Justin's New Beginning
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Justin Crawford is a young man who is currently facing many tragedies while serving an unlawful prison sentence for the past two years. Justin’s life is no stranger to hardship: he has epilepsy that renders him a dependent because he is unable to drive/obtain a drivers license, his biological parents offer little/no support to him and have repeatedly turned their backs on him, he has lost two siblings in the past year, and will have nowhere to call home when he is released at the end of August. In addition, he has a three-year-old son with a woman who has caused direct harm to him, both physically and emotionally. In the duration of his relationship with this woman, he was stabbed in the chest, repeatedly bruised and beat up, fractured his ankle when she threw a glass bottle on him and was emotionally manipulated into going back to this toxic relationship because she threatened to take his son away from him, his greatest joy. Throughout all of these trials and tribulations, Justin radiates an energy of kindness, generosity, and a sense of hopefulness for the future.
Anyone who has the privilege of knowing Justin has a story where Justin performed a sincere act of kindness or has left an everlasting impact on their life. Justin Crawford is my older brother and the entire 21 years that I have known him, he has been the embodiment of compassion and empathy all the while maintaining a high degree of humility. Justin is the type of person who would stay up with you if you couldn’t sleep, who would always show interest in the things you were the proudest of, who would walk for hours on end just to get the thing you wanted for your birthday, who would put his own problems aside just to make you smile on a hard day, and ultimately would do anything for the people he loves. Justin also never let his disability get in the way of his dreams and aspirations. He has juggled multiple jobs at a time while having a child and has never given up on his dreams to one day gain recognition for his dancing.
Justin and I lived together in my family’s home which includes: his father William (my step-father), my mother Dawn (his step-mother), myself, and our little sister Brooke. Justin came to live with us after being kicked out of his mother’s house due to her constant physical and emotional abuse, however, my mother and father were on the brink of a very messy divorce after 19 years of marriage which resulted in a very toxic household for everyone involved. Our father became increasingly abusive to my mother, and Justin would always stand up to him because he identified my mother as his own, even more so than his biological mother. He was later kicked out by my father, right before my father had abandoned my mother, our younger sister, and me.
Currently, my mother, sister, and I live in section 8/affordable housing and due to the fact that my brother has a record, he will be unable to live with us. I am also the caregiver of our younger sister Brooke, as she battles leukemia and other health problems. Therefore, most of my financial resources are invested in our sister’s health. Due to various different reasons, our family will be unable to provide the resources he will need at the end of August when he is released from prison. The only plausible option that Justin had for support was his older brother and mentor, Jordan, however, due to his untimely and very unfortunate passing back in July, Justin’s new reality is unrecognizable. It was a week ago when I realized the fragility of Justin’s situation.
100% of the funds raised will serve to provide immediate and longer-term expenses that Justin will have when he is released from prison. Proceeds will go towards a housing solution when he is released, day-to-day expenses for his new transition into society, the financial burden that is tied to probation or parole related fees, and other unforeseen problems associated with the economic impact of Covid-19. In addition to these various financial obligations, Justin talks about his hopes to regain custody of his son, Rene, who is his entire world, however, will not be able to see him when he is released due to history of the abuse that Justin endured in his relationship with his child’s mother. Therefore, after the immediate threat of finding appropriate housing and a job, Justin is going to work towards taking the first steps of Child Custody Recommending Counseling, or mediation, in order to try and reach a custody agreement.
As Justin’s sister, I hope that this relief fund, in conjunction with my family’s emotional support, will provide a sense of stability when he is released, and function as a constant reminder of his resilience when navigating through his new reality. Thank you for your time and compassion.
Anyone who has the privilege of knowing Justin has a story where Justin performed a sincere act of kindness or has left an everlasting impact on their life. Justin Crawford is my older brother and the entire 21 years that I have known him, he has been the embodiment of compassion and empathy all the while maintaining a high degree of humility. Justin is the type of person who would stay up with you if you couldn’t sleep, who would always show interest in the things you were the proudest of, who would walk for hours on end just to get the thing you wanted for your birthday, who would put his own problems aside just to make you smile on a hard day, and ultimately would do anything for the people he loves. Justin also never let his disability get in the way of his dreams and aspirations. He has juggled multiple jobs at a time while having a child and has never given up on his dreams to one day gain recognition for his dancing.
Justin and I lived together in my family’s home which includes: his father William (my step-father), my mother Dawn (his step-mother), myself, and our little sister Brooke. Justin came to live with us after being kicked out of his mother’s house due to her constant physical and emotional abuse, however, my mother and father were on the brink of a very messy divorce after 19 years of marriage which resulted in a very toxic household for everyone involved. Our father became increasingly abusive to my mother, and Justin would always stand up to him because he identified my mother as his own, even more so than his biological mother. He was later kicked out by my father, right before my father had abandoned my mother, our younger sister, and me.
Currently, my mother, sister, and I live in section 8/affordable housing and due to the fact that my brother has a record, he will be unable to live with us. I am also the caregiver of our younger sister Brooke, as she battles leukemia and other health problems. Therefore, most of my financial resources are invested in our sister’s health. Due to various different reasons, our family will be unable to provide the resources he will need at the end of August when he is released from prison. The only plausible option that Justin had for support was his older brother and mentor, Jordan, however, due to his untimely and very unfortunate passing back in July, Justin’s new reality is unrecognizable. It was a week ago when I realized the fragility of Justin’s situation.
100% of the funds raised will serve to provide immediate and longer-term expenses that Justin will have when he is released from prison. Proceeds will go towards a housing solution when he is released, day-to-day expenses for his new transition into society, the financial burden that is tied to probation or parole related fees, and other unforeseen problems associated with the economic impact of Covid-19. In addition to these various financial obligations, Justin talks about his hopes to regain custody of his son, Rene, who is his entire world, however, will not be able to see him when he is released due to history of the abuse that Justin endured in his relationship with his child’s mother. Therefore, after the immediate threat of finding appropriate housing and a job, Justin is going to work towards taking the first steps of Child Custody Recommending Counseling, or mediation, in order to try and reach a custody agreement.
As Justin’s sister, I hope that this relief fund, in conjunction with my family’s emotional support, will provide a sense of stability when he is released, and function as a constant reminder of his resilience when navigating through his new reality. Thank you for your time and compassion.
Organizer and beneficiary
Brianna Drakopulos
Organizer
Anaheim, CA
Rudy Cessna
Beneficiary
