Hello Friends and Community: As some of you know, I will be having two surgeries this year to repair an umbilical hernia. I have lived with this injury for years, but it recently worsened to the point that I’m unable to do anything that involves straining, and I need to get it fixed, especially with the current administration putting my future healthcare at risk. The first procedure is just weeks away in early/mid June.

Currently, preparing boxed meals and Operation Gumbo Drop are my only sources of income. The first surgery has a 2-month recovery time, so for the months of June and July, I will be unable to cook or do much at all. I am in need of some support, both logistically and financially.

I am hoping to raise $3000 via GoFundMe to cover rent, bills, and expenses while I am recovering post-surgery for the months of June and July. Other ways to pitch in include buying from this month’s menu. You get delicious food, and I get to pay my rent. It’s a win-win. You can also hire me for future work like small catering events, private dinners, office lunches, Burning Man camp meals; you can purchase credit for future boxed dinners and gumbo once I’m back in working condition (I’m planning for August), or personal assistant and project management gigs.

If you are interested in helping with logistics, I’m recruiting 2-3 people to join my recovery team which currently consists of TK Swan and Alec Foster. TK is doing a great job of distilling what needs to be done so it’ll be low effort, you won’t have to do anything gross, and I’ll probably try to give you free food for the rest of our lives. Send me a DM if you want to be on the team.

Finally but importantly, I would appreciate any visits, words of encouragement, videos of cute stuff, or anything else you might send to a friend to brighten their day. Recovering from surgery is boring and lonely. It would be great to remember that people care about me.

This is not easy, but with the way the world is changing around us, it’s crucial to me to have a body that functions so I can be as useful as possible to my community. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Caleb