Help Neal get back on his feet!
Donation protected
Our friend Neal Karlen's apartment burned down on Friday.
"As in gone", read the text I got from him.
Neal wasn't home when the fire happened, so he didn't get hurt. But his place and all his stuff was destroyed. (And he had just cleaned it up! For real!)
Investigators believe an electrical malfunction was the cause of the fire.
He had his computer with him, so Neal's in-progress biography/memoir of his friend Prince is safe. Everything else was lost. His home. His clothes. His furniture. His books. And hardest for Neal, his lifetime's worth of collectibles that meant so much to him. (Yes, the T-shirt collection is gone, along with the baseball cards, bobble heads, and everything else.)
Neal has had a lot of pain and loss in his life over the past few years: the sudden death of his brother; cancer; and now this.
When I told him I'd like to set up a GoFundMe campaign to help him get back on his feet after the fire, Neal was initially uncomfortable with the idea (shame spiral and all that). But after taking some time to think about it and get feedback from other people, he's letting me do this.
Recovering from a disaster like this is something Neal shouldn't have to do alone. Prove to him that I was right when I told him his community wants to help and welcomes a way to do so.
Your contribution will help give Neal the funds he needs to:
•Rent a new apartment.
•Buy new furniture and household goods.
•Get clothes for each and every season.
•Populate his life with print and pencils again.
Let's show our friend Neal how many people love him and have his back. And that life isn't always just one horrible thing after another. And when it is, he's not alone.
Whatever you can give would be most appreciated.
Thank you!
-Emily
"As in gone", read the text I got from him.
Neal wasn't home when the fire happened, so he didn't get hurt. But his place and all his stuff was destroyed. (And he had just cleaned it up! For real!)
Investigators believe an electrical malfunction was the cause of the fire.
He had his computer with him, so Neal's in-progress biography/memoir of his friend Prince is safe. Everything else was lost. His home. His clothes. His furniture. His books. And hardest for Neal, his lifetime's worth of collectibles that meant so much to him. (Yes, the T-shirt collection is gone, along with the baseball cards, bobble heads, and everything else.)
Neal has had a lot of pain and loss in his life over the past few years: the sudden death of his brother; cancer; and now this.
When I told him I'd like to set up a GoFundMe campaign to help him get back on his feet after the fire, Neal was initially uncomfortable with the idea (shame spiral and all that). But after taking some time to think about it and get feedback from other people, he's letting me do this.
Recovering from a disaster like this is something Neal shouldn't have to do alone. Prove to him that I was right when I told him his community wants to help and welcomes a way to do so.
Your contribution will help give Neal the funds he needs to:
•Rent a new apartment.
•Buy new furniture and household goods.
•Get clothes for each and every season.
•Populate his life with print and pencils again.
Let's show our friend Neal how many people love him and have his back. And that life isn't always just one horrible thing after another. And when it is, he's not alone.
Whatever you can give would be most appreciated.
Thank you!
-Emily
Organizer and beneficiary
Emily Goldberg
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Neal Karlen
Beneficiary
