My name is Dr. Alvan Quamina, and I’ve had the privilege of working with Roosevelt Mosby, Jr. on HIV and LGBT issues for the past two decades. Roosevelt is the founder and executive director of SMAAC Youth Center (now defunct), and of 14 Plus—a new organization dedicated to meeting the training, employment and social support needs of LGBT youth in the City of Oakland, California. Roosevelt has worked tirelessly to create safety nets for HIV impacted individuals and for LGBT youth.

Recently, Roosevelt suffered a catastrophic stroke that has left him paralyzed on his left side. Unfortunately, Roosevelt’s years of service to his community have left him without a safety net of his own. His road to full recovery will be a long and difficult one. 

Roosevelt is currently hospitalized at Fairmont Hospital, in San Leandro, California, in one of their rehabilitation units.  He will soon be discharged, but as a result of his stroke and hospitalization, he has lost his apartment and most of his possessions. 

I am trying to raise funds to get Roosevelt a handicap accessible apartment, a motorized wheelchair, and some initial support (in-home rehabilitation care and nurse’s aide support) while we negotiate more permanent solutions to his needs. 

Those of you that know Roosevelt know what a fighter he is!  We pray and expect that Roosevelt will make a full recovery.  But in the meantime, we need to support his recovery by ensuring that he has the environment and the services that he will need to make that recovery.  Roosevelt has invested so much of his life in bettering the lives of others.  I hope that you will consider investing in his recovery, now that he needs our help.

By the way, your support, no matter how small, also signals to Roosevelt how much we all care for him and appreciate his past life's work.  That vote of support will go a long way toward sustaining his Spirit through the hard times that lie ahead.

I have worked alongside Roosevelt, but he is also my friend and my brother.  His generosity and generosity of spirit toward everyone around him has always amazed me.  I am personally doing all that I can to repay that generosity in his time of need.  I hope that you can and will join me in supporting Roosevelt.

Thanks so much for your kind consideration.

Dr. Alvan Quamina