**Help Sharon Continue Her Mission with REDish**

My friend, Sharon Shelton-Corpening, is one of the most passionate and creative people I know. She has always fought for justice—whether it’s economic justice, housing, environmental issues, or voting rights. Recently, she’s turned her focus to a deeply personal project: a YouTube channel called REDish, which tells the powerful stories of mixed-race Indigenous peoples who survived colonization, slavery, and oppression from the colonial era to today.

Unfortunately, life has taken a tough turn for Sharon. She lost both of her parents within a day of each other last year—her mother on June 22nd and her father on June 23rd. These losses triggered a severe health crisis that forced her to go on short term disability twice in 2024. The first time was between January and March. But, after she returned to work, she was forced to go on disability a 2nd time in June.

In mid-May, six weeks after Sharon began a new job she caught COVID-19, which morphed into months of long Covid. By mid-September, she had exhausted all short term disability. The insurance provider from her new job refused to grant her long term disability due to her pre-existing condition. In early October, she began receiving unemployment benefits and went on unemployment.

Disability paid 60% of her income. Unemployment pays half that. Now on her 3rd month of unemployment, Sharon is still struggling to pay rent, car payment, car insurance, medical insurance, medications, and food (DHS calculated her cumulative income in 2024 and determined she's not eligible for food stamps, medicaid, and other assistance programs). We also learned that Rhode Island charities haven't offered rental assistance since the pandemic.

Sharon says she never wanted to live out her working years on disability. She loves what she does as a writer, video producer/editor, and media relations professional.

To date, she has applied for more than 70 jobs. She's also learned that she's a top contender for many of them. Moreover, she's updated her Creative Circle, Robert Half, and 24 Seven profiles, and continues to apply for upcoming contract opportunities. However, her job search began mid-4th quarter during an election season, then leading to the holidays. It's more than likely that she'll begin interviewing early in the new year.

Since starting this campaign, Sharon raised half of what she needs to survive until she gets a job. While she received 28 kind donations that staved off an immediate eviction crisis at the time, she's still behind on rent and has no way of paying January's rent. Her rental management company has worked with her thus far, but said she must pay the past-due rent in January.

Sharon is still in danger of eviction. She needs a total of $3900 by the first week in January.

Even while battling these challenges, Sharon has pushed forward with her REDish YouTube project. Her work highlights the often-overlooked stories of Black and Native American histories and their roles in shaping the Americas and the Caribbean. This unique and important project has been praised by Indigenous communities, Rhode Island educators, and institutions like Bristol, Rhode Island's Research BIPOC History Project funded by Tufts University.

I'm Sharon's former business coach, client, and one of her closest friends. I'm also a grant writing coach. I'm assisting her with finding funding for the REDish channel so she can tell the forgotten and suppressed stories about Indigenous peoples with African ancestry in the Americas.

I'M ASKING FOR A TOTAL OF $3900 OR MORE TO REACH THE ORIGINAL GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN AND TO GIVE HER A CUSHION KEEP HER RENT PAID UNTIL JOBS AND CONTRACTS COME THROUGH.

Sharon can’t continue her work if she loses her home. At 64, I'm concerned about the toll this series of crises including the loss of her parents and income could have on her physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. That’s why I’m asking for your help. Sharon’s vision, determination, and voice deserve support. Let’s help her stay on her feet so she can continue telling these critical stories. Any contribution will make a difference in keeping her and her work alive.

Thank you for supporting Sharon—she is truly one of a kind, and she deserves our help!