Donate

Several Ways to Give:

• Send money to a friend on Paypal for no service fee -> letsgetfreepa@gmail.com
• Check: payable to Let’s Get Free mailed to: 460 Melwood Ave #300 Pittsburgh, PA 15213
• Venmo – @Lets-GetFree
• CashApp – $letsgetfreepgh
• Make a onetime donation

Our EIN #84-1998369

January 2024 Monthly
Sustainer Drive

Alright humans! It’s that time. The time when we coax you to support us with a monthly donation in an amount that is comfortable to you to help keep the home fires burning.

Check out our Sign Up Presies!! Handmade Candles and Stationary!

Sign up at levels $10 or more a month and choose between a candle or stationary pack. All homemade by some Let’s Get Freedom Fighters.

Candle – Sign up at  level between $10 or more

The glowing beauties were designed first as papercuts and then screen printed by our co-founder Devon Cohen.  You can choose your candle prayer: Pathways, Redemption, Together or Strength (Absolutely TOTES GORGE!)

Stationary – Sign up at  level between $10 or more

You all gotta read this like a sports announcer ok? A special long time coming stationary pack printed by the high priestess of print, Mary Tremonte, (crowd goes wild)  Designs by Mark Loughney (YES FREEDOM YES), etta cetera (hello somebody) and Mary hootin’ tootin’ Tremonte!!! 10 sheets of paper with 5 envelopes. The stationary isn’t printed yet but here are some of the designs and an example of what Mary’s other stationary packs look like. They will be brightly colored!

Ok, so you want candles AND stationary and together – Que romántic@ no? Sign up at $25 or more and get both!! A candle and stationary pack. Get it? Get it! Writing letters by candle light….. we see you 😉 and we know what you’re up to! LOL.

Art Catalogue – Sign up at  level between $15 or more

This past art show we were financially stable enough to create a full color catalogue of the Picture a Free World Art Show. This booklet is made specifically for the incarcerated artists but we made extra. They are special and are a limited edition with 60 full color pages featuring 100 artists from both sides of the walls.

Already a monthly sustainer? Up your donation by $5 a month and pick a presi

Once you sign up to sustain we will email you to the address associated with your paypal account to get your choices and verify pick up/shipping.

If you are in Pittsburgh we ask that you please pick up from etta’s porch. We will communicate details. If you live out of town we can mail your presi to you. Call or text 443-603-6964

To stop or change your monthly giving, here are the steps from a computer. might look different on a phone. These instructions as of January 2024 – they often change 🙂

1.  log into your paypal account.
2. click activity  on the top menu
3. click on the last Lets Get Free donation you made
4. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of your donations.
5. Click “Remove Paypal as your payment method”
6. click on “remove” to cancel
7. If you wanted to up your donation You have to resign up to be a monthly sustainer Click Here and remember to click monthly

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December 2023 Letter of Gratitude to our Monthly Sustainers

Hello dear monthly sustainer ,

It’s been many moons since i have wanted to write. I have traditionally taken my fingers to the keyboard to articulate gratitude to you, our precious monthly sustainers, during the month of July – very intentionally – so you will not be confused with an end of the year ask for money and could simply bask in the glow of an appreciation shower. 

ALAS, time is a slippery eel. Don’t be confused! This is not an ask for money but an affirmation that your monthly practice of giving to Let’s Get Free is financial nourishment and provides emotional fortitude to keep us keepin’ on. 

BTW,  there are currently 119 of us monthly givers bringing in a solid 1,681$ of soft, warm unrestricted funds!! Like Kirikou, we remain Tiny yet Mighty! That’s about 20,000$ Big Ones a year!! SALUTE!

This message is going to everyone who has monthly sustained this year, even if you recently cancelled. We appreciate all that everyone can offer to their capacity or desire.

Oh! you if want a tax receipt please let email letsgetgreepa@gmail.com. Our EIN # is 84-1998369 if that’s helpful.

And so, what exactly have we been doin’ with the riches you pour into our coffers every month?

This is what we have been up to:

• Our internal ORGans!  Ruby Pinto spearheaded a capacity building listening circle of close advisors who are also volunteers, to get feedback on organization structure. We asked a series of questions like: Have you seen examples of radical and equitable pay scales? Have you seen successful organizational structures that veer from a traditional non-profit structure? With additional support from kai koehler we created the first ever LGF Handbook, Equity & Opportunity Statement and Accessibility Statement Our dollars paid for Ruby’s stipend and money for our trusted friend consultants! Totalling $6000 (we still a work in progress 🙂
• Books for Prisoners! Our donations buy specific books for people on the inside in our network at their request. $1200
• Email Links to prisoners cost money and we blast them with information and encouragement one by one. (no group emails on the connect network, the prison email system) There are over 500 people on our email lists. One month of your donations pay for a whole year of emails to the inside. $750
• Prison Visits  Since covid we finally started visiting prisons in person again. Its still difficult because of the prison rules to get a bunch of people coordinated at the same time but we are trying! This year we spent about $1300 on prison visits including one van full from Philly to Muncy led by Sam Johnson,
• Donations to other orgs! We love sharing. Some orgs we have supported include a NY based org that  held a dinner banquet inside a NY state women’s prison, Za’kiyah House, the national FREE Her March, People’s Hub Access Cohort, and Reconstruction Inc, Totaling over $3000
• Pressing Community Needs – We have supported people in paying rent, getting bus passes, using lyfts/ubers to get to meetings and community events. Individual Legal Support for Sheená King, Todd Robinson, court fines for Jessica Strohl. This year we have supported 4 people (3 women) in furthering their education on the inside. Totaling $11,000
• Let’s Get Free’s Wellness Fund – new this year we have a wellness fund that can support volunteers or paid members in health concerns. We utilized the fund for massage for back pain, gym memberships, very expensive dental bills, crisis covid pharmacy runs,  trips to urgent care and a wrist brace for carpal tunnel.  Over $2000! 

All of these efforts listed total over $20,000 and we DO get many one time donations too that contribute to our financial well being. We have also been supported through grants from the Opportunity Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Spring Point Partners and the YWCA gave us a grant specifically for Daughters Magazine and our Art show. Daughters magazine costs about 25,000 a year so we need and appreciate that grant money.

Speaking of Daughters! If you want to continue receiving Daughters Magazine (a perk of being a monthly sustainer – please resign up) Many people on the outside HAVE NOT GOTTEN THEIR MAGAZINES. and it is very hard for us to keep track of who is getting it and who is not. So we need your confirmation that you want to receive it.

 If you want to keep getting Daughter’s Magazine please subscribe here.  Otherwise you will be taken off the mailing list.

Also! people in prison also financially support us too! The men at SCI Rockview donated $3000 last month and an entire bloc at SCI Phoenix “passed the hat” and sent us donations mostly between $1 and $2 reaching over $100!!

Appreciation from behind the walls.

Debbie is activated!

“Thank You!!!!! I appreciate you keeping me informed. I will pass the word to my family to vote for these people!!! My family is all in when it Comes to Lifer’s getting Free!!!!!!! Thank You again for keeping me in the loop!!!!!” — Debbie Ward (SCI Muncy)

Bayé mentions JOY!

 it’s always, always, a (JOY ENHANCER) to hear from you and get the latest news about the ongoing pursuit of GETTING FREE! BEING FREE! & STAYING FREE in all aspects of FREEDOM… AMEN!!! — Ronald/BAYÉ

Warner is showing love for Daughters:

Thank you so much for making contact ( Daughters ) I feel the Love and Compassion. We are winners in that way. Living through the abnormal and unnatural and maintaining our dignity and humanity. The magazine is read by many here. In all my writings I always remember the Women as well as the Men. This criminal justice system leaves a lot to be desired. For to long they’ve been in a ( Throw Away frenzy ). Adding insult to injury to a already broken and abused people. No care for healing and restoration for those found to have broken a law. What a burden to bear. But we rise everyday to give account and count the blessings that we do have. Love will always overcome the hate in this world. To everyone there keep doing what you’re doing. Perfect Love I Believe in the Best. Warner

Marie Mechie Scott chimes in:

Thanks so very much for all you do to keep all of us up with the process of commutation and the legislature. We would all be in a much darker place without your communication. I hope and pray that you are well. Sincerely, Mechie

Pru talks about our connection breaking isolation.

“Greetings! I’m doing better than I was a couple of weeks ago, & I very much appreciate & am grateful for the connection I have with you all. I’ve come to care for you & I’ve never even met you!! What you do out there for folks in here is absolutely Spintifforus ” as Tigger in the Hundred Acre Wood would say!!! ” !! Being able to have contact with you is a God Send since I have noone else out there, & it causes life here to be a mite more bearable. So, from My heart to yours, Thank you for staying in touch with me. I’m grateful to Our Creator for crossing our paths, & very humbled by this expansion. Be Well! Be Strong! Be Safe! You are in my thoughts & prayers continuously throughout each day. In Love & Solidarity, Your servant & friend, Fondly Yours, Pru”

Ms. CeCe was connected with a new virtual visitor this month and she writes:

“Tricia thinks like I do… UNBELIEVABLE! she’s the whole real deal, I love her and I just met her, Science, Political Science degrees, Aircraft electrical engineering, and much more, we have similar childhood experiences, and to top that off! she’s down to earth… no intellectual displays of accomplishments by way of self expressions, she’s just REAL with herself, (I LOVE Y’ALL SO MUCH THAT I’M IN TEARS AS I WRITE), thank you all for being yourselves. IT’S A GIFT TO BE YOU. FOR REAL!!!

cinque was one of 19 people on the inside who got a virtual tour of the art show this year. he writes:

some people only see one side of us, but the art show, gave them another side. thank you for taking me with you.

ok Monthly Sustainers. I hope you receive this gratitude and feel the love. Without your support we couldn’t do what we do – physically, emotionally or spiritually.

i speak for all of us at LGF when i say it is a TRUE HONOR that you have our backs.

May 2024 bring more members of our community home. May we be nearing the end of western imperialism. May Palestine Be Protected and Free Us All!

etta

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June 2022 Gratitude
for our Monthly Sustainers

Monthly sustainers are a critical part of community organizing and help us gather unrestricted funds.

A missive of gratitude to our monthly donors for your financial support! Here is a little bit of accountability so you can know where your recurring donations go.

As of June 2022 THERE ARE 104 OF US. Let the trumpets sound and the 100% compostable confetti rain down upon us! WE ARE A MIGHTY FORCE OF GIVING! Collectively we are up to $1440 a month {{{17,280 a year}}} to support the work of Let’s Get Free. Your belief in our work has truly built our capacity.

Here is a list of some of the things we do 🙂

• Daughters Magazine has BECOME a center of community on the inside reaching 650 people in prisons – mostly across PA.  On our Creative Resistance website, you can find all of the recent issues of Daughter’s founded by one of our advisory board members, Sarita Miller. As it grows in popularity, so does the cost! It’s about $4,000 to print and mail – 4 times a year. WE FUND THIS.

•  As part of the fight to free our elders, we launched the Let Grandma Go graphics campaign. We are sending monthly postcards to ALL PA state legislators and DAs. Each postcard highlights the stories of incarcerated women elders and urges political support of bills (SB 835 and HB 2347) that would make incarcerated people over age 55 and those with serious medical conditions eligible for parole. Each postcard costs about $600 to design, print and mail.  WE FUND THIS.

• Mutual Aid: You directly assist formerly incarcerated people and family members of people in prison. Your donations have paid for laptops, phones, bus passes, bills and NEW FLOORS FOR DONNELLE’S SAFE HAVEN. Last year we gave over 12,000 in Direct Assistance. Some of that was raised through crowdfunding etc,  BUT A GOOD BIT OF THAT WAS YOU.
  
• Email Newsletters to the Inside: We have built a robust emailing system in spite of the cumbersome Connect Network platform – that’s prison email we use here in PA if you’re not familiar. It is infuriating. Always crashing, it costs money AND you only get 2000 characters per email which is about 3 paragraphs. ANYWAY, no technical difficulties can keep our information pipeline from going. This year we have been sending monthly updates on the commutation hearings, legislation and other news. We have over 200 people on our list and it costs about $80 bucks a month. WE FUND THIS!

If you have questions, please contact us at: letsgetfreepa@gmail.com We are now a 501c3, let us know if you want a receipt for your donation.

Blowing kisses in your direction
through a very protective mask!