Healing Assistance for Tina

Friends of Tina Kochan, including myself, Judith Lowry, and Julie Augustyn would like to initiate this fundraiser. We appreciate you taking the time to read this and any contributions you can make.

Tina has been a dear Bolinas resident for 15 years and is an important member of our community. She juggles several jobs, from working as the Seed Production Specialist at Larner Seeds, tending Annie Crotts’ gardens, landscaping with Joni Harding, previously working at farmer’s markets, on Paradise Valley Farm, and as smoothie maestro at Bobolicious Smoothie Lounge. She’s a kind-hearted eco-friendly dedicated repurposer, an animal advocate, living close to the bone to stay in Bolinas. She is also known for her zest for physical challenges, hard outdoor work, and her love of mountain biking, hiking, yoga, dancing, community gatherings, and her ability to remain cheerful in adversity, bringing a smile to everyone’s heart.

In the midst of the pandemic, she was ecstatic to have her Canadian fiance, Bowson, join her here when the border opened. They were kept apart for over a year. While they made plans, she continued to work multiple jobs, as did Bowson.

In the last week of August, she returned home after work to find Bowson lying dead in their driveway.

An undiagnosed heart problem took his life at age 40. Tina is devastated. Though in shock and despair, she needed to keep working. Their life plans together derailed, Tina made plans to take his ashes to his family in Canada. As she was making these plans, her father unexpectedly died. .

Tina put her needs aside to go to her mother’s aid in New Jersey. Together they discovered the extent of the financial disaster left by her father. At a time when Tina badly needs a chance to mourn and regroup, she is left with very few resources and is now her mother’s caregiver. She longs to return to Bolinas, to her work, and to her community. This GoFundMe could help Tina to navigate the current challenges and return to Bolinas, to begin her own healing and move forward with the love and support of her commUnity.