OUR DEAR FRIEND IS IN DIRE STRAITS

No, she hasn’t joined forces with Mark Knopfler in the band. This is actual dire straits. Of the tragic, ill-health variety.

 

This is the predicament faced by Venu Katz, the beloved wife of one of Johns+Gorman’s founding members, Sam Schapiro.

 

Having nearly gone blind in recent years she was fortunate to have her sight saved by a radical eye surgery. But it cost tens of thousands of dollars.

 

She has been cursed with MS for a multitude of years and it has now ravaged her to the point of being nearly unable to walk, getting around her meager apartment by clinging on to the few pieces of furniture she still possesses.

 

And now this week, she has taken a terrible fall that left her on the floor, helpless and unable to move or eat for three days. We have transported her into the hospital for treatment following which she will have to be placed in a skilled nursing facility.

 

We are endeavoring to get her into Sunrise Senior Living in Beverly Hills where she can live comfortably and in superior medical attention her remaining days which we know, with your help, will be many. We have already made arrangements and they will accept her once she has healed from her fall.

 

Fortunately, Venu has a totally-paid-for long-term-insurance policy that will cover the extraordinary cost of this community in full.

 

But she needs to come up with the first month’s “rent” and move-in expenses. The estimated total for these costs will be $15,000.

 

That’s above and beyond what we have already pooled together to cover her current living costs, wrapping up outstanding rent for her apartment, disposing of the contents of her apartment, emptying out her storage unit, etc.

 

We are reaching out to all who fondly remember Sam and Venu in the hopes that you can make a contribution to get her back to a relatively healthy life and be part of a very caring group of professionals and wonderful, mostly Jewish residents who will be able to offer her a sense of “family” and belonging.

 

It has been a rough 18 months for all of us during this pandemic and asking for donations at this time, we know, is a reach, with so many of you going through difficult times yourselves. But we are hopeful that you can find it in your hearts (and wallets) to help. It doesn’t matter how much you can afford to give. Every cent will help. And be so very much appreciated by Venu. Of course, if one of you has the ability and wants to pop for the entire $15k we will make sure the world of social media knows of your altruism and philanthropy.

 

$15,000 is a healthy amount of money. But it isn’t an unsurmountable figure. We know that with all the love you have shown over the years to Sam and to Venu that we can reach this goal and she can move into Sunrise as soon as possible and get on the road to recovery and a fulfilling rest of her many years ahead.

 

We look forward to hearing from you and your caring GoFundMe, tax-deductible-donations.

 

Unlike the Dire Straits hit, it won’t be “Money for Nothing.”

 

Thank you,

 

Sylvia Kahn Versace

Effie Samios

Gary Johns

Jeff Gorman