Help the Brumfield-Williams Fam in Time of Crisis

“You don’t have to, you get to.”

 

Our sibling in community, Yanni Brumfield, has privately struggled to single-handedly support their sister who has been experiencing a severe mental health crisis. This meant driving all the way to Oregon after hearing their sister was experiencing symptoms, and usher her and her four children back to the Bay so they could care for all 5 of them. This was a week ago. Since, Yanni has desperately navigated the complex web of nonprofits and crisis centers that failed them at every turn. I watched several times as the system failed to mitigate a deteriorating situation with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Yanni and their family have attempted to support their sister without the help of programs that advertise crisis management, and it is in moments like these that truly illuminate the failures of our social systems.

 

Their sister is a loving mother who is in need of some love and support - and she was finally admitted into a facility that will provide that support - for now - but that leaves four young children under the age of 8 who all need to be cared for right now. Yanni’s sister is admitted indefinitely, and there is no telling when she could be discharged. This leaves an immense burden on Yanni and their family to finance her children's needs, all at the heels of a global crisis that has left all of us hanging on by a thread

 

We must come together to support Yanni during this time. Yanni has been a pillar of this community - and there isn’t a soul in the Bay that hasn’t been touched by their spirit. I need us all to turn towards gratitude for this opportunity to show them how much we love and care for them during this time.

 

The family is asking for financial donations, with a goal of $4,000, to assist in purchasing:

 

Clothing

Transportation

Housing

Food

Basic Hygiene Products (three of the children are in diapers)

Medication and

Child Care

 

I would also note - though financial donations are the most direct way to support and uplift this family, donations of time and care can also look like the following, for those that do not have the financial means to donate:

 

Time - via childcare/babysitting during the day

Meal Deliveries

Pullup donations

Wipes

Jackets/coats

 

Keep in mind the children's ages range from 2-7.

 

Let us remember the courage and bravery it takes to ask for help, and to lean into community during times like this. Let us show Yanni and their family what community looks like.