My name is Michelle Pepin, and I am the founder of Picking Up The Pieces in Ocala, Florida. I started my organization after losing my son, Ian, 26 years old, to fentanyl poisoning. He had 18 months in recovery, and his life was taken by a selfish person. My organization does harm reduction in the community, which means I go out and seek drug users and help them walk that path of recovery. It’s not an easy job, but it’s fulfilling. This is where my heart is at. I don’t want another parent to have to go through what my husband and I had to go through. Not only did I lose my son in 2018, but I also lost my husband of 39 years on September 20, 2023. This has been a hard journey, but I keep going. The reason I’m collecting donations is because I no longer have a vehicle that runs, and if I don’t have a vehicle that runs, I can’t do my community outreach and I can’t help people.

Please find it in your heart to help me get the funds for another vehicle so that I can continue my work in the community.