BlogHer of the Week: tangobaby
by We didn't select this post because it inspired a TV news segment, or even because it has placed a woman and her children in a safe place, away from violence for a night or two (while they are safe, there's still more to be done).
All of that occurred afterward. What we noticed was a story that was adeptly captured and shared, and that was so compelling that readers wanted to take action. That's why we selected Julie, author of tangobaby, as our BlogHer of the Week.
In April, Julie chanced upon K and her three young children on a street in San Francisco. The woman held a sign that asked passerby for money for a "warm place 2 sleep."
Says Julie,
"I walked past them, just like the other people on their way home. I admit it. I saw her and sailed on by. ... But I had seen the tears in her eyes, too, and so halfway down the block, I yelled at myself inside my head for being an asshole and went back. I had $30 in my wallet and gave it to her."
This Samaritan act might have been enough to get the woman what she needed for a motel room, but what else? Julie has a conversation with K and her children. K had tried to seek shelter for her family at a number of places but couldn't get into any of them. She cannot go home because it's too dangerous. Julie asks K if she can blog about her situation, even take some pictures. K agrees,
"It can't be any more embarrassing than what I'm doing now," she says.
From here, we see portraits of a family that we cannot ignore or forget. Julie gives K's older children the camera, and we see their playful smiles and wonder, when will they stop smiling for the camera? When will they have tears in their eyes? When will they understand that they can't go back home?
Julie asks her readers for help, and her readers respond--some with donations, some with contact information, some with support.
But again, that's not why we chose this post. We chose it because conversations are powerful, but not if they are not shared powerfully. Julie found a way to extend K's voice, to tell her story without K having to painfully do so. We've seen how new media can be a platform for helping others, but by allowing her subjects to participate in telling their story, Julie adds another dimension of immediacy. Her readers are compelled to give K's story the happiest ending possible.
Julie, thank you for your post, and for your ingenuity.
And thanks to everyone for continuing to send in your nominated posts.
Remember to nominate individual posts, not entire blogs, and keep them
coming! If you want to check out all the BlogHer of the Week posts, check out the BlogHer of the Week archive.
Best,
Jory
For Elisa, Jory and Lisa
BlogHer Co-founders
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Comments
thank you and please help!
Dear Jory,
Thank you for this wonderful recognition about my work with this young homeless mother and her family.
For those of your readers unfamiliar with this story, it's an ongoing effort to keep this little precious family safe under a roof because the city of San Francisco has proved incapable of providing services to this, and probably many other, families in similar, dire circumstances.
It is ONLY through the generosity and caring and support of the blogosphere that this little family has been able to stay together, safe and warm. Please, please do help, with spreading word, donating money to keep them in a place to live until something permanent becomes available.
Thank you so so much for hearing us, seeing us. It truly truly makes a difference.
With love,
Julie
Thrilled to see Tangobaby chosen
The two things I found very special and particularly powerful about Julie's post(s) are the inclusion of K and her family in the picture taking not just as subjects and the illustration of how inadequate are our institutions and support systems. How can we empower women to leave their abusers if there are no nets to catch them when they leap? How many families like K's are there out there that we haven't seen?
Although I am profoundly disappointed and frustrated by K's situation I am grateful for the power of blogging and the voice inside Julie that moved her to witness and share her story.
BlogHer Contributing Editor
PopConsumer
Beyond Help
Summer apartment, sublet, in SF for K's
family
What K and her family really need now is a place to stay through the end of the summer. It sounds like they have housing lined up for September. They need to stay in San Francisco, not the East Bay. Can anyone help - do you know a landlord, maybe someone in a student housing situation or who needs a roommate, someone leaving for the summer who might sublet?
Ask your friends - ask your ex-landlords if you're on good terms - Let's keep helping K. and her kids to find shelter and stability.
-----------------
Liz Henry
lizzard@bookmaniac.net
Contributing Editor, World and Latin America
Donations?
Does anyone know whether K and her family need other types of donations - such as clothing? I may have access to some new or gently used woman's clothing for her. If there's a way to find out what could help, that would be great.
I realize this also means needing a place to collect and store... Thanks.
Susan
Hi Susan, from reading Julie's posts, I think she wants to get the housing organized and then she can turn her mind to donations.
She is a truly amazing woman. I have been the lucky recipient of her generosity in the past, she is one of the good ones.
Kath from http:www.soeursdujour.com
Where do we send donations
Maybe I did not read enough of the story but where can we send money so rent can be paid until Sept.?
Michelle
I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/
Tangobaby blog
If you go to Julie's blog, Tangobaby, there is a PayPal button at the top right. It was down but is back up.
Right now the need is greatest for finding a place to rent so if you have any SF connections or can put the word out to your network, she'd be appreciative. :)
BlogHer Contributing Editor
PopConsumer
Beyond Help
thank you again!
I'm so grateful for the exposure and attention we've been getting from BlogHer. Thank you so much for choosing this story and your generosity and the generosity of your readers. Tomorrow I am taking the family to the zoo for mother's day, and these donations help this little family to do all of the fun things that many of us take for granted.
Again, many many thanks! And please keep checking in with us.
;-)
julie