Assistance for BurningMan

[meandthemissus]

Just north of Reno is a community called Sun Valley. It is a community of the desperately poor. The largest percentage of former prison inmates of any community in the nation.

Most of the people live in single wide and double wide mobilehomes often without skirting. Drug and alchohol and domestic abuse is widespread. The community seems like something out of the back hills of West Virginia. These folk can use your help.

We are initiating a project to povide money to these people to attend BurningMan. We would like to bring many families out to BurningMan for an experience away from their "ghetto" away from the harsh Washoe County Sheriffs Department. We want to create a large "art" camp, based on their lives. We feel that the open spirit of BurningMan will introduce these people to a freedom to express and belong, a freedom missing in the economic trap back in Sun Valley they are stuck in.

If with assistance they can remain reasonably sober and non violent, we think that this will be a grand opening into a whole new way of thinking and being.

If you would like to assist financially and as a chaperone (primarily to limit abuse) Please respond via this thread. This will enable us and others to gage the response.

Thanks,
Sun Valley Residents Rescue Society.

[Isotopia]

Drug and alchohol and domestic abuse is widespread. The community seems like something out of the back hills of West Virginia. These folk can use your help.

So, um, are you soliciting help in transferring this on to the playa?

We want to create a large "art" camp, based on their lives.

Maybe I'm reading this the wrong way but I'm not sure where the 'art' lies in setting up a situation in which lives of destitution, assault and abuse are mirrored in an encampment of people.

If you would like to assist financially and as a chaperone (primarily to limit abuse)

And for what it might be worth it sounds like this is as far from self-reliance as damn near anything I can think of. Basically you're asking for benefactors to not only sponsor a group of people that don't have the wherewitha to make their own effort to get to the event you also ask that others monitor - essentially babysit - folks who've yet to learn the social skills necessary to keep from beating each other to a fucking pulp.

Is this a troll? Are you for real?

Seriously?

[stickysunset]

what iso said.



sticky

[Dustdevil]

Yeah, what ISO said!

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

What Meandthemissus said about the demographics of the Sun Valley area is basically true, with the possible exception of the Highland Ranch community on the north end. I live in Sparks, Nevada to the East.

You sound like a person who has other good ideas, but using this event like a methadone clinic for the soul is not your best work. The inspiration you gain from attending Burning Man may be better spent here in the default world, helping them with their situation.

What you are suggesting seems rather co-alchoholic in nature. People have to participate in their own way once they get to Burning Man, and the chaparone approach will only make them think "why are you showing me all of this partying and not letting me participate?" If everything goes to plan, they will behave not as a yahoo but a spectator... which is worse?

Have you considered working with one of our local charities like Habitat for Humanity that is building homes for people? Or assisting them to find a lower interest rate loan for their manufactured home. Find some scrap material and help them install skirting. Become a "big brother".

Lots of us think that if only people had what we have their lives would be better. Help them if you will, but let them find Burngin Man on their own.

[Ranger Genius]

I think this is the result of the misguided belief that exposure to burning man will solve any problems in your life. The reality, though, is that it really only solves problems for people for whom their real problem is that they don't have enough problems.

[sparkletarte]

I would take that idea and give them a holiday on the ocean, or a farm, or somewhere lush with lots of trees, the kind of thing some programs do for inner city kids who have never left the conrete. Or set up a year round art project. Or something. BM is not a cure.

[sparkletarte]

Ah, not a cure for me. Far be it for me to determine what your experience would be. ahem. excuse my faux pas.

[blueniteowl]

Meandthemissus, I think your heart is in the right place but I don't think you really know these people. If I lived in the area in question and someone came up to me with this proposal, I think I would be insulted. As much as BM is a great event, it's not for everybody. I agree with sparkletarte, if you want to give them a vacation send them somewhere where the environment isn't so harsh.

If you want to help get people to Burning Man, why don't you donate money or tickets to some of the artists here that are struggling. There are people who are regularly on eplaya that for one reason or another may not make it to the event this year. People who could really contribute if given the chance.

[blueniteowl]

Have you spoken to these people at all? Is this something they want? Do you realized how you have commented about how poor, beaten up, an alcoholic they are? How would you feel if someone said this stuff about you? It sounds like you want to "save" these people from their lives, and I just wondering if they really want to be "saved".

[Release Me]

Why don't we just bring Burning Man to Sun Valley??? Only if we're promised a minimal amount of exploding meth labs!

[MissNev]

Just north of Reno is a community called Sun Valley. It is a community of the desperately poor. The largest percentage of former prison inmates of any community in the nation.

Most of the people live in single wide and double wide mobilehomes often without skirting. Drug and alchohol and domestic abuse is widespread. The community seems like something out of the back hills of West Virginia.

I would be very interested to learn where these "facts" were gathered. I have friends and family who live in Sun Valley (and not in the Highland Ranch area). I'm not buying it.

Should we also set up an assistance program for the people who live near Neil Road? Sutro?

I'm in East Sparks...how about an assistance fund for me?

[Cabanasprings]

Just north of Reno is a community called Sun Valley. It is a community of the desperately poor. The largest percentage of former prison inmates of any community in the nation.

It's our own little Australia

Most of the people live in single wide and double wide mobilehomes often without skirting. Drug and alchohol and domestic abuse is widespread. The community seems like something out of the back hills of West Virginia. These folk can use your help.

the key here is "NO SKIRTING" - no wonder they are all alcoholics

If with assistance they can remain reasonably sober and non violent, we think that this will be a grand opening into a whole new way of thinking and being.

With assistance I can't remain sober at burningman - and I'm neither an ex-con or an alcoholic


You could call your project - BurningMeth and on Saturday you could light up a single wide (without a skrt.) Though it would be difficult to discern the MOOP.

[meandthemissus]

I see this as an opportunity to shift their paradigm.. I find it rather odd that MissNev knows people that live in Sun Valley yet apparently has never been there.

I think of this project as somewhat akin to "changing their channel" If a few hundred come out to BurningMan, they see a way of life while different, not completely different. You speak of struggling artists, how many of these people are camoflauged artists, needing only the removal of the layers of "netting" to "become".

I think the addition of diversity to Burningman would be good for both groups.

Namaste

[Ranger Genius]

Gonna drag this out until April? You get an A for planning.

[Cabanasprings]

meandthemissus - Have you ever been to burningman?

Lets do the math - (not the meth - hahahaha)


200 x $200 per ticket = $40,000

figure it takes at least $200 per person for supplies. 200 x $200 = $40,000

$40,000 + $40,000 = $80,000

That seems like a lot of money that could be used to better the real world community. My experience at burningman is a bunch of people who bust there ass to get there. For many the great part of the experience is the planning and saving all year just to get back. It's survival at times. You have to BELIEVE - you have to want it.

Good intentions - but $80,000.

[blueniteowl]

I see this as an opportunity to shift their paradigm. I think of this project as somewhat akin to "changing their channel" If a few hundred come out to BurningMan, they see a way of life while different, not completely different.

And again I ask - Do these people want this? And, it they area as poor as you say, if these people have jobs how will they be able to take the time off from work? Are you going to reimburse them for there lost wages? And I would also like to meet the adult that is going to allow a chaperone to follow them around.

And what happens if these people do start acting up? What will you do then? Just bring them back?

You speak of struggling artists, how many of these people are camoflauged artists, needing only the removal of the layers of "netting" to "become".

Okay, so say you find budding artists and they have the greatest time and their lives are truely changed. How are they going to afford to come in '06? Will you sponser them again?

I'm sorry, but it just doesn't sound like you have really thought this through. And to me, it sounds like you want to do this more so that you can pat yourself on the back and say what a good job you did "saving" these people. Rather than truely wanting to help them.

Please, tell me I'm wrong. Introduce us to these people who really need to come to Burning Man.

[dragonfly Jafe]

I think the addition of diversity to Burningman would be good for both groups.Namaste

But you want someone else to pay for it....

...so why not apply for scholarship tickets?

[MissNev]

Again with the ridiculous statements, meandthemissus. Do you actually have any basis for your "facts?" I'm at a loss as to how you can determine that I've never been to Sun Valley...I have; many, many, many times. For the record, my office represents 3 separate mobile home parks (with strict compliance rules regarding skirting) and several landowners (also with strict compliance rules regarding skirting). Since research is one of my strong points, I took the liberty of asking my best friend (who lives in a double wide manufactured home--with skirting, in Sun Valley) if she would be interested in going to Burning Man this year. Her answer, as with the previous 3 years I've asked her, is absolutely not. Even if there were no cost to her. It is, quite simply, not her thing. She is not an alcoholic, she is not an ex con, she is not a drug abuser. Nor, for that matter, is any member of her family (all of whom have lived in Sun Valley for the past 20 years).

I certainly don't begrudge you for trying to be charitable, but you should check your facts before spewing such inaccurate, and obviously fictitious statistics.

[MissNev]

The first year I went to Burning Man was to view an art installment which I had the great honor of participating in. I went to the studio of the artist and posed for a plaster cast mold. He made several plaster torsos that year in his studio behind his house IN SUN VALLEY, and took the torsos to Burning Man for a display in the desert. That was 8 years ago, and as far as I know, he still participates.

Just wanted to throw that out.

[MissNev]

The first year I went to Burning Man was to view an art installment which I had the great honor of participating in. I went to the studio of the artist and posed for a plaster cast mold. He made several plaster torsos that year in his studio behind his house IN SUN VALLEY, and took the torsos to Burning Man for a display in the desert. That was 8 years ago, and as far as I know, he still participates.

Just wanted to throw that out.

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Should we also set up an assistance program for the people who live near Neil Road? Sutro?

I'm in East Sparks...how about an assistance fund for me?

Once upon a birthday I woke up in my home off of Wells Avenue and the Montello gang had tagged the whole side of the building. I've since moved to East Sparks, but think back fondly to such a birthday gift. If only we could start a fund to send them all to Burning Man, I just know they would learn to use their rattle cans to share their gift with others.

When's your birthday?

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Should we also set up an assistance program for the people who live near Neil Road? Sutro?

I'm in East Sparks...how about an assistance fund for me?

Once upon a birthday I woke up in my home off of Wells Avenue and the Montello gang had tagged the whole side of the building. I've since moved to East Sparks, but think back fondly to such a birthday gift. If only we could start a fund to send them all to Burning Man, I just know they would learn to use their rattle cans to share their gift with others.

When's your birthday?

[Release Me]

Go ahead and call me a Republican, but if somebody wants to go to Burningman they're going to have to work and save for it. I think many of the Sun Valley folk have better things they need to do with they're time...like get jobs.

[geekster]

Hmm, sounds to me like maybe a little bit of Burning Man could come there first. Let them decide on their own if they want to make the trip. As a matter of fact, think of it this way: a resident of Sun Valley decides on their own to save up the money for a ticket and get themself there. They have an amazing experiance and bring that back home.

I DON'T want to see the event turned into a summer camp for the disadvantaged and I don't need someone trying to lay a guilt trip on me for not helping them haul a group of people with marginal social skills out to the middle of the desert.

Maybe such a place would be great for David Best to build a chapel.

[Tiahaar]

Interestingly, here is the author of this thread's post #11...shedding some light on feelings about Burningman:

Of Course, looking down from all that grand country you see....... Burningman and all the clowns from town. Burningman should be held in an appropriate location, San Fernando Valley.. Or another ugly town.

I too am strongly in the "you wanna go, you fight for yourself to get there" camp.

[Rob the Wop]

Interestingly, here is the author of this thread's post #11...shedding some light on feelings about Burningman:

Of Course, looking down from all that grand country you see....... Burningman and all the clowns from town. Burningman should be held in an appropriate location, San Fernando Valley.. Or another ugly town.

I too am strongly in the "you wanna go, you fight for yourself to get there" camp.

Guys name is Black Rock Rick. Look up his posts too.

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Interestingly, here is the author of this thread's post #11...shedding some light on feelings about Burningman:

Of Course, looking down from all that grand country you see....... Burningman and all the clowns from town. Burningman should be held in an appropriate location, San Fernando Valley.. Or another ugly town.

I too am strongly in the "you wanna go, you fight for yourself to get there" camp.

Guys name is Black Rock Rick. Look up his posts too.

Ak! Knocked by a Sock in a Smock!

[meandthemissus]

To answer a few concerns.
MissNev, It is a curiousity that your view of Sun Valley differs so much. My stats come from Washoe County Social Services, I do not know if they are available to the public. I work with these folk in Sun Valley. I recommend a drive up Sun Valley Blvd to Second by Hobies, turn left to Sidehill drive up side hill to Quartz turn left on Quartz and follow it. Take a high clearance vehicle. My favorite trailer is the singlewide that the occupant has nailed unpainted plywood completely around, covering all sheetmetal and windows, but not skirting it, just leaning other sheets against the back half of it leaving the front half open.

Whether they want to go. It would be voluntary of course, I think the interest is there, Burningman is essential camping in a well developed infrastructure. While it may not be my cup of tea, it works well for those who do not function well independently.

Cost: We already have grant pledges, the cost is not astronomical when you consider a 5 day stay for school groups at Headlands Institute in Marin Headlands can run $20,000 and they are booked solid.


Chaperones, the lead group here is expected to be SOG out of Minden, just south of Reno, they, are pretty qualified. We expect the participants to participate in Burningman as much as anyone, we just want to make sure that their experience is positive.

The personal negative snarky attackss are curious. There is a proverb that says something like," those who lack dreams will attempt to destroy yours"

I welcome critiques of the project, you are the people most familiar. I attended BurningMan prefence, 10 and more years ago. I don't think the changes are positive, but for entrapped people it could be "The Channel Changer".

Namaste

[Rob the Wop]

Actually, now that I think further on the issue- your idea has merit.

One of the main tenants of the highly successful AA program is to remove a substance abusing person from the environment that fosters this abuse. There is the ranch where a continous work force for Burning Man is maintained. If you were to dedicate a small portion of your land, meandthemissus, you could fit maybe 10-20 of the more addicted personalities from Sun Valley along with their single wide trailers. Detached from their source of drugs, and given part-time volunteer work on the BM ranch, you could foster a sense of accomplishment that could help these poor souls. The state could still pay for their basic living requirements, and they could work for thier tickets.

What do you think Rick? Or is this as transparent an attempt as yours?

Crap, did I say that out loud? I have to remember to use my 'inside voice'...