40 Years of Disability Advocacy — Now I Need Your Help

Together, we can save my home, restore my mobility, and ease crushing financial burdens.

Hi, I’m Peter Mendoza. For more than four decades I’ve worked to advance disability rights—fighting for accessible transportation, inclusive parks, emergency preparedness, and fair employment for people with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). I started this GoFundMe as an individual because I’m facing urgent financial challenges that I can’t solve alone.

Why I’m Fundraising

I’m raising funds to:

Keep my home and remain stable in my community.

Restore my mobility with a reliable wheelchair-accessible van (estimated $70,000–$95,000).

Address a large federal student-loan obligation that I’m solely responsible for because my ex-spouse did not include her information on the paperwork; the U.S. Department of Education lists only my name.

These issues hit at once—after a divorce, mounting repair costs, and the loss of reliable transportation when my van’s electronic control module failed. Without a working accessible van, daily life and community work become far harder.

What Your Support Makes Possible

Stability: Staying in my home means I can continue working, volunteering, and supporting my community.

Mobility & Independence: A dependable accessible van lets me attend meetings, teach trainings, and help others without risking my health or safety.

Debt Relief: Tackling the student-loan burden will keep me from slipping further behind and will free me to focus on service.

A Life of Service You’ve Helped Build

For over 40 years, I’ve worked to make California more accessible and inclusive—collaborating with state and local agencies, teaching law-enforcement officers how to effectively engage with people with disabilities, and mentoring others with lived experience to become advocates themselves.

This work has been my life’s mission—and I want to continue it for years to come.

How Funds Will Be Used (transparent breakdown)

Wheelchair-Accessible Van: $70,000–$95,000 (vehicle + conversion, taxes/fees, initial insurance).

Housing Stability Costs: settlement/arrears, essential repairs, and utilities to prevent displacement.

Student-Loan Relief: payments to reduce principal and stop compounding interest.

Contingency (5–8%) for unexpected fees and cost increases.

Any amount raised beyond immediate needs will be applied to van maintenance, adaptive equipment, and direct community accessibility efforts.

Why Now

Delays drive up costs (vehicle prices, interest, and repair bills) and keep me from fully participating in my advocacy work. Your help today creates immediate, tangible impact.

How You Can Help

Donate: Any amount truly helps—$10, $25, $50, $100, or more.

Share: Please post this campaign on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, email, text, and community groups. Personal notes (“I know Peter—here’s why his work matters…”) make a big difference.

Employer matching gifts: If your employer matches donations, please submit your receipt.

Non-monetary support: Leads on accessible vans, adaptive-equipment discounts, or professional advice are also welcome.

Suggested Share Caption (copy/paste)

Peter Mendoza has spent 40+ years advancing disability rights. He’s raising funds to keep his home, replace his wheelchair-accessible van, and address a student-loan burden. If you can, please donate or share. Thank you!

Gratitude

Your generosity keeps me moving—literally and figuratively. Thank you for standing with me and for believing in accessibility, inclusion, and community.