First off, I have to apologize for not getting blog posts out on time last Thursday or yesterday (Monday). There has been so much to do and so many different things we're working on, it's hard to keep up on the blog all by myself. To make it up to you, I wanted to use this time to provide you a little sneak peek for the road ahead, and the things that we're trying to accomplish by the end of the year.
On the blog front, I've got great news that I won't be doing it alone anymore! In the coming months, you're going to be seeing new posts from authors who are building a reputation in their fields and eager to help share educational and thought-provoking material with our supporters. One of them will be doing a series of articles about the American prison system, how and why we have so many more people in jail per capita than any other modern country, and the terrible effects it has particularly on minority and low-income families. Our second up-coming guest author will be providing a series from her perspective as someone trained in child welfare work, explaining the effects that domestic violence and sexual abuse can have on families, and the coping mechanisms and healing strategies which can re-empower victims or their children and enable them to lead happy and healthy lives.
On the fund-raising front, talking to a lot of people they have wanted to support the cause and try and donate to fund operating costs, but don't have lump sum amounts available. Our family, friends, and supporters right now are pretty much like us (and the type of people we eventually want to help) in that times are hard and they don't have a lot of disposable income. Well soon, we're going to be able to offer monthly recurring donations (like NPR does during their pledge driv
es) where instead of coming up with money up front to support Justice Unlocked, you'll be able to give small amounts of 5, 10, 25 a month so that over the year your donations add up to a substantial amount!
We're also working on two fund-raising events. A trivia night at a Bloomington, Indiana local watering hole, with cash prizes and a lot of fun. The hope for this event is just to start us off small with the logistics of running fundraisers with a crowd. Then later on in the year closer to Christmas, we're hoping to do a large charity poker tournament at a local event venue. Hopefully there will be a catered buffet, a silent auction, and big prizes for the winners of the tournament and everyone will be able to come out and enjoy a night of gaming for a good cause.
Last, but certainly not least, we've outlined some big plans on the educational front. Soon we're going to be posting some "how-to" articles that will teach people about the protective order process in Indiana and Georgia, some basic articles and multimedia resources on human trafficking, and are working on an exciting technological development that will let you go through an automatic Q&A to figure out your legal needs and direct you to the right resources to find help.
So, that's where we're at now, looking down the road ahead. It's been harder and slower than we've hoped, but not as bad as the worst could be, and everyone is dedicated to working hard and making Justice Unlocked a success!
