Service Learning Activism Log, Entry Three.

1) This week, I tabled at VegFest with Abigail, Valerie, and Danielle. We were in the Animal Haven area, wedged between a table for greyhound adoptions and pug adoptions, so there was a lot of foot traffic, but we were largely ignored because we didn't have any cute animals with us. I suppose we didn't account for human nature. I was there from nine am when we set everything up until six when Dani and I loaded everything into her car and parted ways. We were the last two people there from our group, as the crowds died down and we let everyone else go because we only had two chairs anyway. I had really great time because a lot of my friends are the type who would go to VegFest anyway, so I convinced a lot of people to visit our booth, and I ran into quite a few old friends. My friend Betsy works as a graphic designer at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, right behind Loch Haven Park, and she came by with her friend Elizabeth after work and Elizabeth donated $20, which, not surprisingly, comprised around two thirds of the cash donations we received that day. More importantly than cash donations, however, was that quite a lot of people took our cards, mentioned donating online, or meeting a representative halfway to give pet supplies or food. One woman and her family frequently donate to the Humane Society anyway, making $200 trips to Walmart for dog food and supplies every couple of months, and she had a previously abused dog, so she formed a very personal bond with the mission of our organization and expressed a sincere desire to spread that donation around. We received interest for one or two fosters, but generally, it was obvious that at least among this subset of people, the most convenient and desirable form of contribution is generally in the form of monetary resources, which happens to be our most pressing need right now anyway.


2) Animal Safehouse's goals in assisting the fight against gender violence, or at least managing its accompanying issues, is as relevant as ever on its own.  In Women's Lives, there is a citation that says that "as many as 4 million American women are physically abused by men who promised to love them" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 260). That alone is disturbing and startling. More than that, though, putting into practiced perspective how difficult it is to procure funds, even in such an open-minded and generally affluent atmosphere, solidifies my belief that I made the right choice regarding what organization I chose for my work regarding women and financial agency/entrepreneurship. Even with what can only be considered a very well-conceived and altruistic cause, it's still nearly impossible to get anyone to care, without a gimmick (am I allowed to redirect you to my own set of previously cited statistics?) This lends itself to the belief that the structure of our hierarchal, capitalist society breeds a degree of apathy in all people, obviously acting in a manner that can be considered antithetical to anyone's empowerment, but specifically those considered "other" (read: women).


3) I had a genuinely great time on Saturday. It was a really beautiful day, so in the slow periods, I spent some time reading Lorrie Moore at our table, which was incredibly well-situated, in terms of shade, and I met some really interesting people as well. As far as the project itself, it was really fun to sell to strangers a cause I've become rather passionate about. It also gave me an opportunity to speak to Abigail in person about my situation with my hours and plan out other SL opportunities, specifically that we may work on grant writing. I'm using this cause for three separate classes, so I'm going to stop my log at fifteen hours (I'm at twelve right now, and will be finished on the forth, when I do Diva Invasion), but grant writing will still be invaluable to my research process.

Works Cited

"Domestic Violence Facts." National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. <www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf>.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Word Count: 700