Red Tent Sisters

Hello Friends,

Thanks to the creative genius of our beautiful sister, Emma, we have decided to host a benefit concert and auction! We haven't worked out the details yet but if you know of anyone who would be willing to perform in support of Red Tent Sisters, we would love to hear from them. Also, we would welcome any donations to auction at the event. Most importantly, we will need people to attend so stay tuned for more details!

Thank you for your continued support. Each email we receive brings a smile (and sometimes a tear).

With love,
A&K


Thank you to the following for their support today:

Lisa Leger

Lynn Cockburn

Andria Siegler

Megan Lalonde

Briar Munro

Sarah Moodie

For those of you who haven't seen our space yet, this is our store. In a week or less it will look a lot different when we get our signage up and our reno finished! Also, in addition to feeling optimistic from all the support we have received, we can't help being inspired by the escapades of my fearless and confident daughter...

As we near the end of our first day following our mass e-mail, we would like to take the time to recognize those of you who have already offered support in the form of donations, loans, strategic ideas, in-kind services or simply an open empathetic heart:

Margaret Weller
Barry Cook
Alison Weller
Natalie Levman
Laura Werschler
Jacob Levman
Emma Cook
Sam Melkic
Jess Price
Jessica Densmore
Jenny Johnston
Don Sedgwick
Shaun Bradley
Rosi Levman
Bryan Levman
Lisa Mitchell
Kim Bathie
Amanda Rader
Mary Harrison
Peggy Harrison
Kosu Boudreau
Jane Davis-Munro
Suzanne Fahie
Bronwen Bradley

Kim and I feel bathed in love and hope, which is truly the best gift of all. Till tomorrow, A+K.

The messages continue to pour in, offering support and inspiration. Yesterday, I felt like my worth was reduced to my finances (or lack thereof). I can't think of any other time when this has been the case. I have always surrounded myself with like-minded individuals: those who value vision, creativity and passion over financial success. I grew up in a community that taught me to dream (I thought that I could be an astronaut even though I almost failed grade ten science). Being told that we would have no problem getting a loan if we were opening a Starbucks or other reputable chain made me feel like I was being punished for being innovative - the very quality I had been taught to strive towards. When Red Tent Sisters opens its doors, it will serve as a reminder of the power of community support; a power strong enough to overcome the barriers placed in our way.

Wow. What a morning. My first e-mail response was from someone I barely know but had decided to include on our e-mail list. Although the message was very warm, this woman politely expressed that she had no way of helping. My mind went into a panic with so many thoughts racing through my head – “why did I send this message to her?” “why did I send it at all” “everyone is going to hate me for asking for help” “everyone is going to judge me for needing help in the first place” “how could I be so delusional to believe my community could solve this problem for me?”

Then the positive responses started coming. Our mom said she could free up enough of her own line-of-credit to lend us a significant chunk of the money. A close friend offered to give us some money. A family friend confided that having worked in a bank in the past, she had a suggestion for how to leverage our way to getting the loan after all. It was suggested that I take this to the papers as this is an issue that affects many women attempting to reenter the workforce after periodic absences from the labour force to raise children. Then my Grannie called - she offered to loan us more money.

The responses just keep coming - beautiful, warm responses that make us believe this WILL happen. We feel so loved right now.