799879559/1678236649526891/
Venmo @PittsburghLGBTQ
Prefer to donate food or a gift card to buy prescription food?
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