Wheels for Dez

Hi, we are raising money to replace a stolen vehicle. On the morning of April 2nd, Dez Martinez woke up to find her truck had been stolen. She notified the police and filed a report, and spent hours searching neighborhoods with friends trying to find it. Unfortunately she was unsuccessful.

Many people in our community know Dez, or are at least familiar with the work she does. She has been a tireless advocate for the Fresno unhoused community for over 7 years, and in 2014 started her own nonprofit called We Are Not Invisible.

 

 

 

Dez has personally struggled with homelessness due to being a domestic violence survivor, so she has first hand experience regarding the lack of resources and help that is so desperately scarce within Fresno county. Because of her experience, she is a passionate community advocate who now works directly with unhoused individuals every day.

 

 

 

Desiree's beloved Chevy s10 was her only means of transportation. She used it for everything including:

 

-collecting donations from local businesses

- dispersing donations directly to members of the homeless population (AKA her "street family")

- attending city council meetings to advocate for homeless rights

-transportation for street family members to attend scheduled court dates

-Providing immediate assistance to any street family member who experienced an emergency

-showing up to be a voice for the unhoused community when governmental organizations conducted "street sweeps"

-and so much more!

 

It feels particularly unfair that the truck of someone who does SO MUCH for people who have so little would be stolen. It's virtually impossible to emphasize the amount of love, time, and energy Desiree has put out into the universe to help others. So now we are humbly asking for anyone with the means to help her as well.



Dez isn't particular about what type of truck she has, so we're just trying to raise enough to get her something safe and reliable. Thank you for reading, and if you're willing to share this fundraiser, please do so.

 

-Sara Kate Regan

-Erlinda Lagunas