AVN: the Donation Dance
In August 2008 the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) set up a “Fighting Fund”(1) to help a family over their refusal to administer the Hep B vaccine to their newborn (the mother tested positive for Hep B).
One month later, September 2008, this appeared in an AVN/Living Wisdom E-newsletter(2)
We understand that these donations were sent to the AVN for the purpose of helping these two families in distress and the many other families who either now or in the future may face a similar situation. We also know that many of you have been thinking – and rightly so – that if this sort of discrimination could happen to these families, it could happen to any one of us as well.
With this in mind, it is vital that the AVN stay open for business and in a strong enough position to help any other families faced with something like this. Currently the AVN is facing the serious prospect of having to close because of financial constraints. We therefore ask that if you have donated funds to our legal Fighting Fund in recent times, you consider allowing us to use a portion of that donation for our day to day running expenses and to pay some outstanding debts. If you have made such a donation to the Fighting Fund and would rather it remains there to be used only to pay the legal expenses of families fighting this discrimination, please let us know either by telephoning or email. If you did make a donation but we haven’t heard from you by 7th October 2008 about this matter, we will assume that you have no objection to the AVN utilising your contribution for the administrative and operational purposes of the AVN and the Living Wisdom magazine. We would much prefer not having to take such a step but that is the current situation we are facing. We thank you all for your continued support.
Some donations for a particular cause were siphoned off into paying the running costs of the AVN, WITHOUT EXPRESS APPROVAL OF THOSE WHO DONATED.
What was the exact amount, Meryl?
Why do all your pleas for paying off this, helping with that, NEVER INCLUDE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY ITSELF?
AVN members, wake up. I doubt any of you would be so gullible giving money to other causes, or businesses, without this sort of information. Make the AVN accountable.
Footnotes:
1: http://orbisvitae.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=40683#Post40683
2: http://orbisvitae.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=42608#Post42608