Many to One hosting Online Auction April 2-8 to raise money for PTSD Database

The Canadian charity, Many to One (M2O), will be hosting its fifth online auction from April 2 to April 8 to raise funds for a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) online resource database.

“We’re raising funds in order to build an online resource of PTSD resources and education material, with a focus on military and first responders. What we are looking to do is actually find better ways to connect the PTSD resources available out there with the people that need it,” explained Renée Mair, Founder and President, Many To One PTSD Support Foundation.

The online database, ptsdonline.org, will help ill and injured soldiers and first responders search and locate resources in their area. Once the website is up, it will be free of charge.

Through her own experiences Mair knows that it’s not always easy to online search resources in your area, and often times the search turns up with results no where near you.

“That is the frustration they have all the time and there’s a simple solution. Everybody goes ‘oh there’s Google why do I want to donate to a database that’s on a website. What’s the point of that?’ It’s because we’re going to make that simpler,” said Mair.

The website will allow its users to put in their zip code to find localized resources and support.

Currently, M2O is in the first phase of the project: raising funds. The organization aims to raise up to $75,000 to get the site up and running.

Last year’s online auction raised just over $22,000.

“What we’ve been told is that if an auction typically get to 10 to 15 percent, you’ve done really well and we far exceeded that,” noted Mair.

This year’s auction will bring back many of the same donators and Mair promises there is something for everyone.

“It’s a really easy way to get a hold of products you might not have thought of that you might be able to use,” said Mair.

This year’s auction items include camping gear, clothing, teddy bears, tactical gear, autographed DVD, jewelry and much more.

The auction website is expected to go live April 1 to give bidders a chance to view the items. They can take this opportunity to login to the site and register. Then on April 2 the “bidding free-for-all” can begin.

Mair encourages those who donate and win an auction item to ask questions about where there money is going.

“I wholeheartedly endorse people asking that question and being really frank about it: ‘If I donate and I win, what are you going to do with that money?’ Ask me the questions. We are very honest and open about that,” emphasized Mair.

The more people who come out for the auction and the more money M2O is able to raise, the quicker the organization can get this database up for those who need it most.

“This is going to help build such a vital pice of the puzzle in healing. There are so many people out there looking for help,” said Mair.

Click here to visit the auction website .