Friends of Wendy,

I am Tracy,

I, too, am Wendy's friend.

The last few years have been tough for Wendy. She has had four surgeries. One on her knee and three on her spine. As her body was in various stages of pain, Wendy was also navigating work.

Her long career in book publishing began to dry up as real estate spiked, and independent bookstores began shuttering. Clients closing book shops is not good for a Rep. Wendy pivoted and has been using her editing and writing skills for private clients while also being a sales manager for a small publisher. Unfortunately, the publisher work wrapped, and the editing jobs are impossible to find.

Honestly, I am not in the publishing business but watching Wendy navigate these career hurdles reminds me of images of polar bears trying to swim to glacial ice sheets in the middle of global warming. And in all that stress Wendy has continued to stay connected to her friends and offer her own support to those who need a kind and thoughtful ear.

Wendy continues to sign up for reduced senior housing lists and knows that she will have to move to an apartment that is lower in cost. She is still recovering from her November back surgery and is not strong enough for a move right now. She, of course, continues to look for other work that makes sense for 70+ woman. I could write a long passage on what it means to age in Los Angeles with juiced up real estate and not enough Public Good resources, but I won’t go into all of that now. What is important is that in the meantime, Wendy needs help with her rent, basic bills, and expenses. In the meantime, she is grateful to have the use of a local food bank.

I have set up this Go Fund Me account so that we can all come together and help Wendy get through this period.

There is a strength in Wendy even when she is feeling most fragile, and she has shown so many of us her love and appreciation even when she is struggling.

If you can please donate any amount, nothing is too small, and it will all help Wendy with basic living costs.