LaDonna's Rally against Racism
Donation protected
What a smile
You may be wondering who this amazing young man is.
This is Josh. Josh is 12 years old. And Josh can't stop smiling. Even though his mouth hurts a bit right at the moment. (See the applesauce in the second picture?)
Josh can't stop smiling because his awesome mom got him the braces he needed. Before this, Josh almost never smiled. He felt pretty self-conscious about his teeth.
So his mom, LaDonna N., did what she needed to do. She paid for the first half of those braces.
Now here's where you come in.
Here's what happened
A few things happened the week that Josh was supposed to get his braces. First, LaDonna paid for car repairs ... only to have her car totaled in an accident during a sudden snowstorm.
Second, Josh visited the one orthodontist in the area that gives a discount for families who qualify. As he left the building - there's no way to sugarcoat it - he was pushed hard by a white woman. He was lifted off the sidewalk.
He landed back inside the doorway he had just exited.
LaDonna, like all of us would, went into Mama Bear mode. But she kept it together and called the police.
Who did nothing.
LaDonna spoke up for her son. But the orthodontist said they were no longer comfortable with her in their office.
And so she found herself having to pay full price for her son's braces. At the same time, she needed to pay for her car.
See Josh's smile above for the reason she chose the braces. She knew what she needed to do.
LaDonna Helps Others
LaDonna takes care of her grandfather. She has her own cleaning business. She's also been working for the past year to help others caught in the housing crisis here in Grand Rapids. It's a housing crisis created by a system that neglects Black neighborhoods and then gentrifies them.
Families call LaDonna when they have nowhere to go. She tries to help. She attends nearly every city commission meeting demanding that they find a solution. She organizes others to go as well.
LaDonna has a passion for housing for vulnerable people. There are families with children who aren't sure where they'll stay. And the nights are horribly cold. She's doing all she can to fight for them.
What You Can Do
Join me in helping LaDonna.
LaDonna needs the money to purchase a used car for herself. Now that the cold has settled in, this is an urgent need. Any extra money will be used to pay the balance on Josh's braces.
If you can help, I'll be so grateful. I've gotten to know LaDonna as we speak up about the housing crisis together. I have enjoyed her kindness, honesty, and outspokenness. I am learning from her how to be braver and bolder. Her heart for her family and for other families is enormous.
If you can help, LaDonna will be so grateful. She'd had money set aside for the braces - and then some - until all her plans went awry. In these uncertain days it would be nice to know that the world still has a few good surprises left in it.
You may be wondering who this amazing young man is.
This is Josh. Josh is 12 years old. And Josh can't stop smiling. Even though his mouth hurts a bit right at the moment. (See the applesauce in the second picture?)
Josh can't stop smiling because his awesome mom got him the braces he needed. Before this, Josh almost never smiled. He felt pretty self-conscious about his teeth.
So his mom, LaDonna N., did what she needed to do. She paid for the first half of those braces.
Now here's where you come in.
Here's what happened
A few things happened the week that Josh was supposed to get his braces. First, LaDonna paid for car repairs ... only to have her car totaled in an accident during a sudden snowstorm.
Second, Josh visited the one orthodontist in the area that gives a discount for families who qualify. As he left the building - there's no way to sugarcoat it - he was pushed hard by a white woman. He was lifted off the sidewalk.
He landed back inside the doorway he had just exited.
LaDonna, like all of us would, went into Mama Bear mode. But she kept it together and called the police.
Who did nothing.
LaDonna spoke up for her son. But the orthodontist said they were no longer comfortable with her in their office.
And so she found herself having to pay full price for her son's braces. At the same time, she needed to pay for her car.
See Josh's smile above for the reason she chose the braces. She knew what she needed to do.
LaDonna Helps Others
LaDonna takes care of her grandfather. She has her own cleaning business. She's also been working for the past year to help others caught in the housing crisis here in Grand Rapids. It's a housing crisis created by a system that neglects Black neighborhoods and then gentrifies them.
Families call LaDonna when they have nowhere to go. She tries to help. She attends nearly every city commission meeting demanding that they find a solution. She organizes others to go as well.
LaDonna has a passion for housing for vulnerable people. There are families with children who aren't sure where they'll stay. And the nights are horribly cold. She's doing all she can to fight for them.
What You Can Do
Join me in helping LaDonna.
LaDonna needs the money to purchase a used car for herself. Now that the cold has settled in, this is an urgent need. Any extra money will be used to pay the balance on Josh's braces.
If you can help, I'll be so grateful. I've gotten to know LaDonna as we speak up about the housing crisis together. I have enjoyed her kindness, honesty, and outspokenness. I am learning from her how to be braver and bolder. Her heart for her family and for other families is enormous.
If you can help, LaDonna will be so grateful. She'd had money set aside for the braces - and then some - until all her plans went awry. In these uncertain days it would be nice to know that the world still has a few good surprises left in it.
Organizer
Ames Carpenter
Organizer
Grand Rapids, MI
