Help a Needy Writer

Even back when I was a newspaper reporter earning a meager $18,000 a year, I believed in giving back. Back then, there were months when I had to choose between paying my rent late or paying my car loan late. I still donated what money I could to charities, though, and I donated my time, too.

The more I’ve given to others over the years, the better my life has become. Whenever times have gotten hard, I’ve been tempted to give less. Yet, whenever I’ve scaled back and have gotten selfish, I’ve found that my mood has plummeted and my life has become more complicated.

So, this holiday season, even as I worry about the recession and whether or not my husband and I will have to dip into savings in order to cover our basic expenses, I’ve decided to give. After all, for me, life is good. I live in a house, of which I own about 20 percent (the bank still owns the rest). Our cars are both old, but they are also paid for. I have a 401-K and a 529.

Yes, we’re in a recession. Yes, in 2009, neither my husband nor I earned anything close to what we’ve earned in years past. Yes, my 401-K is not worth what it was two years ago. And, yes, I still have a prescription slip for a medical test that I’m supposed to get, but that I don’t think I can afford—because my health insurance bites.

Yes, about a lot of things that rot about this economy and this world. All of that said, I’m no longer a newspaper reporter with zero savings who keeps bouncing checks because she can’t afford her expenses. As far as freelance writers go, I’m doing very well for myself.

That’s why, the other day, I contributed to one of my favorite charities, The Writer’s Emergency Assistance Fund.  I’m hoping that you will consider reaching into your pockets for this charity, too—even if you are not a writer.

Established in 1982, the Writer’s Emergency Assistance Fund (WEAF) is a nonprofit that gives financial assistance to writers who are down on their luck in a major way. Recently, the fund helped:

* A magazine writer who could not work because she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. This single mother of a 4-year-old daughter could not pay her medical bills because they were not covered by her high deductible health plan.

* A writer who faced foreclosure after her son’s life-threatening illness drained her savings.

*A 72-year-old leukemia survivor with 33 books and numerous articles to his credit, who faced eviction after a hospitalization depleted his savings.

*A 40-year-old single mother who needed temporary help after a series of crises, including being attacked and carjacked while shopping, being evacuated from her home during California wildfires, and losing her grant-writing job and its health insurance when her employer lost its government funding.

*A young essayist, a double amputee once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, who had been equipped with poorly fitting artificial legs, making movement painful. The WEAF got him back on his feet, with new prosthetic limbs.

Whenever I read about the people who were helped by this amazing charity, it brings tears to my eyes. Because the fund is run by volunteers, you can rest assured that the money you donate will get to the people who need it most.

Since inception, the fund has awarded 184 grants, totaling $500,000—rescuing writers from homelessness, eviction, and bankruptcy. The recession, though, has affected publishing greatly. As a result, applications to the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund have jumped 500 percent this year. The charity is currently giving away more in grants than it is receiving in donations.

But you can change that. We can change that. Consider donating to this or some other charity this holiday season. If all of us give a little bit more, we can make a big difference.

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