Pete Rivera's Power Wheelchair Fund

Our friend Alberto "Pete" Rivera came home in late 2022 after spending 48 1/2 years incarcerated in the New York State prison system.

We are overjoyed to spend time with him on the outside. Pete's transition into free society has included reconnecting with family and building relationships with people he knew only through letters. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to Pete's initial welcome home fund.

The transition also highlights several structural and systemic concerns. In addition to the many challenges that attend to re-entry—from securing housing to navigating the public benefits system to learning how to use modern technology— Pete, who is a disabled wheelchair user, is learning how to navigate a world not designed to be accessible to disabled people. 

We are gathering funds for a foldable power chair to support Pete's autonomy and improve his quality of life. We hope this mobility device will offer Pete opportunities to enjoy time outdoors, have greater ease navigating the city, and move more readily within his apartment.

The wheelchair Pete currently uses is made for temporary use; it is already years old and is barely serviceable. It is heavy, low to the ground, and manual, which means Pete, who is seventy, can travel only very short distances.  

Please consider contributing what you can toward this goal and share this fundraiser widely with your networks. 

Thanks for your care and consideration!

Josephine Shokrian, Noam Shemtov, Tynan Jarrett, Franca Jarrett.