Typhoon drone unit fundraiser
I sometimes forget that people read my book.
Or any of my writing.
This isn’t to say I take for granted those who do — I think it’s more about not embracing the impact I can have.
(I hope that doesn’t come across as me being full of myself—though, I think those who know me know I could use a nudge in the self-confidence department most days anyway.)
It’s almost funny I’ve had that thought, that one person can’t have an impact, because — on the negative side — we can easily see the harm a person can have on the world, and — on the positive side — I don’t have trouble recognizing the people who have shaped my life.
In September, my sister Rayna (who illustrated Planted!) had a booth at a music festival market, selling some of her beautiful creations, and she, being the incredibly kind and generous person she is, told me to put out some of my books to sell too.
I sold a few books the first day, and the next day, someone said to me as they read the back cover, “Oh yeah, my friend bought it yesterday and was telling me about it.”
What!? You mean my book exists outside of my hands?
It was the reminder I needed. That my work — all our work — can go beyond that initial handoff.
Again, something that should’ve been obvious. After all, I was selling my book to raise money for Ukraine—the impact of Planted very clearly went beyond exchanging the book for money. But even with that, sometimes I’d overlook what one donation can mean.
One donation can mean a fixed vehicle. Or supplying a generator. Or a food bag for a family. Or feeding those defending the country.
One donation, no matter the amount, has an impact.
I reached my next fundraising goal and donated $1,255 CAD to Murashky. This brings the total of donations through Planted — and thanks to you — to $6,442 CAD.
Fundraiser for Typhoon Unit
When I started this fundraiser through Planted in 2022, my goal was to donate to $750 to seven organizations, for a total of $5,250. Because people donated extra money, I surpassed that goal by $1,192 — which is pretty fantastic.
While I met my goal, I still have some books to sell, and I will donate the proceeds from these books to my current fundraiser for the Armed Forces of Ukraine unit Typhoon.
My friend Corrie Nieto, who had me on his podcast in November (and posts a lot of great — and funny — content on Instagram about living in Ukraine), asked me to be a part of this initiative that’s raising money for Typhoon, a Ukrainian military unit specializing in drones. They’re in need of four laptops, four drone remotes, and four laptop stands.
Drones are powerful tools in helping Ukraine defend itself. In addition to destroying enemy targets, drones can be used for surveillance, to deliver aid, and even to gather evidence for war crimes.
This is an overused statement but a true one: every little bit helps. And I appreciate everyone who has donated to this initiative so far.
My fundraising goal is 15,000 UAH (equivalent to $513 CAD), to help reach the total goal of 142,000 UAH ($4,854 CAD). If you’re able to help out, you can send the money through e-transfer or PayPal (kaitlinvitt@gmail.com for both). Feel free to include a note to Typhoon I can pass along!
And if you donate $12.50 or more, I'm happy to send you a copy of Planted! ($12.50 is how much I donate from each $25 sale of Planted, so for this, all proceeds will go to the fundraiser). Just reply to this email if you'd like a copy.
Also, I know it can be overwhelming and confusing to know what organizations and fundraisers to trust. I donate to places I have personal connections to and know the people running them and trust them and their work.
Corrie sent me some information about how he’s connected to Typhoon (a friend introduced him to a defender in the unit). After I posted about the fundraiser on Instagram, someone from Typhoon even reached out to me to make sure this was a legitimate fundraiser and I wasn’t just pocketing the money myself. Sadly, people take advantage of situations like the war Ukraine is defending itself from, so it pays off to be overly cautious. But, there are of course more people and places doing good than bad. I just wanted to share this little story so you have some insight into my connection to Typhoon.
I am so grateful to everyone who has purchased Planted, read it, and gifted it. It means a lot to me not just that you read and supported my work, but also that you supported Ukraine.
I’m not sure what’s next for me in terms of writing, particularly in terms of book writing, but I’m excited to find out. And I’m glad to have you by my side.