Hello:  My name is Jim Culp and I am writing this for my friend Michael Mattews, who needs your help. The funds will be used to cover the $250 shortfall in his income, allow him to heat his small home, and put food on the table. While his medical is covered, he needs to eat well to help him fight his leukemia. We need funds for him in any amount as soon as possible. Until he got too sick I was singing with Michael in a church choir and a community chorus. He brought joy to us all. This is my way of helping him. Here is his story:

         Brother Michael Matthews - A Brief Biography

Brother Michael Matthews was born in Melbourne, Australia, where he ran track in the blazing sun, a practice that damaged his skin.

He began his spiritual practice as a Episcopalian, and later became  a Roman Catholic. He recently attended the Mendocino Presbyterian Church and sang in its choir. Currently, he is a member of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Fort Bragg, CA.

"Rediscovering God" - Michael has suffered for years Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome due to his service as a medical corpsman in Viet Nam. in 1985, he decided to reconnect with God by taking Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. This brought him to the Corpus Christi Abbey in Texas, which is run by the Catholic Church. As a monk he took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

At the monastery, he with other monks collected donated items to be sold to help the Abbey. At one donor's home, a heavy hide-a-bed got away and crashed onto Brother Michael, crushing his spine. This resulted in numerous operations.

"Medical Disaster " After this terrible accident surgeons put a metal "Halo" on him to immobilize his head. A screw accidentally penetrated his esophagus causing further serious injury. This accident resulted in a lawsuit that brought him the money to buy a small house in Fort Bragg, the town where he had lived before before going to Texas. He refers to his house as his "hermitage." Tibetan prayer flags adorn the entrance.

"Savings Gone"  Michael spent a nearly a year caring for his sister who had lost her home. She was quite cold all of the time and Michael saw his heating bills skyrocket, eating into his meager savings, and leaving him short of funds to pay for ordinary household expenses. His CA disability check ($900) does not cover it, and he is left with a short-fall of $250 a month to meet the cost of essentials - food and heat. He currently burns wood in an open fireplace in an attempt to heat his house. He is eligible to move to a subsidized apartment, but the wait list is over two years.

"How things stand"  Facing the fall and winter with a cash short-fall, he cannot afford to fire up his furnace. In addition, his health is not good. He has a form of leukemia and his immune system is compromised, allowing multiple skin cancers, lesions and open wounds sores to develop. This requires medical treatment. Fortunately it is covered under Medical, California's medical program for its low income citizens.

"The Future" Michael sees his future as "serving God the best he can." Despite his health and financial problems he is working toward becoming a chaplain at the hospice of Mendocino Coast District Hospital. He attends classes there regularly.

"Amazing Spirit" Despite his woes he maintains a joyful spirit. His injuries have gotten him  to a place that he is "happy in the Lord." "God has me where he wants me." Michael says. All he asks is for a little help from his friends.