By guest blogger and volunteer Evelyn Livant:

While working at Give Camp 2010 on the website for RESPOND I spent my time crying.   I cried when I heard the stories of the victims of domestic violence.  I cried for the victims in violent relationships who believe they deserve it.   I cried out of impotent frustration that I couldn’t just pull a “Superman” and save them.   I cried that it wasn’t easy for them to save themselves.  I cried when Jessica explained to me why they needed a “Safety Exit” button on the website. 

But I cried for joy about the woman and children who were saved from a homicidal husband.  I cried out of comfort when I heard the stories about the prevention of future domestic violence.  I cried from happiness knowing that more people would be saved than lost due to the work of RESPOND.  I cried when Jessica told me how vital the website would be to their work. 

I’m crying now while I write this blog.  

Before Give Camp, I had grown weary in the course of living.    I hardly ever cried anymore.  Every variety of hatred thrives from casual disregard for others to random assault and I have to live with it.  It was easier to accept it as a permanent part of our culture.   It had become my status quo.  I arrived at Give Camp in this mood until one gentleman said to me, “It can’t be all that bad or our society would have completely destroyed itself by now.”  He opened my blinded eyes to what was right in front of me.  I saw a room full of people donating their family time and personal equipment to help others – most of whom are senior in the field or already working jobs.  They didn’t need this for their careers. 

But there was something else in those three days among the people who lived together on the first floor of Microsoft’s NERD.   When you laugh together, work together, fight over the best way to get a project done, and benefit others something magical happens in the process.   In conversation following the second year, I heard a cynic say that this was Microsoft’s way of “buying good will”.   Perhaps if I had not been present I would have agreed.  

The work I did for RESPOND wasn’t just good for my career – it was good for my soul.  Give Camp breathed life back into my weary heart.   “Lives were changed,” isn’t just a good public relations phrase to gain corporate sponsors with lots of money.  It was the truth.   My life was changed.   Isn’t that worth a few dollars?