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Cassendre Xavier's 50th Year (Travel/Tour)

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October 23, 2019 - I want to travel and tour as a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and producer of the Black Women's Arts Festival (BWAF). As I do this, I will attract lodging and "housing" along the way, ultimately creating a way of life and make a living for myself.

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September 16, 2019

For the current campaign story, please click here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/CXYear50?rcid=r01-156867532953-a9876d92849f490c&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_m

Short version:  I have to move by October 10, 2019 and I am a disabled persun who hasn't worked in years and who has had experienced chronic homelessness periodically for years as well. I would like to end this cycle, and am in the appeals process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
Please click the link to learn more. Thank you!

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January 2019: Original campaign story:
Greetings, Friends, Supporters, and Total Complete Strangers!

Super quick version! I am trying to raise $3,000 to do 3 very special creative projects this year:
1) Release my first cover album
2) Travel to Colorado to plan the first Black Women's Arts Festival there (I am the founder, executive director, and we have produced 13 BWAFs in Philadelphia!).
3) Publish my first "real" book.

Details:
Hello!
I have used GoFundMe 7 times over the years to fund various projects, emergencies, and initiatives. The most recent time was in 2017.

I am returning with an exciting new campaign: My 50th Year!

February 7, 2019 I will be fifty years earned and youthful!

Quick FAQs:

How I'm celebrating my birthday:
I am scheduled to attend and do work exchange shifts at this year's Poly Living Conference at the Embassy Suites hotel in Philadelphia, Friday through Sunday, February 8-10.

Why I created this campaign:
Even if I didn't have longtime bipolar 2 and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), plus other challenges, 50 is a milestone year for anyone. For people struggling with these issues, which have built into them a constant, whispering invitation to escort ourselves right off of this planet, 50 is even more significant. There have been many times, going all the back to my childhood, that I seriously contemplated suicide, for relief of symptoms and life circumstances almost too much to bear. Thankfully I have never become so despondent that my thoughts turned to planning. Thankfully I have love in my life, from family of choice and origin, dear friends, and the artistic and creative life that make it ALL (pains and challenges included) worth living.
In the same way that Hollywood marriage years aren't the same for everyone, one bipolar birthday is more like 3 for anyone else. There's a reason life insurance is higher for those of us with bipolar disorder: suicide occurs at a much higher rate for us.
So, if you have a bipolar loved one, hug them extra, because in addition to that, bipolar is just hard on the body, period. But enough about that!
I created this campaign to celebrate not only the day of my 50th year, but the entire year, during which I expect to continually be creative and productive.

Projects you would be helping to fund:

1) My first covers album (my and my co-producer's interpretations/arrangements of songs by various artists)
$500-$800 - Album Producer & Engineer Giscard Xavier (who also uploads the songs for digital download sale)
$500-$700 - CD Duplication & Design - black woman artist (BWAF) owned and operated Jill of All Trades
More about my downloads and physical CDs here: https://store.cdbaby.com/all/cassendre

2) My planning an additional Black Women's Arts Festival, this time in Denver, Colorado, next year (BWAF Denver 2020)
$800-$1,000 - 5-day visit to Denver, Colorado (Including travel and hotel) for networking and organizer planning meetings. Our BWAF Denver contacts and supporters include BWAF advisory board member Stacey Merkl-Wates. Stacey is from Denver, and she and her husband, musician Rupert Wates, live in New York and Denver. Visit their websites at RealizeYourBeauty.org and RupertWatesMusic.com.
(I have seem working for months with producer Amor La Luna and BWAF board members on Philadelphia's 13th annual Black Women's Arts Festival, Sat-Sun, Sept 21-22, 2019 at TheRotunda.org. But I am not including this work in my "50th Year" birthday request, only for the below projects. We are working on funding for BWAF through other avenues!)

3) Writing and self-publishing my first full-length, perfectbound book, *The Trauma & Mindfulness Journal (and Group Meeting Guide)*, *Making of a Woman/Artist, Revised/Commemorative Edition*
or another title from the partial manuscripts I have been working on.
$400 Consultant fees to BWA Krista Nelson

Total: $3,000

Thank you so much to those who help, and please know that I did *not* pad the amounts to counteract the fees. What we are asking for is on the low end of typical fees for these kinda of services.
And as usual artists seem to get it done whether we reach our financial goals or not!

Hopefully we will be able to sufficient funds for the enjoyable completion of these creative projects.


Stay well and creative!


Cassendre
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $20 
    • 6 mos
  • Anonymous
    • $10 
    • 10 mos
  • Anonymous
    • $50 
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    • 2 yrs
  • Renee Rader
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    • 2 yrs
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Organizer

Cassendre Xavier
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA

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