Urgent ! (Again) from CCADP

[CCADP]

For all anti death penalty CCADP board members
(Pro death penalty people who get this - its not directed at you!)

Those of you who have been around for awhile know that every once in awhile we need to send out one of these messages. A lot of expenses gather for CCADP (mostly telephone; mailing and stationary and internet expenses.)

We take on most of these costs ourselves (Jim and Tonya took care of over 150 dollars worth of stamps and stationary when they were visiting here a month ago - THANK YOU GUYS!) but we are in URGENT need of assistance to help pay off some CCADP bills that must be paid immediatley. (for those who are new to CCADP; no one here is paid for our work with CCADP; we are all volunteer and pay for CCADP expenses out of our own not very deep pockets - and with occasional help from a few members). We've had some difficult personal times; leading to their not being as much of our own funds to put towards CCADP expenses lately; which is why it seems that we wait until services are at risk of cut off before sending out an appeal.

The current most urgent bill is a telephone bill for 3 months of service.

The long distance service has already been cut off; so until it is paid we are no longer able to accept prisoners calls; or call long distance at all which impedes our work a great deal. If they don't recieve at least a partial payment in the next day or two; the phone line will be cut off as well.

Its way too much for one person - 600 Canadian which is about 500 US I think; so perhaps a few people out there might be able to put something towards it? You can send it to the company directly via credit card if it is a larger amount; or to us via one of the ways listed below if you want to contribute a few dollars towards it.

The bill consists of some collect prisoner calls; calls we made to prisoners attorneys and family members; calls made returning media inquiries regarding prisoners and other things of this nature.

If anyone needs to see the bill; I can fax it to them....

Please contact me at [e-mail] right away if you can help with a larger amount and I will put you in touch with the phone company directly.

If you can help with a smaller contribution; please send in one of the following ways :

Paypal (see link at top of www.ccadp.org or www.ccadp.org/membership.htm
Visa or Mastercard (see link at top of www.ccadp.org or www.ccadp.org/membership.htm
US, Canadian, or UK cheques (send to CCADP; 80 Lillington Ave; Toronto ON; M1N 3K7 Canada )
International money order or postal money order (send to CCADP; 80 Lillington Ave; Toronto ON; M1N 3K7 Canada )
Bank transfer (contact [e-mail] for info)
Western Union (contact [e-mail] for info)
European members may send euros in an envelope if they wish; due to the difficulties in purchase of money orders there.

Please contact us right away to let us know if and how you can help!

It really is - once again - a desperate situation. If it seems like you get these a lot remember we ask for no grants or funding in order to maintain independance; we are self sufficient; and when needed; member supported.

Please help now! And if you haven't joined CCADP yet but you appreciate our work PLEASE do - membership info is at www.ccadp.org/membership.htm

[CCADP]

Thanks to one person who is sending 100 US; and a few people whose donations total close to another hundred together; we have now about 200 promised out of the needed 600.
If anyone else can help please contact us its urgent...

[antideathpen67]

The Crazy Pros have just posted this on their website... they are trying to help you too




Thanks Miles for the edit of this picture LOL... it was huuuuuge ;D

[CCADP]

Wow ! they really are crazy!

I don't like the KKK; and I wouldn't give them a penny; even for a joke...

Its nice to be reminded again how important we are to them and how often they think of us...

[turidihle]

admin said:

Wow ! they really are crazy!

I don't like the KKK; and I wouldn't give them a penny; even for a joke...

Its nice to be reminded again how important we are to them and how often they think of us...

Nah...... Wouldn't take this so lightly if I were you. Judging by what I hear, people are really getting leary of ccadp every time the phonebill and / or electrical bills are due and there is no money.

From here, we can only imagine all you do for this cause that is expensive. Like collect calls, stamps etc. Perhaps because these things cost lots of money for other people in this "business" too, many are thinking more in the lines of "I have enough with my own expenses for stamps and collect calls to be sending money to ccadp in addition to that".

Also - remember: Try to see it from my (and some others) perspective: We try our best to make do with the little we have. Most of time, many of us have to say no to our prison friends when there is no money for phonebills & electrical bills, insurances, taxes, clothing, doctors, food, for ourselves - and also for our kids.

I might come across as "cheap", but I'm just trying to be a friend: $600 is a lot of money, (particularly for a grassroots movement like this), and although people might not tell you, many are getting tired of the panic every time some bill is due and we're asked (however politely) to cover your costs.

Love, Turid

[sclcookie]

Being a DP activist is definately expensive. That is real nice that the Crazy Pros is donating for our cause.

hugggz,
Suzanne

[CCADP]

I belong to all kinds of groups and political parties and I regularly recieve appeals from them - even though they ALL have funding; grants; regular donations etc. There are several that take 5 dollars from my account every few months in order to support their work. There are others I support but do not choose to give to; as I have too many other commitments.

People can choose to help us or not.

We realize that everyone in this work is using their funds to do this work and help penpals etc. People forget sometimes that its not just two or three prisoners we are committed to responding to and helping; but nearly 1000. This means we need to send out between 3 and 15 letters every day; respondingto prisoners; often sending back three inch thick legal documents or poster sized artwork that is expensive in mailing. When 1000 prisoners expect quick responses; that gets to be a big weekly expense.

Yes it is a big charge (phone expenses). Do I have to itemize how much it has cost me to call people back who call here; from students doing essays; from univesity students across north america calling etc. Of course we try to limit this to emails but weekly get calls from students who leave just a phone number. We also send out mailings of info to these students. We accept collect calls from several of the prisoners we are working with; there is no other way for them to often get urgent message to their families who have no collect on their phones; etc. We are in regular touch with the family members of people whose cases we have taken on. This month alone I have had to respond to a lot of media calls which is also an important part of our work as it helps more eyes to visit the prisoners pages which creates more activists and more penpals which is what we want.

We do take on every cost ourself; but we are two people in one family with a child and personal expenses; not very well paying jobs; that put all of our mney into this for the last eight years. It is often that we do not have funds even for stamps until we get paid from our jobs.

Our work is effective. People like it. People thank us every day for the hours of work a day we do for free.

But it comes down to this - why should one young family have to take on every single expense associated with this because we have offered to do what we can for 1000 prisoners and any more that write to us? Any one sentenced to death anywhere in the world is entitled to our help - not just a few we have chosen as penpals.
What is wrong with putting out that help is needed when we need help to keep CCADP going?

The alternative would be to say; 'we can no longer afford this' and stop responding to the prisoners letters; stop making webpages; stop answering their calls and their families and media questions. Just stop the CCADP.

We are NOT going to that because we KNOW how many people count on us. So the only answer is to ask for funds like any other org does from its members to continue to maintain our work. If you don't like what we do or if you are over extended; please send money elsewhere. If you want the CCADP to be able to continue; a few basic things are needed; and I continue to ask that others pull together to help it maintain those things.

[miles]

I agree with Tracy. the CCADP is not a charity, it get's no funding from anywhere. It's honourable that a family in Canada would want to help all DR prisoners in this way and as members here, even if we only donated just $2 each, that would help Tracy and Dave enormously.

Keep up the essential work guys, and if any members can afford 2 bucks (or more!) please send it. We use this place, so I think sometimes we should contribute, wherever possible.

Miles

[maxine]

Just a thought, do you all think that if the CCADP actually became a registered charity that things would be different ?

[moghirl]

Maxine, there's a post on the board somewhere already, explaining why this is not an option.

[sclcookie]

maybe the members of Crazy Pros who donate, secretly are anti ....that's why they are donating. That is so cool of them.

hugggz,
Suzanne

[CCADP]

If they actually send it - I won't cash it; but I will frame it!
;D its hilarious!

[sclcookie]

admin said:

If they actually send it - I won't cash it; but I will frame it!
;D its hilarious!

Now, if they send more, y'all cash it, right? 1 framed is enough, don't you think. In fact, I'd frame the lesser of the amount and cash the one(s) that are the most ;D.

hugggz,
Suzanne

[dethroned]

I'd just like to say that I was happy to send what little money I could afford. I feel bad that I don't do more letter writing and campaigning myself, and if my small donation makes a difference even to one person, then I'm happy.
June