There, but for the Grace.... An Appeal for Help, with a Match (UPDATED)

Holiday season is upon us, and, as seems always to be the case, beloved friends are in trouble.  Our own TiaRachel has fallen on hard times:  her electric service has been cut off, she has no reliable Internet connection, and she is unable to pursue her work of writing.  

Her talent all of us can attest to.  Like so many of us, TiaRachel has health issues which make the current economic conditions we all face particularly difficult for her.  And with our new Congress, any help from our government seems further away than ever.  We need to depend on ourselves, our friends, our community in these benighted days.  And that's why I'm asking this big, generous community for your help.  She has already posted a plea for help, which some of us were able to catch and respond to.  But she needs more help, financial and otherwise.

TiaRachel needs at least $4500 to climb out of her current hole and begin again, at least for the time being.  Please consider dropping her a little help, if you're in a position to do so.  To get the ball rolling, I will match the first $250 in donations, so your contribution counts double!  If anyone else would like to make a matching pledge, please volunteer in the comments and I'll feature you up top here.  She's also mentioned help with possible job referrals in her diary cited above, and I know those would be appreciated as well.  And as always, Recommends to keep this diary visible are great, as are expressions of love and good will for our dear TiaRachel.