Roslyn Smith's Food Fund
Donation protected
Go Fund Me write-up
Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who have contributed so generously to my campaign to raise money for the food that I bring to Roslyn Smith at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on a monthly basis. It's been almost a year since I started this campaign. During this time, we have been very optimisitic about a change in her situation, however the wheels of justice move painstakingly slow, and it appears that this change, if it happens, will not occur as soon as we had hoped. Hence, her need for healthy, fresh food every month continues.
Another suggestion would be to contribute a small every month, perhaps $5 or $10. This would insure that we have a continuously replenishing supply of funds to provide the healthy food for Roz. Optimally, I'd like to be able to spend $100/month on food. If you are interested in this option, please let me know and I will tell you how to do this.
And for those of you who haven't seen this yet, here's our story:
Roslyn Smith has been an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY for 38 years, since she was 17. I've been visiting her for about 7 or 8 years. My visiting started with a request from my dear friend Sister Elaine Roulet who asked if I would like to bring Roz food once a month and visit with her. Since the prison food is very low quality, Roz wanted to be able to cook her own healthier meals. This is especially important because she also has lupus, and a high quality diet has a big effect on lupus. Sister Elaine said that she would reimburse me for the expenses, through her organization Our Children, grants and private donations. I said yes, and a new chapter in my life and in Roz's life as well, was born!
I've been shopping for and visiting Roz every month ever since, for all these years. I recall that Sister Elaine had told me that food is very important to the inmates, but I really didn't appreciate this fact until I began to bring Roz food every month. The food that I brought her, with Sister Elaine's enormous help, has been a part of countless celebrations and events, from birthdays, to graduations, to holidays, to weddings, to visits with Roz's daughter and more. Any excuse for a gathering and a shared meal among friends is the perfect time to create a meal. This sharing of food is a way of bringing joy and pleasure to the inmates who don't have many opportunities for that.
Let me tell you a bit about Roz. Over the 38 years that she's been incarcerated, she has earned her high school diploma, graduated college, and earned some post-graduate credits. She has been involved in every leadership program offered at the prison, including Puppies Behind Bars, the dog training program to train helper dogs for war veterans and more, has worked for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, has worked and is presently working at the Children's Center at the prison, has had a garden at the prison where she grows veggies, has lived in one of the "honor units" for many years, has served as a mentor for many younger inmates and in short, has been a model inmate. If anyone embodies rehabilitation, it is Roz.
Over these years, Roz has become a very close friend. She has developed an interest in spirituality, and I've introduced her to my husband who is also very interested in this, and they have developed a close friendship. Roz has introduced my husband to several other inmates, and he visits them as well to discuss spirituality with them. Our lives have been very enriched by these friendships.
Before I began visiting the prison, I had a preconceived notion that prisoners were different and perhaps "less than" the general population. My friendship with Roz has totally turned that feeling around. I've learned that the inmates are just people, with children and families. Many of them had very difficult upbringings and made poor choices, which have resulted in their incarceration. However, despite Roz's very difficult upbringing and despite having spent all her adulthood in prison, she is one of the most centered, positive people that I know, both inside and outside prison.
All this brings me to my Go Fund Me campaign. The funding from Sister Elaine has run out, so I can no longer be reimbursed for the food expenses for Roz. I generally spend $100-$125/month on food, however when her daughter visits for the weekend, they love to cook and expenses are a bit higher than. I am looking for help in paying for the food. It's so very important to Roz. Just contributing $5, $10 or $25 will go a very long way. It will all add up and will bring such joy to Roz.
Thank you very much and know that you are making a truly wonderful and remarkable woman very, very happy.
Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who have contributed so generously to my campaign to raise money for the food that I bring to Roslyn Smith at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on a monthly basis. It's been almost a year since I started this campaign. During this time, we have been very optimisitic about a change in her situation, however the wheels of justice move painstakingly slow, and it appears that this change, if it happens, will not occur as soon as we had hoped. Hence, her need for healthy, fresh food every month continues.
Another suggestion would be to contribute a small every month, perhaps $5 or $10. This would insure that we have a continuously replenishing supply of funds to provide the healthy food for Roz. Optimally, I'd like to be able to spend $100/month on food. If you are interested in this option, please let me know and I will tell you how to do this.
And for those of you who haven't seen this yet, here's our story:
Roslyn Smith has been an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY for 38 years, since she was 17. I've been visiting her for about 7 or 8 years. My visiting started with a request from my dear friend Sister Elaine Roulet who asked if I would like to bring Roz food once a month and visit with her. Since the prison food is very low quality, Roz wanted to be able to cook her own healthier meals. This is especially important because she also has lupus, and a high quality diet has a big effect on lupus. Sister Elaine said that she would reimburse me for the expenses, through her organization Our Children, grants and private donations. I said yes, and a new chapter in my life and in Roz's life as well, was born!
I've been shopping for and visiting Roz every month ever since, for all these years. I recall that Sister Elaine had told me that food is very important to the inmates, but I really didn't appreciate this fact until I began to bring Roz food every month. The food that I brought her, with Sister Elaine's enormous help, has been a part of countless celebrations and events, from birthdays, to graduations, to holidays, to weddings, to visits with Roz's daughter and more. Any excuse for a gathering and a shared meal among friends is the perfect time to create a meal. This sharing of food is a way of bringing joy and pleasure to the inmates who don't have many opportunities for that.
Let me tell you a bit about Roz. Over the 38 years that she's been incarcerated, she has earned her high school diploma, graduated college, and earned some post-graduate credits. She has been involved in every leadership program offered at the prison, including Puppies Behind Bars, the dog training program to train helper dogs for war veterans and more, has worked for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, has worked and is presently working at the Children's Center at the prison, has had a garden at the prison where she grows veggies, has lived in one of the "honor units" for many years, has served as a mentor for many younger inmates and in short, has been a model inmate. If anyone embodies rehabilitation, it is Roz.
Over these years, Roz has become a very close friend. She has developed an interest in spirituality, and I've introduced her to my husband who is also very interested in this, and they have developed a close friendship. Roz has introduced my husband to several other inmates, and he visits them as well to discuss spirituality with them. Our lives have been very enriched by these friendships.
Before I began visiting the prison, I had a preconceived notion that prisoners were different and perhaps "less than" the general population. My friendship with Roz has totally turned that feeling around. I've learned that the inmates are just people, with children and families. Many of them had very difficult upbringings and made poor choices, which have resulted in their incarceration. However, despite Roz's very difficult upbringing and despite having spent all her adulthood in prison, she is one of the most centered, positive people that I know, both inside and outside prison.
All this brings me to my Go Fund Me campaign. The funding from Sister Elaine has run out, so I can no longer be reimbursed for the food expenses for Roz. I generally spend $100-$125/month on food, however when her daughter visits for the weekend, they love to cook and expenses are a bit higher than. I am looking for help in paying for the food. It's so very important to Roz. Just contributing $5, $10 or $25 will go a very long way. It will all add up and will bring such joy to Roz.
Thank you very much and know that you are making a truly wonderful and remarkable woman very, very happy.
Organizer
Cindy Rosenbaum
Organizer
Golden's Bridge, NY