Donovan Michael Gray's 2016 / 2017
Donation protected
My name is Jerry Arnold and I have known Donovan Michael Gray most of my adult life.
Donovan Michael Gray has been a life long supporter and career administrator for the arts. He has also worked in projects that were responsible for historic preservation of treasured buildings throughout the U.S. His experience has offered him opportunities to work in theater, ballet and modern dance on national levels and more importantly, on community levels.
For those of you that are train aficionados he is an expert in the history of virtually all things "rail" and has been a volunteer on The Maine Narrow Gauge Railway in Maine.
Donovan, like many Americans, now being in his late 60's, living in Portland, Maine is retired and living on what little Social Security & paltry retirement funds his arts career has provided for him. He often tells me, "the first 2 weeks of every month are acceptable and during the balance of the month I can hardly feed my cat, let alone myself."
Over the last year Donovan has suffered from a life threatening episode caused by a ruptured colon. When he arrived at the hospital a year ago he was told that had he not showed up at that time he did, he would have died within days.
Living on the margins, as so many are forced to do, he is reliant on Medicare. The treatment he has been receiving has been adequate however, he has not been at the head of the line for the procedures necessary to reattach his colon and get him back to a normal life.
Living alone he is unable to even clean his own home as the surgical procedure also led to a severe hernia which is still an unresolved issue.
Two weeks ago he was threatened with an eviction due to absurd reasoning from a property management company and was facing living in his car. After pleading for mercy due to his physical emergencies they did rescind, however they referred to this an "extension."
Donovan Michael Gray is a man of great dignity. He is an honest, caring and loving individidual. I have many times said to him. "I wish there was more I could do to help."
With this funding plea, maybe, just maybe, there's a bit more I (we) can do to ease him into this Christmas and give him something to look forward to in 2017.
Thank you all for reading this and Happiest of Holidays.
Jerry Arnold
Donovan Michael Gray has been a life long supporter and career administrator for the arts. He has also worked in projects that were responsible for historic preservation of treasured buildings throughout the U.S. His experience has offered him opportunities to work in theater, ballet and modern dance on national levels and more importantly, on community levels.
For those of you that are train aficionados he is an expert in the history of virtually all things "rail" and has been a volunteer on The Maine Narrow Gauge Railway in Maine.
Donovan, like many Americans, now being in his late 60's, living in Portland, Maine is retired and living on what little Social Security & paltry retirement funds his arts career has provided for him. He often tells me, "the first 2 weeks of every month are acceptable and during the balance of the month I can hardly feed my cat, let alone myself."
Over the last year Donovan has suffered from a life threatening episode caused by a ruptured colon. When he arrived at the hospital a year ago he was told that had he not showed up at that time he did, he would have died within days.
Living on the margins, as so many are forced to do, he is reliant on Medicare. The treatment he has been receiving has been adequate however, he has not been at the head of the line for the procedures necessary to reattach his colon and get him back to a normal life.
Living alone he is unable to even clean his own home as the surgical procedure also led to a severe hernia which is still an unresolved issue.
Two weeks ago he was threatened with an eviction due to absurd reasoning from a property management company and was facing living in his car. After pleading for mercy due to his physical emergencies they did rescind, however they referred to this an "extension."
Donovan Michael Gray is a man of great dignity. He is an honest, caring and loving individidual. I have many times said to him. "I wish there was more I could do to help."
With this funding plea, maybe, just maybe, there's a bit more I (we) can do to ease him into this Christmas and give him something to look forward to in 2017.
Thank you all for reading this and Happiest of Holidays.
Jerry Arnold
Organizer and beneficiary
Jerry Arnold
Organizer
Seattle, WA
Donovan Michael Gray
Beneficiary
