The Mulch Love Foundation

The Mulch Love Foundation is a group of friends and family of Justine Raphael, beautiful woman, mother, wife, friend, sister and woman of many incredible gifts. As Justine's cancer journey has unfolded we decided to jump on the idea of helping her manifest a dream she has for her partner and her youngest daughter: to see the beautiful islands of Hawaii! 

Please read this from one of her daughters, Eli:

"They found stage four cancer tumors in my mother last fall and until then, she’d been so busy changing diapers, making dinners, bandaging scrapes--raising six children--that it had never even occurred to her that one day she might not have the luxury of waving the last child goodbye and sinking into a beach chair somewhere warm with a fruity cocktail in her hand. That she’d be stopped instead of choosing to stop. My mother is an intensely vivacious, intelligent, and sensitive person, a woman who could turn a bad day into a teachable moment, and a pan of leftovers into a gourmet meal. She knows how to make beautiful things, and how to make things more beautiful. And, true to form, she has made cancer gorgeous. We’ve watched her find joy in the finality of life. But we also want to give her the joy of digging her feet into the sand on a warm beach, and sipping from an umbrella-ed coconut.

Having just sent the fifth of six children to college, such a trip isn’t realistic for my mother. There’s the airfare for 3, the hotel, rental car, outings, and, of course, the coconuts.

The economy is terrible, and why should you donate to a stranger? Because people like my mother make life bearable for the rest of us. They bring warmth and wonder to our days and force us to be the truest versions of ourselves we can be. My mother isn’t perfect, no, but she spreads happiness around so generously that I hope you will send a little back her way.

Of course, there are certain complications with such a project. While my mother is currently stable, stage four cancer is an unpredictable bitch who likes to change plans at the last minute. My mother is being monitored by the top oncologists in our state, who are working around the clock to ensure that she gets to safely fulfill her wish to travel to Hawaii. Time is of the essence, and so we are also laboring to realize this project, which is why your contribution matters! We won’t lie to you and pretend that this is a fool-proof plan, mostly because, cancer or no, there is no such thing as a fool-proof plan. If you do decide to donate, do it with the understanding that there is a very high chance that my mother will make it to Hawaii. And if she doesn’t, the joy that she will feel knowing that complete strangers believe enough to make her dream come true, is almost as good as Hawaii.

If you aren’t able to contribute financially, please consider sharing this page on your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites; with your family, friends, and co-workers. Every contribution, no matter how little, helps."

Any amount is appreciated, any gift. If you have access to miles for airfare, rental car, lodging, etc we can accept and arrange that too. Checks are also accepted, mailed directly to her:
Justine Raphael
PO Box 366
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Any extra we may collect will go toward the enormous expense of her medical bills.