Miss Vicky Keller Eviction Fund
Donation protected
Today the board of Pride Fort Lauderdale sadly discovered that our longest running and most beloved board member has fallen on hard financial times.
Miss Vicky Keller is a tireless community advocate who has volunteered for and supported multiple organizations. Keller is an 89 year old mother of three, including a son who died from AIDS. An inspirational figure throughout the community who has served Pride Fort Lauderdale for 38 years, she has never let any challenge or her age stop her from giving back to the community she loves so dearly.
Some of her accomplishments include:
• Founder AIDS Center One 1985-1989,
• Regional Director International Association of Lesbian
and Gay Pride Coordinator,
• Numerous Marches on Washington,
• Founder and Director of Womynsong: Lesbian
Chorus,
• Music Director Church of Our Savior MCC Boca
Raton - 7 years,
• Notarized First Broward County Domestic
Partnership in 1999
• Member of SAGE since 1993,
• Fought and Marched against Anita Bryant's Anti Gay
Stance in the 70's,
• Awarded Straight Ally of the year Award 2007 from
the Independent News, and
• Adoptive mother to many gay men who were rejected
by their families.
Her work for the community is exemplary.
Miss Vicky's kind giving spirit has also led her to be the victim of elderly exploitation. In 2010, a homeless person she let move in with her defrauded her, stealing her car, money, jewelry and credit cards.
On April 11, 2015, Pride Fort Lauderdale was contacted by her friend of 40 years, Attorney Jodi Fischer who made us aware of Miss Vicky's financial troubles.
After nearly four decades of helping her community, Vicky now needs a little help in return. Miss Vicky’s total monthly resources are limited to social security and $14 a month in food stamps (which Jodi insisted she apply for).
In January 2015 Vicky was hit with a $225 increase in her monthly lot rent. She must either pay the lot increase or move, neither of which she can afford. Vicky lives in a trailer park called Carefree Cove in the North East section of 441 and Oakland Park Boulevard in an extremely modest trailer (which is in desperate need of repair and updating). There are few senior citizens left in the park, most having died or having taken flight. Vicky was paying $503 per month in lot rent, however, in January she was hit with an increase to $728, which she cannot afford. After paying the lot rent of $728, and Water/Sewer of $70 per month, and for electricity $75 per month, that leaves Vicky with $427 per month ($50 per week) to pay for food, medicine, transportation (car maintenance, insurance, registration), and all other basic necessities of life.
That simply is NOT enough money to live on, and although Jodi has tried to assist where she can, Vicky, at 89 years old, can no longer afford to live. With this new lot rent increase, Vicky no longer can afford to stay at the trailer park, and she cannot afford to leave. She is stuck. She truly is stuck and at 89 years old, changes are difficult and Vicky is aged (walks with a cane, has leg circulation problems).
After all Vicky has done for our community, we can now do something for her. We are trying to raise enough money to cover her back rent and help fund her future to keep this lovely 89 year old lady who has done so much for us all from being homeless.
PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOU KIND DONATION!
Miss Vicky Keller is a tireless community advocate who has volunteered for and supported multiple organizations. Keller is an 89 year old mother of three, including a son who died from AIDS. An inspirational figure throughout the community who has served Pride Fort Lauderdale for 38 years, she has never let any challenge or her age stop her from giving back to the community she loves so dearly.
Some of her accomplishments include:
• Founder AIDS Center One 1985-1989,
• Regional Director International Association of Lesbian
and Gay Pride Coordinator,
• Numerous Marches on Washington,
• Founder and Director of Womynsong: Lesbian
Chorus,
• Music Director Church of Our Savior MCC Boca
Raton - 7 years,
• Notarized First Broward County Domestic
Partnership in 1999
• Member of SAGE since 1993,
• Fought and Marched against Anita Bryant's Anti Gay
Stance in the 70's,
• Awarded Straight Ally of the year Award 2007 from
the Independent News, and
• Adoptive mother to many gay men who were rejected
by their families.
Her work for the community is exemplary.
Miss Vicky's kind giving spirit has also led her to be the victim of elderly exploitation. In 2010, a homeless person she let move in with her defrauded her, stealing her car, money, jewelry and credit cards.
On April 11, 2015, Pride Fort Lauderdale was contacted by her friend of 40 years, Attorney Jodi Fischer who made us aware of Miss Vicky's financial troubles.
After nearly four decades of helping her community, Vicky now needs a little help in return. Miss Vicky’s total monthly resources are limited to social security and $14 a month in food stamps (which Jodi insisted she apply for).
In January 2015 Vicky was hit with a $225 increase in her monthly lot rent. She must either pay the lot increase or move, neither of which she can afford. Vicky lives in a trailer park called Carefree Cove in the North East section of 441 and Oakland Park Boulevard in an extremely modest trailer (which is in desperate need of repair and updating). There are few senior citizens left in the park, most having died or having taken flight. Vicky was paying $503 per month in lot rent, however, in January she was hit with an increase to $728, which she cannot afford. After paying the lot rent of $728, and Water/Sewer of $70 per month, and for electricity $75 per month, that leaves Vicky with $427 per month ($50 per week) to pay for food, medicine, transportation (car maintenance, insurance, registration), and all other basic necessities of life.
That simply is NOT enough money to live on, and although Jodi has tried to assist where she can, Vicky, at 89 years old, can no longer afford to live. With this new lot rent increase, Vicky no longer can afford to stay at the trailer park, and she cannot afford to leave. She is stuck. She truly is stuck and at 89 years old, changes are difficult and Vicky is aged (walks with a cane, has leg circulation problems).
After all Vicky has done for our community, we can now do something for her. We are trying to raise enough money to cover her back rent and help fund her future to keep this lovely 89 year old lady who has done so much for us all from being homeless.
PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOU KIND DONATION!
Organizer and beneficiary
Miik Martorell
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Norman Kent
Beneficiary
