Many of you know that I have a friend, Arthur, who has been incarcerated almost continually for the last 30 years in the California Correctional System. I have been his friend since he was in the CA Youth Correctional Facility in Whittier.

About a year and a half ago, he reconnected with a woman he dated in high school, and they have developed a relationship through phone calls and FaceTime. About a year ago, I brought Neice and her three daughters down from Fresno on the Greyhound so they could visit Arthur in the prison down in San Diego.

I just found out that because Neice cannot pay her electric bills, they turned off her electricity 1 1/2 months ago, forcing them to use flashlights and candles. She only has hot water. She owes over $2,500 and will have to pay that amount in order for them to turn the electricity back on.

Being a single mom, she only works part-time. Her ex does pay something for the girls, but not much and not on a regular basis. She is on food stamps but not much else.

I have decided that the only way I can help is to set up a GoFundMe account and hope that we can raise enough money for them to turn the power back on.

So, at this special time of year, I am asking for any donation, great or small, to help Neice and the girls get some light and heat turned back on in their house again.