Hi, my name is Kristen Williams and this fundraiser is for Darrin Lester and his family. Many of us on the WVU campus have gotten to know Darrin over the last few years. He has been working on the Master of Social Work (MSW) here after he received the 2021-2022 educational scholarship from the Appalachian Prison Book Project for persons that were recently incarcerated in the state of West Virginia who were pursuing higher education. I first met Darrin in the summer of 2022 when I was looking for a guest speaker for my ESL class. Darrin came to speak to my international students about the Appalachian Prison Book Project, and his very own Olive Tree Initiative. It was such a great experience for everyone. There was no question about who I would invite this past summer to speak to my students again. If you've met Darrin even just once, I'm sure you, too, feel like you've known him a lifetime. Darrin has a special way of impacting lives with his wisdom and compassion.

Now it is our turn to give back to Darrin. He suffered some major health complications on September 27th that rendered him unresponsive and on a ventilator. His son, DJ, came to Morgantown from Florida to be by his side.

The Lester family is asking for your prayers at this time. Darrin needs a miracle.

Additionally, with each passing day, the costs keep adding up for both Darrin and DJ. If you are able to contribute, please help the Lester family take care of their financial needs at this difficult time.

(All funds will be transferred to Darrin's son, DJ.)