Right off the bat, I want to introduce you to the Yuckmouths. Don't they look fun?? I have a special place in my heart for these monsters, because they belong to my good friend and fellow momma of seven: Lisa, the Yuckmouth Mommy from Seven Yuckmouths & Autism. I know, I know. There are only six in the picture, but she has one Yuckmouth that hates the camera. I can relate.
Lisa and I finally got to meet in person while at BlogHer last month, and we were room mates, too! Oh, my gosh. The woman is hysterical. This only strengthened the friendship we had cultivated as fellow bloggers for special needs through twitter, through our blogs, and via many, many phone calls. We still talk several times a week and marvel at the insanity that is teenagerhood.
Just a couple of days before BlogHer, Lisa and her family learned that their landlord had sold their house to some people that are in the business of "flipping" houses. They found out when the "flippers" showed up on their doorstep ready to take measurements. I cannot begin to imagine.
This is not good. This is very VERY not good. Not only do they have to find another place to live, but the Yuckmouth Daddy has been out of work for 4 years~ most certainly not by choice~ and there are special needs kidlets to consider. Combined, there are three Yuckmouths with special needs including autism, sensory issues, ADHD, and significant speech delays. The family was surviving for a little while with a combination of unemployment payments and SSI. Unemployment benefits ran out long ago, so they are struggling to make ends meet with inadequate funds through SSI.
While the Yuckmouth Daddy still tries desperately to find work, Lisa is doing everything she can while still being the Momma and tending to her children. Just in time for the coming Holiday season, Lisa has launched darling custom jars that are becoming all the rage in handcrafted gift giving. Each autism awareness jar she sends out is made with puzzle pieces donated to her by families touched by autism in some way. These jars are wonderful holiday gifts for teachers, therapists, babysitters, neighbors, daycare workers, case managers, doctors, and others that you want to show a little appreciation. You can order them for any holiday, customize them with a name, or order ready-made designs, and receive them empty and ready to be filled, or pre-filled with candy. In my neck of the woods ( I know, I know. I live in the sticks..), the popular thing to do is sick a bag of brownie, cookie, or cake mix in the jar, slap a tag on it, and call it a gift. They are priced reasonably and would be the perfect way to spread a little holiday cheer without killing your budget. And, you have the added knowledge that you have just helped the Yuckmouth family directly in their quest to find another place to live that will be appropriate for their large family as well as beneficial to their children with special needs. To learn more and contact Lisa, click here.
Want to help, but decorated jars just aren't your thing? You can donate without a purchase of any kind by clicking on the widget below. ALL funds collected through this fundraiser, and through sales of Lisa's jars will be used to help the family get into a place to live. Time is running out, people. This is very real, very serious, and very scary. The flippers have given them just a few short weeks to get out. You've heard of Save the Whales, Save the Dolphins, Save the green billed purple tailed polka dot snot deelywhacker. Now, let's Save the Yuckmouths! If you are unable to donate, that's OK! Your tweets and retweets, posts to Facebook, and blog posts promoting this cause will be invaluable.
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