I would be remiss if I did not remind you, on this final day of the year, that the Redemption Project needs your support if you are in a position to make any end-of-year gifts.
If you are in the United States, gifts made through our fiscal agent, the Juvenile Law Society of Denver CO, are fully tax deductible. If you are from anywhere else in the world, I honestly don’t have a clue about tax deductibility. But saving on taxes is not why you give, anyway.
Asking for money is never a desired task, but it is necessary. The needs of our sponsored youth may seem endless, as is your generosity. For your past support, I thank you. But I by no means wish to appear thankless as I ask, once again, for you to open your purse strings and hearts to these kids who rely on the constancy of your help.
I heard this last weekend from Chris Brown, Jordan’s dad, asking for us to step up our support for his son. Jordan is still languishing in prison, despite the fact that he has won every legal appeal and, in the eyes of Pennsylvania law, is innocent. Yet the state refuses to admit that it has held him in confinement for five formative years while it has been playing its game of official C.Y.A. and the politics of avoiding a public admission that it has stolen the youth of an innocent boy. And the final insult of the situation is this: Chris has been compelled to pay Pennsylvania $500 per month in “child support” for the privilege of being legally abused. Chris is dog-tired and is sick of being perpetually broke. He is asking for our help in seeing to the needs of his son and I, of course, agreed. Stay tuned.
I heard a few days ago from Austin Eversole who told me that his family has further curtailed his support. With less money being put onto his books, he must forgo the small pleasures that make his life behind bars bearable: soap, toothpaste, extra food, postage stamps, etc. I learned that just $50 per month could make all the difference. And though he didn’t ask, I offered. He gratefully accepted. So his monthly support commences in January.
Alex King was just sprung loose from state confinement yesterday, but his needs have by no means come to an end. Over the holidays, a well-known attorney on the national scene contacted me to learn how he could help financially with Alex’s education. Alex is a natural-born student and very intelligent, so this man knows a good investment when he sees it. There are many other people standing in line, too, who have offered to help Alex in some way. We need to get it organized when the dust settles after his prison release.
I could go on, but I won’t. The needs of every young person are different, but their satisfaction depends on you.
Thank you for everything you have—and will—make possible.
To make a contribution to the Redemption Project, please visit the link at the top of this page or click here.
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Groove of the Day
Listen to Livingston Taylor performing “The Thank You Song”
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PS: Party hearty tonight, but please consider making a gift before the year is out. Think about it. By giving up the cost of just one drink, you can make a big difference in a kid’s life.