I’m organizing this in order to help one of my dearest friends in her time of dire need. Maria is one of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known. She lost her 17 year old son, Joaquin, tragically and unexpectedly on the morning of October 24th. Joaquin was special to so many people, especially to Maria and his brothers, Jon and Michael. No mother should have to face the prospect of planning her child’s funeral, let alone be faced with the overwhelming cost of a memorial. As you can imagine, as a single mother, she was not prepared to have to shoulder this burden either emotionally or financially. So I’m hoping to ease some of the burden. All funds donated will be used toward funeral/memorial costs and to help offset the time off of work to allow her to grieve her youngest son. Maria has dedicated her life to helping others. She’s always giving so much of herself and never asks for anything in return. Please consider donating if you can, or at the very least, share so that others may have the opportunity to help a grieving family.