Writers Emergency Assistance Fund
The sagging US economy has been particularly rough on free-lancers. The American Society of Journalists and Author’s “Writers Emergency Assistance Fund” has seen a 500 percent increase in grant requests from desperate writers.
As a long-time ASJA member, I’ve gladly contributed to the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund – and I’m glad to use this forum to bring attention to WEAF’s good works.
Can you join ASJA’s blogathon to spread the word about WEAF’s financial needs? Send a link to your post to WEAFHelp@gmail.com, and ASJA will add your post to their links.
The cries for help from fellow writers are heart-breaking:
- A single mom with credits in top magazines and a four-year-old daughter is unable to work during chemotherapy for breast cancer. Worse, her high-deductible health plan isn’t adequately covering her huge medical bills.
- A proud dance critic, age 89, who has written professionally for more than 50 years, has no money to pay for nursing care needed after developing serious complications after a hip replacement.
- Another widely published writer faced foreclosure and cutoff of her utilities after her son’s potentially life-threatening illness drained her savings.
If you can contribute financially to WEAF, that’s wonderful. If you can help spread the word about WEAF, that’s wonderful, too. Thank you!