Helping MerlinBlossom Bloom Again!
Donation protected
What's this about?
This is a fundraiser for Merlin & Lis, being organized with their permission by Avens, to help out after their recent robbery. I’ve known Merlin since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I’ve known Lis for almost as long as they’ve been together, over 12 years. They are more than dear friends to me - I consider them family. They were also at my home in Los Angeles when their van was robbed, so I wanted to put this fundraiser together for them.
For those of you who happened on this page who don’t know Merlin & Lis, they are dearly loved friends of so many of us; literally hundreds of people all over the world. They are writers and helpers and doers and movers and shakers. About five years ago they began a nomadic life living on the road - Lis sells vintage and fine jewelry online (acquired through auctions, trusted contacts, donations, etc), and Merlin does various types of personal assistance and consulting. They stay with people who are working hard and dreaming big, often for a season at a time, helping tend and teach their children, cook & clean their homes, start up profitable businesses and close down unprofitable ones. They helped me move last month; changing their plans to come down early without being asked, and generally live to take part and help out wherever they may be. Friends old and new all across the US, India and Europe invite them into their homes and lives; and when they are called to the next place, eagerly invite them to return again soon.
What happened?
On March 22nd, we stopped by their work van (which was parked outside my house) to grab an item before heading out to an evening on the town. They locked the doors at 8:30pm, we went out, had a wonderful evening at the Magic Castle, and returned home late and went to bed. At noon on the 23rd, Merlin went to bring their bags out to the van as they were leaving that day for their next destination, when he realized the van’s door was unlocked and there were marks around the keyhole.
Someone had broken in and stolen their locked chest - a chest Merlin cannot lift by himself. In it was items like their passports, digital camera, Lis’ clarinet, and almost all their jewelry. In melt value alone, we’re talking maybe $25,000 worth of gold and silver, worth much more to them as sales. This is their primary source of income and was expected to last them through the next year, and now it’s all gone.
A police report was filed immediately (when the cops finally showed up), and we notified pawn shops and are checking Craigslist in case any pieces come up for sale. Their car insurance does not cover the theft of the items, and my renter’s insurance does not cover it either (though I asked).
Though we hope some items could possibly be recovered if the thieves pawn them locally, the simple fact is we don’t assume they’ll get much, if any, back, and so they’re bracing themselves for the next chapter of life to have a lot of hardship. This was their year’s income with which to buy food, gasoline, training, and cover their various expenses to ensure they have the ability to move from place to place, eating simply and staying with their hosts, able to stay focused on helping others and their apprenticeships for the coming year; and now it is gone.
As it is, they already had plane tickets to France in mid-April, and have to pay to get rush passports replaced so they can head there for work and visits they’ve already committed to.
I’ve set up this fundraiser (at the request of many of their friends), to help them recover from this enormous loss. It would be wonderful if you can contribute any amount of aid!
Don’t have money or want to help in another way?
--- If you have any jewelry you’d like to donate to Lis for her to start new inventory for her business, it can be mailed to 2523 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202.
--- If you have paying work on an interesting project for Merlin & Lis (they have excellent references regarding all of the things listed above and much more!) please feel free to message them at [email redacted] with a clear subject line.
--- If you have skills to teach, or a live-in project where Merlin & Lis can do apprentice-style work, learning new work and developing their craft, please feel free to message them at [email redacted] to check their availability in the coming year.
---If possible, please share this page and amplify our signal!!!
Merlin & Lis have done so much for so many people in our community, and have never asked for anything they don’t need, never taken anything that was not freely given, and always brought more value to each exchange than they ever ask from others. I would like to help them recover their loss, and start April with hope and joy, instead of the feeling of violation and helplessness that being robbed can leave behind.
If you can, any amount is appreciated. Thank you.
If you can come up with any other way to help Merlin & Lis through this; please let me know!
This is a fundraiser for Merlin & Lis, being organized with their permission by Avens, to help out after their recent robbery. I’ve known Merlin since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I’ve known Lis for almost as long as they’ve been together, over 12 years. They are more than dear friends to me - I consider them family. They were also at my home in Los Angeles when their van was robbed, so I wanted to put this fundraiser together for them.
For those of you who happened on this page who don’t know Merlin & Lis, they are dearly loved friends of so many of us; literally hundreds of people all over the world. They are writers and helpers and doers and movers and shakers. About five years ago they began a nomadic life living on the road - Lis sells vintage and fine jewelry online (acquired through auctions, trusted contacts, donations, etc), and Merlin does various types of personal assistance and consulting. They stay with people who are working hard and dreaming big, often for a season at a time, helping tend and teach their children, cook & clean their homes, start up profitable businesses and close down unprofitable ones. They helped me move last month; changing their plans to come down early without being asked, and generally live to take part and help out wherever they may be. Friends old and new all across the US, India and Europe invite them into their homes and lives; and when they are called to the next place, eagerly invite them to return again soon.
What happened?
On March 22nd, we stopped by their work van (which was parked outside my house) to grab an item before heading out to an evening on the town. They locked the doors at 8:30pm, we went out, had a wonderful evening at the Magic Castle, and returned home late and went to bed. At noon on the 23rd, Merlin went to bring their bags out to the van as they were leaving that day for their next destination, when he realized the van’s door was unlocked and there were marks around the keyhole.
Someone had broken in and stolen their locked chest - a chest Merlin cannot lift by himself. In it was items like their passports, digital camera, Lis’ clarinet, and almost all their jewelry. In melt value alone, we’re talking maybe $25,000 worth of gold and silver, worth much more to them as sales. This is their primary source of income and was expected to last them through the next year, and now it’s all gone.
A police report was filed immediately (when the cops finally showed up), and we notified pawn shops and are checking Craigslist in case any pieces come up for sale. Their car insurance does not cover the theft of the items, and my renter’s insurance does not cover it either (though I asked).
Though we hope some items could possibly be recovered if the thieves pawn them locally, the simple fact is we don’t assume they’ll get much, if any, back, and so they’re bracing themselves for the next chapter of life to have a lot of hardship. This was their year’s income with which to buy food, gasoline, training, and cover their various expenses to ensure they have the ability to move from place to place, eating simply and staying with their hosts, able to stay focused on helping others and their apprenticeships for the coming year; and now it is gone.
As it is, they already had plane tickets to France in mid-April, and have to pay to get rush passports replaced so they can head there for work and visits they’ve already committed to.
I’ve set up this fundraiser (at the request of many of their friends), to help them recover from this enormous loss. It would be wonderful if you can contribute any amount of aid!
Don’t have money or want to help in another way?
--- If you have any jewelry you’d like to donate to Lis for her to start new inventory for her business, it can be mailed to 2523 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202.
--- If you have paying work on an interesting project for Merlin & Lis (they have excellent references regarding all of the things listed above and much more!) please feel free to message them at [email redacted] with a clear subject line.
--- If you have skills to teach, or a live-in project where Merlin & Lis can do apprentice-style work, learning new work and developing their craft, please feel free to message them at [email redacted] to check their availability in the coming year.
---If possible, please share this page and amplify our signal!!!
Merlin & Lis have done so much for so many people in our community, and have never asked for anything they don’t need, never taken anything that was not freely given, and always brought more value to each exchange than they ever ask from others. I would like to help them recover their loss, and start April with hope and joy, instead of the feeling of violation and helplessness that being robbed can leave behind.
If you can, any amount is appreciated. Thank you.
If you can come up with any other way to help Merlin & Lis through this; please let me know!
Organizer and beneficiary
Avens O'Brien
Organizer
Santa Monica, CA
Elisabeth Cafarella
Beneficiary