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Christian charity inconsistent about why it's paying $14,000 to bring Bristol Palin to Louisville tonight [News]
I've got a couple of questions about The Lifehouse's, a "Christ-centred home environment" for "pregnant and/or parenting teens and women and their children," decision to pay Bristol Palin $14,000 to appear at a $125-per-person fundraiser tonight at the Marriott Louisville Downtown.
(Palin is, of course, the daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a single mother and a public advocate for what she was unable to do--practice abstinence while unmarried.)
If Lifehouse is flying in Bristol Palin to bring publicity to its program, why ban the media in an attempt to "keep the fundraiser low-key"?
In the Aug. 22 Courier-Journal: "The $125-per-person benefit will raise funds toward plans to double the home's capacity, but it's also intended to bring publicity to the program after its low-key startup, executive director Joan Smith said. 'We needed the community to know that we're here,' Smith said. Until recently, 'everything we've done has been by word of mouth,'" she said.
In the Sept. 7 Courier-Journal: "A Louisville home for single mothers is not allowing media coverage of its fundraiser on Wednesday evening featuring a speech by Bristol Palin, the single mother and daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Joan Smith, executive director of The Lifehouse, said the organization made the decision to keep the fundraiser low-key."
And from Lifehouse's own description of the event on its website, "The event will feature a VIP reception for Miss Palin at 5:30 p.m. for honored guests, event sponsors and members of the media."
Was Lifehouse expecting the notoriously cheap members of the media (trust me) to pay for their own $125 ticket? Was the press prohibition pushed on it by Team Palin at the last minute? Or maybe Lifehouse was banking on spreading the good word about its Christian mission through press outrage (in which case, well played).
Doesn't Bristol Palin send the wrong message?
As for Palin's on-again, off-again relationship with her baby daddy, Levi Johnston, which both sides chose to play out in the media, Smith told the Courier-Journal she considers it a positive for single moms, current and future, to hear.
"'The fact that she's in all this drama with the father of her child, it sends a message to these other young women' with similar dramas in their own relationships, Smith said. 'They always think the father of their child is going to be there.'"
Hopefully Palin's appearance won't send the message to these other young women that $14,000 speaking engagements might be there for them too. And Vanity Fair reported that Palin "generates a healthy income from her celebrity and bought a $272,000 condominium." Should Lifehouse's residents expect to do likewise?
Sondra Warren, Lifehouse's program director, admitted to the Courier-Journal that it didn't choose Palin because she's a role model.
“'A role model to me would be that young woman who chooses to complete her high school and go directly into college and remain chaste until she's married,' Smith said. 'But Palin's life “is the reality,' she said. 'She is a role model in the fact that she chose to have her child.”"
I don't know any of The Lifehouse's residents, but I'll bet that none of them are the daughters of governors. Or of mayors for that matter. None of them will have parents picked to run as vice president. And none of them will be asked to compete on "Dancing with the Stars."
Bristol Palin's life is "the reality" only in the context of reality TV--the sort of programming you'd expect "a Christ-centered home environment" to not even show, let alone pay $14,000 for.
Photo: Wikimedia
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The Media were not allowed
Palin visit
This reply from "A" makes no sense. If in fact they didn't pay the money for MS Palin to come to talk then where did the figure come from seems too easy to blame the very media you wanted to use to tell the public of your plight. As to the young mothers who didn't feel comfortable talking to the media this too sees way to easy to push off as being realistic. They would talk to the people willing to pay the bucks to attend but not the media who could actually bring interest to the plight of the young women and the center? This is just too stupid to believe.
Why didn't you bring in "real" single moms who have kept their children or better yet those who have in good Christian dignity given their child the kind of home that they couldn't by letting the children be adopted. There are many young women without the "Palin" noteriety who are better spokespersons for the cause and they don't come with a "media hands-off" attached like the Palin train wreck does.
I know this is coming a
I know this is coming a little late, as your response was from 2010. But I'm one of the Lifehouse mothers who spoke at the event, a real single mother. I can't comment on the Bristol payment but I just want to comment on the media issue/complaint. I have a young child and when I became pregnant with my second child I needed help. I was no longer in a stable relationship nor did I have the financial assistance of a governor mother. So I went to Lifehouse for help with an adoption plan. I placed my child for adoption and this is what my speech was centered around. If the media had been involved then I couldn't have spoke, for legal purposes. I was very comfortable sharing my story with the people in attendance because I knew most of them from their volunteering or working at Lifehouse. I greatly encourage you to visit Lifehouse and learn about the program. I think you might enjoy what you see. Who knows, maybe I'll see you there sometime.
And I agree with you about being a better spokesperson than Palin, not a fan. :)
"If in fact they didn't pay
"If in fact they didn't pay the money for Ms. Palin to come to talk then where did the figure come from seems too easy to blame the very media you wanted to use to tell the public of your plight."
The booking agency was paid, that I know, it is where the $14,000 figure came up that has the staff at Lifehouse scratching their heads wondering where the CJ author came up with it. How much of a cut the booking agency takes I don't know, how much of a cut the attorney(s) who drafted the contract I don't know, how much of a cut the speech writers who help speakers write the speech, I don't know. In the end,I don't know how much Bristol received but it really isn't any of my business.
"As to the young mothers who didn't feel comfortable talking to the media this too sees way to easy to push off as being realistic. They would talk to the people willing to pay the bucks to attend but not the media who could actually bring interest to the plight of the young women and the center? This is just too stupid to believe."
How can this be too stupid to believe? Are you just looking for any way to discredit the event or Lifehouse as a whole? If you were a young mother from an an unstable background with (most likely) no public speaking experience, who would you feel more comfortable telling a personal story to, a warm audience of people who support you and the organization as a whole and you have probably met before since many in attendance had already visited the Lifehouse and met most of the mothers or would you be more comfortable with cameras in your face where you have no idea what selective sound bits will end up in print and/or on the news. Seems very reasonable and not stupid at all to me.
"Why didn't you bring in "real" single moms who have kept their children or better yet those who have in good Christian dignity given their child the kind of home that they couldn't by letting the children be adopted. There are many young women without the "Palin" noteriety who are better spokespersons for the cause and they don't come with a "media hands-off" attached like the Palin train wreck does. "
Why didn't Lifehouse bring "real" single moms?? Lifehouse did, there were three of the Lifehouse mothers who gave their personal testimonies which was the biggest reason why the media was not allowed as has been mentioned in numerous articles on the web about the event. As far as children being adopted, the parents of one of the Lifehouse babies spoke at the event discussingt the process and thanking the mother who gave them the child.
If you have any other questions, feel free to call the Lifehouse and ask for the Executive Director (Joan Smith - www.lifehousecenter.org). Joan would be happy to answer any questions you may have or clean up any misconceptions out there.