Hello, amazing people.

It’s been more than half a decade since the “NOW”… yet all of the amazing work we did together for our communities as #MasksNOW instantly warms my heart whenever it comes to mind.

I’m here specifically to ask if you still feel connected to this community and would be willing to support one of our own?

This fundraiser is for an amazing person, who has shown up to support others as long as I have know them. For example, this one time they spent countless hours during a global pandemic serving as a regional lead in a grassroots community movement that grew to over 20k volunteers who together produced AND distributed over half a million masks to their local communities. Seriously, so epic.

The full “in need” story is long, intimate, heartbreaking. Also, 100% their own to share.

As a friend/witness I will say the floor dropped out of their life very suddenly and due to no personal fault. What’s more, that dark hole is absolutely not where they are standing today. I’ve seen them relentlessly work to rebuild over the last 3-ish years. Which let’s be honest, that is very true to character for a #MaskNOW volunteer, because those people were unstoppable (as in they never stopped working)

Today they need help to repair their vehicle. That’s not a small thing, as that vehicle is vital for maintaining access to essential healthcare and their primary source of income. 

For a new transmission they need about $2000.

Knowing how much this person has done for me, for others, for the world… holding the weight of my friend sinking into this feeling of defeat while remembering how grandly they showed up for community as a state lead, sparked this idea.

So I went and looked. I found that I was still a member of nine of our old Facebook regional groups, with a modest reach of about 3000 people total. Three thousand really epic people, tho.

If a merger 1/3 of us gives $2 today, that gets their car repaired. Which is a life saving gift.

BUT…what if?

What if the community we worked so hard to build is still here, still ours? Banding together breaks individuals out of survival mode. Communities create the space where growth, innovation, and art occur.

So, what if?

What if we came together as a community and chose to create that difference for each other.

In many US cities a reliable vehicle is 100% the difference between running an uphill battle to sustain basic survival vs. living in the beautiful world of possibility.

A decent used car (>10 years old) ranges around 15k-25k.

If 1/2 of us, see this, and are able to give $10…as a community in theory we could crush a 15k goal, without anyone else needing to reposts this, OR spend more than $10 to truly change a life.

We did the hard work of building this community years ago and I’m still in, if you are. Because 6 years later, if I saw a GoFundMe posted to one of our community volunteer pages, I wouldn’t hesitate to help if I could. We were a powerful, coordinated, nation wide effort made up of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met… Six years later I’m realizing that the most impressive thing we did was to built this community.

Just, please. For the love of all thing’s holy. Nobody go tell Jodi that Rachel said we all get new cars if we ask on Facebook.

You can tell her that I’m 100% encouraging us to break the old regional fb group rules. Ummm, but if you happen to speak to Olivia before Jodi, feel free to go with the car thing.

Please help if you can. We once came together and impacted millions of lives. What’s one more?