"I am always insisting on doing it all myself. I am sensitive to the fact that this is a difficult financial time for so many people including my family and friends. I have to be both vulnerable and courageous - vulnerageous - learned at Radical Healing workshop with Shawn Ginwright. I want to say I am open to let others help me. My son, Jahmari is facing a guards' assaulting him situation and is in the process of fighting that because the prison is turning it on him as the guilty party versus the guards. My friends have helped me find a great lawyer and we are in process to fight. My work in schools are mostly canceled. And the legal fees are high. We have to fight so these charges are not piled up on him and his coming home will be pushed out further into the future. I am grateful for anything, anything you want to share, nothing is too little, including notes and prayers. Thank you to Marisol for assisting me work through this. Thank you everyone." -Rita

For folks who don't know Rita, she is our local (and worldly) Restorative Justice practitioner. She has worked in schools for decades to change the oppressive environments that institutions create, so that we can have healing spaces for our children. Rita has trained teachers, administrators, and students across the country to bring decolonizing practices into the classroom to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. I have been lucky enough to have learned from her to bring circles into my classroom. She is a mentor to many, and has continued to provide healing spaces during these difficult times through Zoom, providing this service free of charge, leaning heavily on donations that people are able to make. 

Let's support our friend, comrade, compañera, and colleague Rita Renjitham Alfred during this time of hardship. She has dedicated her life to our beloved community and now it is time we take care of her. Please join me in contributing whatever you can to support her and her family during these difficult times. Together we will get through this! Let's lean on one another to make each other's loads a little bit lighter. I appreciate her for all the love and wisdom she shares and I appreciate all of you for taking the time to  read this, share this, and donate to this. Please send prayers up for her and her family.  -Marisol