<div>Family and Friends,
</div>
<div>Recently, something happened to me that touched my heart and felt a little kismet. I want to share this story with you in the hopes that you can join me in helping someone special return to a drug-free life.
</div>
<div>As many of you know, I live in Baltimore; it's a great city, but a city nevertheless. Several weeks ago, through my own negligence, my purse was stolen from my property: A relatively new  leather bag, matching wallet, new sunglasses, credit cards, cash, driver’s license, ipad and all of my business receipts from previous weeks. Devastated, I began the process of cancelling cards, going to the DMV, and vowing to be more mindful... and also never spend good money on a purse again. Several days later, my roommate and I were walking down our street to a friend’s surprise party when I saw a man in a tattered, dirty white t-shirt and jeans hustling toward us, head down…. carrying my purse! I offered the man money to buy it, which he politely declined and insisted he had to return it to a lady named Kaitlyn, who lived up the street. I told him I was that lady, and he melted down, exhausted, saying he found it in an alley near Upton Market, several miles from my house in an unsavory part of town. He told me he found my address on an electric bill and he wanted to return my purse because someone had recently stolen his sleeping bag from the abandoned house where he was staying and he could only imagine my frustration as he had felt the same way. My purse was in great shape, and had all of its contents, minus the cash, credit cards and electronics.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>A friend and I gave Aeric a sleeping bag, flashlight, some clothes, a new backpack and a ride home since he had walked several miles to my house. On the ride back he told me that he was addicted to heroine. He had, at one point, had his own business as a landscaper, but a car accident left him with a serious back injury then serious pain killers and lost income lead him to heroin addiction, a story we have all heard before. He told me he had a daughter, and really wanted to get clean. He knew of a facility in Florida, but did not have the means to get there. When we dropped him off, I gave him my number and told him that if he ever wanted to go to that facility, I would buy the plane ticket as a thank-you for returning my purse.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Several days later, on a borrowed phone, he called to say he had contacted the rehab facility in Florida and they had a space for him, if he could get there. I called the facility to verify what Aeric told me and Intake confirmed that they were prepared to pick him up from the airport and begin treatment, if Aeric could get there. So, the day after Father’s Day, I picked Aeric up and drove him to BWI airport with a one way ticket to Ft. Myers.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>That was several weeks ago and since then Aeric and I have developed one of those unexpected friendships you see on YouTube between a cat and a duck. He calls me every day with an update on his progress and we talk about what he's going through. He voluntarily signed a release allowing me to call and speak to his doctors and counsellors. Since the treatment program he is in has a duration of 28 days, he will be transitioning to a half-way house this week. This new facility will cost $450 a month, and Aeric will need to be there at least two months. It is near the rehab facility so he can continue to see his doctors. Over the next few months, Aeric will be given the guidance and resources to help plan his next phase of “clean living.”
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Aeric didn’t steal my purse. I had been warned by friends that this could be a scam where people try to get more money from you. Last week I was contacted by a Baltimore Detective stating they had made an arrest of a person who had a record of stealing, and among the belongings of other victims, my credit cards and id were found in his residence.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I believe this encounter happened for a reason and I want to help this gentleman. Aeric is smart, well spoken, and from what I can see, he desperately wants to get clean and start over. In his own words, he's "from the streets," and doesn't really have any resources So, that's why I am reaching out to my friends and family for help. For now, I would like to raise $2,000 to cover Aeric for the next two months at a half-way house in Florida. I am sure there will be other expenses along the way, including getting him established once he is done with his treatment. I will be in charge of the money, and will pay bills for Aeric directly. He will not have access to any money. I will also be happy to update donors as to his progress. Please help me help Aeric, and let the end to this story be one of success. Along with your prayers, please consider making a donation so that this man can change his course.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I would love nothing more than to call Aeric in a few days to tell him the funds are available from people who care and want Aeric to pay it forward however he can. And he will.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you!!
</div>
<div>Kaitlyn Smith
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>p.s. I've updated the goal amount just because if people are still willing to help Aeric, he literally has nothing. So, after paying rent at the halfway house,  he'll need to get back to Maryland, get a phone, figure out transportation to work and tuition for school, etc. I'm creating a Facebook page so those interested can follow his story and where the funds are going. Thanks again!</strong>
</div>

Anonymous

Kaitlyn Smith

Elvado Smith

Brigitte Smith

Kak Kim

Melodye Whitfield

mike stephens

Lauren  Dermody

Jason  Belzer

Josephine Wiegel

Sean Ickes

Aeric's Fund

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Enter your donation forAeric's Fund