Hello there, kiddos. I unlocked this - better to spoil the surprise if it means a little more help from abroad. :)

Many of you know Anna S (eliade) and you know that Anna sightings can be rare. I just got in touch with her for the first time since Election Day and she's not exactly on top of the world.

Anna has given much to the fannish community - brilliant X-Files, pitch-perfect SG-1 and SGA and some of the most amazing Buffy fic I've ever seen. She, like all of us, has been feeling the squeeze of the economic downturn, but just recently, she's had it rougher than most. She's been jobless for a while and her unemployment insurance ran out in October.

Nothing is more demoralizing than being out of work, and nothing is harder to do than to ask for help. On top of that, it's her birthday tomorrow. So now would be a pretty good time to do something to help out, I'm thinking. (g)

Five or ten dollars from anyone reading this who's got it to spare would be useful for gas money and groceries and to help make ends meet until she can land something more than occasional temp work. (I will front Anna any cash raised by the time I see her at 4 tomorrow, and then wait for the PayPal hold to clear, with the understanding that PayPal will take a cut. Any cash received after that will also go to her, probably by mail as a check drawn on my account.)

Anna is also famously shy, so keep in mind that she may not post on LJ to say thank you - but any dough collected can be vouched for by katallison, so you don't feel like your money was funneled directly into my oh-so-deep pockets.

And you don't need to send cash to lend a hand: locals who know of contract gigs in the tech writing field, or who may know of something related, could contact me with leads, writers who love Anna could post a little something you think she might like, and anyone at all could send her some groovy birthday wishes on 1/24 in any way that moves them.

Feel free to cut and paste this or just link back to this page if you've a mind to.

http://kormantic.livejournal.com/200541.html

Thank you for taking a moment to read this. You're splendid.

ETA: Please let me know in the PayPal comments to the seller option if you wish to be named or anonymous on the Birthday Card I'll sign with all names on your behalf.

Also, naturally, I will post the amount raised.

Stay classy, San Diego fannish community at large!