Hi, my name is Christy Herbes and I'm creating this fundraiser to help my friend Asia Whitlock get back on her feet after suffering a devastating theft of her pickup truck, which was the primary resource for her vintage furniture refurbishing and delivery business.

I originally met Asia on Facebook Marketplace here in NYC, when I was looking for mid-century furniture for a newly purchased upstate home. Within a week, I noticed that Asia's integrity, communication, and incredible range of skills could allow our collaboration to grow in ways I hadn't originally foreseen.

Over the next few weeks, I watched this 33-year-old, 5' 2" woman and her team move all my furniture upstate, and then the magic began. I needed a professional cabinet painter. Asia had never painted cabinets, but her background in refurbishing gave me the confidence I needed. Six days later, Asia painted 27 cabinet faces with the most professional process I'd seen—self-taught from an old cabinet-making book. Her integrity and communication throughout were some of the best I have ever had working with contractors on any project.

Unfortunately, when Asia returned to her home in Jersey after spending a week upstate working on my cabinets, her old truck had been stolen. Although insurance covered collision, the truck was too old to be covered for theft.

Why should you support this fundraiser? It will go to a woman who has spent her young life giving back to the community.

The more I've gotten to know Asia, the more I've come to understand how her background has influenced her personal growth and values. Originally hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, she attended Roosevelt University in Chicago for Business and Social Entrepreneurship. Her strong desire to build and support her community was influenced by growing up in a strong family of matriarchs, who have given her an entrepreneurial drive to create an independent pathway for financial independence. After two years working and spending time in a Buddhist community in Colorado, her personal philosophy grew to revolve around the interconnectedness of humans and earth, creating a deep respect between others and our environment, and how to accept challenges with poise and grace. Her time volunteering on Southwestern farms to grow non-GMO agriculture grew her interest in feeding and housing communities using sustainable resources.

The funds from this will help Asia get her furniture refurbishing business back on its feet. The purchase of a reliable truck will support her scaling of her business to buying second-hand vintage furniture, thus reducing reliance on man-made resources and creating less environmental waste. Eventually, Asia hopes that these funds will also allow her the time and resources to mentor other young women interested in similar trade and artisan fields. Thank you for your support!

The $4300 funds will go towards the purchase of a replacement used pickup truck with a similar capacity to the one that was stolen. The remaining $200 will go towards replacing the refurbishing tools located in the truck bed during the theft.