While attending the opening of Virtual Treeline on Tuesday evening, I was introduced to Jadyn Firehawk and we exchanged pleasantries while chatting about the art. She also shared with me a little information about her work in Second Life as founder of the Pixel To Pixel Foundation (P2P). Ms Firehawk passed along a note card with information (reprinted below) and asked me to stop by when I had an opportunity, to which I readily agreed. It was a little later in the evening before I had a chance to read the note and I then realized why her name was so familiar. I'd written a short piece here in Lane's List several weeks ago on her having won "First Place Novice" in the Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum's Craftsman Home Build-Off 2009 contest.
Here's the informational note card from Jadyn about the foundation:
PIXEL TO PIXEL FOUNDATION: ABOUT US
CONTACT: Pixel Falconer (Director) or Jadyn Firehawk (Founder)
The Pixel To Pixel Foundation (P2P) was established in 2009 to enhance the Second Life experience for people living with disabilities.
Second Life is a lifeline to many people with disabilities. Some (such as those who suffer from severe depression) may live in social isolation, and SL keeps them connected with others in the outside world. Other people may have physically disabling conditions, and SL allows them the virtual experience of full mobility, and even gives them wings to fly.
The P2P Foundation, which exists only in SL, gives direct financial assistance in the form of weekly Linden-dollar stipends to people on disability -- that is, those who are supporting themselves solely on disability assistance program benefits. Participants can reside in any country, and their disability assistance can be either from their government or from a private disability insurance company.
Donations to the foundation go directly to recipients, hence the name, Pixel To Pixel (avatar to avatar). The amount of the stipend is $500 Lindens per week, which is equivalent to about US$2 per week in real life. This amount may seem trivial to someone who has regular income from a paying job, but for a person on disability who may have very little money to spare, it can make a real difference for their quality of life in SL. As one participant so succinctly put it, "two dollars for me means a loaf of bread for a week." The weekly stipend from P2P may enable a participant to rent an apartment or shop, for example, or take photographs or upload textures in SL.
Some donors give weekly (or monthy) and directly sponsor one or more participants. However, any and all donations are always gratefully accepted in the Donation Boxes located at any of the foundation offices, or, you may pay Pixel Falconer directly. Non-regular donations go into the Sponsor Fund, which supports the majority of participants in the program. We also welcome you to give of your time in helping to spread the word about the foundation. Occasionally, the P2P Foundation also gives discretionary grants for participants to start a business or pursue a major creative project in SL.
There are a few guidelines for participating, designed to ensure that the P2P program runs smoothly and that nobody abuses the system. These guidelines are available in a separate notecard, entitled "Participant Information."
Contact us if you would like more information on how to participate in the P2P program, or if you have any questions. Or, stop by the foundation offices for the other two information notecards.
Thank you for your interest in the Pixel To Pixel Foundation!
~Pixel Falconer (also known as Jadyn Firehawk)
ALSO AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICES:
"Frequently Asked Questions" notecard
"Participant Information" notecard
(For program information in languages other than English, please inquire.)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment