Update on Gary's situation

Just a quick post from one of Gary's boosters, to bring you up to speed with what is happening with Gary. (For the backstory on how this blog came to be, read this and the link therein.)

Within a few hours of Amy's blog post and me setting up this blog, Gary has had $500 worth of commissions roll in. We've also had a couple of domain names donated by mbm, and Jake Lager of Lager Weingarten law firm in Santa Monica has offered to give Gary legal advice regarding his new venture, pro bono. (Thanks also to Jeff Jarvis and Pajamas Media for linking to Gary's new blog.)

Amy went and found Gary last night, showed him this blog, and spoke to him to make sure that this is all stuff he wants to do. It's Gary's life; we're all rational egoists here and want to help him, but this human being's life is not a 'project' of ours by any means. We - and the people who are commissioning his work and offering forms of help - just want to help Gary to make a better life for himself. (Note also that Amy offered to help him with a loan, not a handout or - worse - an insultingly low price for his work.)

Gary is thrilled with everything that's going on, and I know he'd want me to communicate his thanks to everyone who is helping (even if only by sending their good wishes and admiration for his work).

Amy is helping Gary get set up with a PO box and a bank account, and then a PayPal account. I'm sending him the T-Mobile pay-and-go cell phone I still have from my month or so working in California last year. And we're working on getting someone local to him to help Gary with the day-to-day handling of email enquiries, sales, etc. He's going to need some help on that front, at least while he's getting back on his feet. So if you're local to Santa Monica and have got a bit of time to spare during the day to check Gary's email and let him know (via cell or in person) about offers and customer enquiries, please get in touch.

Comments

[Jauhara al Kafirah]

Wow. Simply, wow.

[Douglas Field]

Let's hope everyone remembers that Gary needs a place to sleep that is safe and off the street.His talent is there and if he aquires housing in the near future he can be a perfect example for others to reach out to those in homeless situations like Gary's.