Jimmy  Darts

SB Mowing

Pattie Gonia

Little Miss Flint

Kalina Silverman / @makebigtalk on Instagram

The Dogist

Patriotic Kenny Foundation

Samuel Weidenhofer

Peter Bond

That Good News Girl

Ben Saunders - Flawless Cleaning

Flavor Flav

Ask Uncle Jack

Amy Jandrisevits

FowlMouthFarmer

Tess Bohne

Latonja and Taylor Richardson

Officer Richard Craig

John Wolfe

Khloe

<div>We are welcoming a new baby into the family this summer! As we've been saying lately: "we don't need things, we need help!"
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<div>We know recovering from childbirth (<em>in your 40s</em>) and adjusting to two kiddos will be a huge challenge for all of us. We don't need the items of a traditional baby registry. Instead, we are hoping to raise $6,600 for a postpartum doula who will help care for baby, mommy, and family in the early weeks of our new life.
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<div>If you are not familiar, a postpartum doula is a trained support person who provides care and guidance to the family and baby after childbirth to ensure everyone is thriving. They ease some of the load for the parents and act as an extra set of hands as well and emotional support. 
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<div>We are so grateful that this baby is entering a community of deep love and care. We know you understand the value of healing and support in this very tender time. Having a doula will make all the difference for us.
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<div>Thank you for any support you can extend to our family. Here’s the breakdown of our fundraising goal: Postpartum doulas are about $450-$500/night and we are hoping for support in the first 8 weeks.
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Support a Postpartum Doula for Our Family

<div>Kendra has spent her life showing up for others.
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<div>For years, she has been a strong advocate within the disabled community — helping people navigate barriers, supporting independence, and making sure others never had to face accessibility challenges alone.
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<div>Now she needs her community to show up for her.
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<div>After the sudden loss of her partner, Brandon, Kendra’s life changed overnight. In addition to navigating deep grief, she is now facing serious transportation barriers, financial strain, and isolation that make it impossible for her to safely remain where she currently lives.
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<div>We are raising funds to help Kendra relocate <strong>from New York to California</strong> to move into a safe, fully accessible home with trusted roommates and the support network she needs to rebuild stability.
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<div><strong>Why this move is so important</strong>
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<div><strong>She no longer has transportation </strong>
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<div>Kendra lives in a rural area without sidewalks, nearby services, or public transit. Paratransit denied her application because she lives outside their service area.
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<div>Her wheelchair-accessible van — nearly 25 years old — stopped working in December 2025. The ramp had already failed, and her mechanic confirmed the vehicle was no longer safe to repair. She no longer has access to a vehicle at all.
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<div>Right now, she is essentially land-locked in her home.
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<div><strong>She is now carrying the full financial burden alone </strong>
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<div>Like many couples, Kendra and Brandon built their life together on two incomes. After his unexpected passing, she became responsible for everything on her own while living on a fixed income. Remaining where she is is no longer sustainable.
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<div><strong>Isolation after loss makes everything harder </strong>
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<div>Grief is already heavy. Experiencing it alone in a rural area without transportation or daily connection makes it even harder.
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<div>Kendra’s medical providers agree that moving into a shared living environment with trusted people around her will be an important step in supporting her mental health and helping her reconnect with daily life.
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<div><strong>She has a place to go — and people waiting for her there</strong>
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<div>With the help of friends, Kendra has secured a room in a fully accessible home with two roommates she has known and trusted for more than 10 years. Both roommates are also disabled, and the home is already set up to support accessibility and independence.
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<div>This move means she will no longer be isolated. She will be living with people who know her, care about her, and are ready to support her as she rebuilds after loss.
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<div><strong>A community stepping up for someone who has always stepped up for others</strong>
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<div>Kendra has spent years advocating for accessibility and supporting other disabled people in navigating systems that are often difficult to access alone. She has been there for so many people when they needed help.
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<div>Now it’s our turn to be there for her.
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<div>Friends have already helped secure housing, research logistics, coordinate moving plans, and begin organizing support for this transition. This fundraiser will help make her cross-country move <strong>from New York to California possible.</strong>
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<div><strong>How your support helps</strong>
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<div>Funds will help cover:
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<div>• moving costs
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<div>• accessibility-related setup needs
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<div>• transportation during the transition
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<div>• essential living expenses during relocation
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<div>• replacing items that cannot safely move with her
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<div>This move will give Kendra something incredibly important right now: connection, stability, and access to daily life again.
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<div>If you’re able to contribute or share this fundraiser, it truly makes a difference. Thank you for supporting Kendra during this difficult transition and helping her take the next step forward.
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Help Kendra Move to a Safe, Accessible Home

<div>Hello community of folks who love Mac!
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<div>Our beloved's birthday is coming up (May 2nd!) and this is an invitation to contribute to a <strong>group b-day present</strong>!
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<div>With your help, we can support him in his <strong>commitment to more joy and health</strong>! Last summer he got back on a bike for the first time in a long time. It was <strong>an electric bike</strong> and he loved it! He's since used the ones you can rent and keeps talking about it. Let's get him his very own!
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<div>Mac gives to his closest loved ones, his community and the broader movement in countless ways - from creating spaces like Pandemic Joy to helping out with the kiddos in our lives. His generosity, brilliance and creativity make so much possible for so many of us. Please join me in raising the funds to make this special gift possible for him.
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<div>with gratitude,
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<div>vjm &amp; Sala
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<div>(Vanessa, partner &amp; Sala, sister)
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<div>With any funds that exceed the cost of the bike itself, we'll be getting cool accessories (starting with a rack for his car!)
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Surprise b-day Gift for Mac!

<div>Darlene Nipper, her partner sujin lee, their child, and three cats were amongst the families who tragically lost their homes in the California fires. Darlene and sujin have dedicated their lives' work to social justice, service to others, and healing the world. This fundraiser is created to seed their recovery from this unfathomable loss. Let's surround Darlene and sujin in their time of need, as they have dedicated themselves to others so many times.
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<div>*To prevent fraud, GoFundMe is requiring additional details about fundraisers related to the California fires. My name is Johanna Squires. I live in Washington, DC-- Darlene's original hometown. I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing Darlene for over 15 years. Darlene and her family will directly receive all funds raised to help cover the many costs of unmet needs related to this type of total loss that are not fully covered by other disaster relief aid and/or insurance (i.e. temporary housing exceeding federal aid allowances, permanent housing, car replacement, clothing and other essentials replacement, food, medication, etc).
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Help Darlene and sujin recover after the fire

<div>5 years ago this was an empty lot. So much can change in 5 years. Together we built this space. We built a permanent home for artists and for SNAG Magazine. As we gear up to celebrate 20 years of our work, we have so much to be thankful for here at the NEST.
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<div>Together we built the first sustainably built, Indigenous led arts center in Northern CA. We built a 2 story cob visual arts studio. Most importantly with intention and prayer, a non-toxic home where our art and creativity can flourish. We installed an off-grid solar system that will provide clean energy into the future.
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<div>Once again we are asking for your support. This year we are building a new Yurt Gathering Space, and Bath House, which will help us and our capacity to host guests and more artists.
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<div>We are calling on our community to help, below are ways you can support.
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<div>Click the donate Button on this crowdfunder and give what you can!
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<div>Grab one of our magazines or books at snagmagazine.com
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<div>Purchase our new issue, The Future is Indigenous at snagmagazine.com
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<div>Please share our story with a friend and help us spread the word!
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<div>Thank you, so much for your continued support we are grateful for our community and look forward to seeing you this year at the NEST, blessings, yah we!
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NEST New Yurt Gathering Space and Bath House

<div>Hi I’m Amber, a neighbor, friend and fellow mother with Celeste in South Berkeley.
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<div>It’s hard to focus on one story with so much global tragedy and additionally local heartbreak attached to a city that pinches out people’s existence everyday as it “grows”.
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<div>In the case of Celeste, her and her family are currently living in a semi-transitory state. Ever since PG&amp;E shut off their power they’ve been forced to hop around from house to house in order to have access to hot showers and power: the bare minimum to keep the daily motions of work and school intact.
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<div>I would also like to add that while drafting this gofundme, Celeste lost her mother. Any ability to gain progress in tackling this debt has no doubt been set back in an extreme way. It is my hope that enough money can be raised this week so she can have her power turned back on for her return home.
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<div>More about Celeste and what’s going on:
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<div>Celeste is a baker and general day to day hustler, often working double shifts multiple days a week. After a series of health and material set backs she found herself in an inescapable debt with PGE. Despite her medical struggles she still pushed through with multiple jobs in attempts to keep up. In an effort to resolve her debt with PGE, she signed up for a punitive payment plan that proved to be inflexible in regard to late payments, and subsequently she was discharged from the program. By using deceptive language, PG&amp;E is able to wipe their hands clean and say they tried, while leaving the debtor with their debt intact and no way to turn back on their power without paying their debt in full. This program’s failure rate must be undoubtedly high if it doesn’t accommodate the inconsistencies often attached to one’s income who might find themselves unable to pay their bills in the first place.
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<div>How much should a hard-working person have to suffer due to unfortunate circumstances? Why should we have to ask that question when we all have a right to keep our families warm and safe,
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<div>with running water and power. I recognize Celeste as one of the hardest working people I know. She is also a bad ass mom and a general caring and active member in her community. No one should exhaust themselves to the extent that she does and be left in the dark.
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<div>Celest is hesitant to have me make this. She is prideful and also aware that her struggles are a common ones. This does not mean she’s any less deserving of help. It’s true, we are all struggling to make ends meet when inflation doesn’t seem to match our income. It’s very relatable and it becomes dreadfully clear how easy it would be to slip into the impossible cycle of poverty.
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Get grieving Celeste’s lights back on!

<div><strong>11/4 UPDATE:</strong> We are so sorry to bring you this devastating update. Ten-year-old Kisasi passed away today.  Kisasi - or "Sauce the Boss" - brought so much joy to the lives of so many. was surrounded by loving family members every moment he spent in the hospital. Please continue to wrap your arms around Akili and her family. 
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<div>Akili Ramsess, a dear friend and colleague to so many, lost her eldest son, the beautiful and talented Taraja, and three of her grandchildren - Taraja’s 13-year-old daughter Sundari and 8-week-old daughter, and 10-year-old son Kisasi - in a horrific traffic accident on Oct. 31.  We are not sure what her immediate needs are, but we know there will be many. Anyone who knows Akili knows that her greatest joys are her three boys and 10 grandchildren. Her love and devotion to her family knows no limits.
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<div>We will continue to update this posting with more information as it becomes available and as Akili and her family are ready to release it. I know you share our feelings that this devastating loss is unfathomable, and we are just trying to take a first step in helping Akili down the very long road ahead. Please give what you can.
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Akili Ramsess has suffered a devastating loss

This holiday season, let's show our gratitude by raising $60,000 so elder Black Freedom activists, like my Aunt Pam, have the food, housing and medical care they need to thrive. Whether your donation is $10 or $10,000, the generosity is deeply appreciated. With $60K we could prevent evictions and provide home health care,  food, and holiday help to five elder Black activists. <strong>All elders should be guaranteed basic care, and especially our elder activists who fought for our lives and freedom in undeclared wars against Black communities. They fought for our lives, don't let it cost them theirs. </strong><br /><br />Last month, one of my mother's best friends, Pam Hannah, was admitted to the hospital with severe Hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition caused, in part, by malnutrition, among other issues.   Only two weeks after being released from the hospital, she was re-admitted two days before Thanksgiving. My Aunt Pam is a veteran member of the Black Panther Party and has actively fought for Black human rights and freedom her entire life, alongside my mother Janet Cyril who died in 2005.<strong> Now, in order for her to live at home, my aunt Pam urgently needs at least $10,000 to support extra home care, cleaning, and more to supplement what our failed State has neglected to offer. </strong><br /><br /><strong><em>My Auntie Pam is not alone</em>.</strong> <strong>Ramona Africa</strong>, a member of MOVE, the Philadelphia based Black organization bombed by police in 1985 is also aging and in need of support. When you live on freedom's frontline, there is no pension, no retirement and the only safety net is the one the movement offers.<br /><br /><strong>Baba Sekou Odinga</strong> is a former member of the Black Panther Party incarcerated as a political prisoner for decades, yet he continues to struggle for our collective freedom and deserves our help and support too.<br /><br /><strong>Bullwhip Cyril Innis Jr.</strong> and <strong>Yasmeen Majid</strong> are among dozens of aging Black activists who dedicated their lives to the freedom of all Black people, and they aren't the only ones.<br /><br />That's why this holiday fundraising drive hosted by me, my sister Sala, Pam's daughter Ksisay and my friends and movement kin, Monifa and Lumumba Bandele, strives to raise enough money to support the beautiful Black lives of up to 10 elder Black activists. I hope can turn this into a longer term effort to provide movement elders a safety net, even if we have to weave it with our own hands. I know we can, because can do anything. <br /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/52850978_1606371471868457_r.jpeg" alt="52850978_1606371471868457_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><br /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/52850978_1606372025952381_r.jpeg" alt="52850978_1606372025952381_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/52850978_1606372042908088_r.jpeg" alt="52850978_1606372042908088_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" />

Help Our Freedom Fighters Age With Dignity

Showing up for Stephanie, Soleil and Frances<br /><br />As many of you know, our beloved Steph and her kids Soleil and Frances were in a terrible car accident 2 weeks ago. The- able to walk away scared but with no visible injuries. <br /><br />Unfortunately the car was totaled and it’s become clear Stephanie needs some body work post-accident. The insurance money is not enough to cover the healing Steph needs and a new-used car for Steph and the kids. <br /><br />If you’re seeing this, you’ve seen Steph show up for her community. Let’s show up for her. Please donate if you can.

Showing Up for Stephanie, Soleil and Frances

<strong>Black Women’s Freedom Sanctuary</strong><br /><strong>A Space For Rest, Safety, and Healing<br /></strong><br />"Rest is not a privilege, it’s a right. The reality that so many think it’s a privilege solidifies the need for a rest movement. If you reimagine rest in an expansive way and outside of the parameters of capitalism and colonization, you will realize that you can rest anytime."--Tricia Hersey, The Nap Ministry<strong><br /><br /></strong>Black women deserve to exist fully--nourished, cared for, and rested.  But for Black women in America, the reality is far from that. Despite being the most educated demographic in America, we earn 62 cents to a white man's dollar. Despite innovating when it comes to business, we receive almost no investments or loans to start our businesses. <br /><br />As our country reckons with another cycle of white violence and as we face a generation-defining election cycle, we notice a pattern. Black women are again doing the essential work of responding, organizing, teaching, and caretaking. We are doing the intellectual and emotional labor necessary to build and maintain movements that are fighting against injustice and building for our collective liberation. These movements are not just powerful, they are absolutely necessary. And the Black women leading, rallying, organizing, and grinding do so while enduring the very injustices they are helping to dismantle.<br /><br />Black women are devalued at the same time we are counted on--by our political systems, by our workplaces, by our communities, and families. We are tired. It is time for us to rest.<br /><br />Black Women’s Freedom Circle was created out of an absolute need for a safe space for Black Women to focus on, contribute to, and create the conditions necessary for our own healing and wellbeing. For the past four years Black Women’s Freedom Circle (BWFC) has held monthly gatherings in the San Francisco Bay Area to facilitate an ongoing community of support, healing, and joy. <br /><br />In response to the multitude of disasters wrought by this global pandemic and the unrest following the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless others, BWFC is piloting a new project: physical sanctuary spaces that will provide accessible opportunities for rest and renewal.<br /><br />Too often physical spaces for rest, relaxation, and renewal are outside of cities where Black women work and live. Retreat centers, while necessary and useful, are often inaccessible because of the distance and cost. And, these secluded spaces can be unwelcoming and even hostile for us. Such spaces position rest and renewal as things that happen outside of our everyday lives. We need spaces among the trees, plants, birds, and bees that are located in cities where Black women live. We need to have rest and healing integrated into our lives on an ongoing basis, not be required to leave our lives, family and community to access them. <br /><br /><strong>The Vision </strong><br /><br />These sanctuary spaces will be formed by communities of Black women who will collectively decide how to manage, maintain, and access the space.<br /><br />The first Black Women’s Freedom Sanctuary will be on private land in Oakland, California which will be stewarded by a member of the Black Women’s Freedom Circle. The sanctuary space will be equipped with healing waters and landscape curation that supports deep relaxation, beauty, and invites connection to the natural world. This in turn will inspire the true integration of home and healing into the everyday lives of Black women. <br /><br />The sanctuary will have two components:<br /><br /><strong>1. Healing Waters:</strong> There is a reason baths, hot tubs, and hot springs are so often part of spa and retreat experiences. Soaking and floating in water is restorative. It supports cardiovascular health and can alleviate muscle and joint pain. It promotes relaxation, which decreases stress and improves sleep. It encourages a meditative state and mental reset. For Black women, water as an element of care is not new. Spiritual practices such as the honoring of Oshun and the use of Florida water for protection and cleansing, illustrate how water has long been integral to Black women’s self and communal care. Healing Waters will be a partly enclosed outdoor space under a large plum tree with a cedar tub, large enough for a single person to float in and private enough for her to disrobe.<br /><br /><strong>2. Garden of Rest:</strong> Acclaimed landscape designer Leslie Bennett, a founding member of BWFC, will design this space as part of her series of Black Sanctuary Gardens. These gardens were inspired in part by Alice Walker’s naming of the garden as a site for Black women’s spirituality, creativity and artistic work. This garden space, with a combination of ornamental, medicinal, and edible plants, alongside spaces to sit and recline, will provide an accessible lush green space for Black women to reflect, nap, heal themselves or just be. <br /><br /><strong>Why private?</strong><br />First and foremost this space is for Black women, curated by Black women. In addition, we know that spaces that are open and public are often where Black women experience harassment, unwanted attention, and even danger. This space must be safe and protected, but, most importantly, allow visitors to feel safe and protected so that healing and rest can occur. This space will be open to a group of Black women who are in community with each other*. Like many other semi-private spaces, this one will be driven by a kind of membership. But instead of paying for access--there will be no cost--access is gained through established relationships of trust and care.<br /><br /><strong>What does growth and sustainability look like? </strong><br />This project can not be the only one of its kind. We need Freedom Sanctuaries all over Oakland, and in other cities, so communities of Black women can collectively care for themselves ensuring their own wellness and the sustainability of our movements.<br /><br />We are committed to not only creating this space for ourselves, but gathering best practices, processes, and resources to support other communities of Black women to create similar spaces for themselves. <strong><br /><br />How can you support?<br /></strong>Please contribute to this fund, share this link with others, and encourage them to donate.<strong><br /><br />What will your contribution do?<br /></strong>Your support will enable us to:<br />-purchase and install  a cedar hot tub with solar heating, build a platform for the tub and a privacy fence.<br />-convert a driveway into a beautiful, lush garden with irrigation and spaces to rest and reflect.<br />-pay for insurance and maintenance of the Sanctuary. <br />-document the pilot process and create a toolkit for others to create Black Women's Sanctuaries.<br />-create a pool of seed funding for additional Black Women’s Sanctuaries.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*During the Era of COVID, we will be following protocols to keep us safe including only one person in the space at a time.

Black Women's Freedom Sanctuary

<strong>Due to 100s of years of racism, many mixed-race neighborhoods view Black people as an automatic threat to safety. But what if, instead, they recognized and invested in Black peace-makers as a solution?</strong><br /><br />Last Fall, when neighbors in an area east of Lake Merritt, in Oakland, feared for their safety regarding gun violence and drugs being sold in a local park, their first instinct was to call the police. But that didn’t solve the problem. In fact, it only increased the danger of violence, as OPD is notorious for its punitive and traumatic methods.<br /><br />Luckily, a man named Kentrell Killens — a Black peace worker and professional Life Coach for young men, born and raised in Oakland — generously offered us his expertise, speaking with multiple sides and drawing on his personal relationships to seek resolution. He even gave us his private cell number, and told us to call him if conflict went down. He would come right over from his home in Richmond, and personally put his life at risk to de-escalate. Isn’t that powerful?<br /><br />Within a few months, the neighborhood calmed. Dozens of people now walk their dogs and babies around the park on a daily basis. And more of us have met each other, recognize each other, and can reach out to each other for help.<br /><br /><strong>Kentrell succeeded in promoting safety where Oakland police could not.<br /><br /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/50219158_1596674964308744_r.jpeg" alt="50219158_1596674964308744_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><br />That's why we're challenging our community — and all of Oakland, and beyond — to raise the approximate $100,000 disparity between a salary + benefits of 1 Oakland police officer, and a community worker like Kentrell.</strong><br /><br /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/50219158_1596676554785509_r.jpeg" alt="50219158_1596676554785509_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><br />Black and Brown community workers engaged in effective peace-making measures are chronically underpaid by city government and NGOs. For example, a community worker employed by the City of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention currently costs the city approximately $107K annually (salary and benefits), whereas the community resource police officer for the Eastlake beat costs the city <strong>more than double that figure — $232K annually.</strong> This disparity is evidence of the City’s misplaced priorities.<br /><br />Of course, eventually, we want the City government to fund people like Kentrell instead of police. A whole #DefundOPD coalition is working on redirecting funds away from militarized policing and into community-based services. But in the meantime, we need Kentrell and his organization of fellow mentors, the Good Brotha Network, to be resourced to do their work NOW.<br /><br /><strong>So we are going to fill that gap — by raising $100,000 for Kentrell to magnify his peace work.</strong><br /><br />This fundraiser is not only a symbolic act in defiance of the current oppressive order, but is an actual investment in community workers, who spend countless unpaid hours building relationship with those most marginalized by the system. <br /><br />When wealthy Oakland communities perceive that there is insufficient policing to protect their property, they have frequently invested in private security firms that employ the same racist tactics of publicly-funded policing. With this fundraising effort, neighbors in Eastlake United for Justice (EUJ) propose another path. We want to invest in the high-skilled, long-term trust-building it takes to grow true community safety.<br /><br />Kentrell’s amazing spirit, his genuine passion for empathy and peacemaking, actually made us feel loved and cared for — not just a problem to be solved. We need more organizations like Kentrell's, the Good Brotha Network: a volunteer organization led by Black community workers that supports struggling community members caught up in the cycle of violence.<br /><br /><br /><strong>We must create the world we wish to see, and invest in alternatives to policing and prisons.</strong><br /><br /><br />Join us in the next step of this journey, by donating today!

Fill The Gap: Black-Led Neighborhood Safety

Walking Iris Media

<img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/42433726_1569993455204933_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" alt="42433726_1569993455204933_r.jpeg" />Hello Everyone,<br />Some of you may have heard on October 1, 2019  a woman  was fatally killed in a hit and run accident that left her niece wounded and in the hospital. That woman's name was Huong Thi Truong. She was a stay at home mom to two kids. We are asking for help to bring her home and lay her body to rest in Vietnam. The expenses are going to be used to give her a proper burial and to help with the hospital bills that are accumulating for her niece. <br />Thank you so much and thank you for helping in this tragic time.

Funeral funds and Hospital Bills

October 15th, 1990 a handsome, charismatic, loving and fun son/brother/nephew/grandson/cousin/life partner/ best friend to many and an all around great person was born into this world. <br /><br /><strong>Ray Green Jr.</strong>, there are so many things that so many people near and far have to say about how you touched and changed their lives. Ray your spirit brought light even in the darkest times. No one could be serious when you were around because all you did was infect people with your humor and they would have no choice but to laugh. <br /><br />All you wanted to do was experience life! You were always trying to reinvent the wheel somehow. You constantly pushed and pushed even when people would tell you no. No, wasn't an acceptable answer for you and whatever it took you'd find another route to accomplish whatever it was that you wanted to do. Adventurous, yeah...that was most certainly you as well! Talented in so many ways and both smart and a smart aleck, that's for sure! These were things that no one would ever want to change, because they made you, you!  <br /><br />At times, you could definitely be that annoying sibling/friend/cousin and definitely work your parents nerves but at the end of the day, no one could ever stay mad..why you might ask?... because lets face it -- how could anyone stay mad at Ray Ray?! He was extremely goofy and never stopped joking. He could get you to smile and laugh even when you just didn't want to. <br /><br />It pains us all to have to have these conversations and reflect on memories because you aren't here with us physically. Your leaving us has shattered so many, but we know that God has a plan and that because you were apart of so many lives that we will get through this day by day as a big family like you wanted Ray♥! <br /><br />As this was devastatingly unexpected, so are the expenses in having to lay your loved one to rest. It is hard enough for all of us as Ray's family and friends but even that much more for his immediate family. So many have asked how they can help contribute to taking care of expenses for Ray. We are only setting this up for family and friends to be able to give a monetary love gift. You can do so anonymously or you can write something to the family or what Ray meant to you alongside your gift.<br /><br />The Celebration of Ray's life will be July 29th, we ask that your love donations be in no later than Saturday July 20th. <br /><br />Matthew 25:34-40....We want to be a blessing to Ray's family at this time to try to make their burdens light. <br /><br />We thank you in advance for sowing into Ray's family in their time of need♥.

In Loving Memory of Ray Green Jr.

Hi friends,<br /><br />I recently bought a home in Oakland with the intention that it will be a safe haven for disabled people of color, and also a big community space for disability justice movement building. We are facing a housing crisis in the Bay Area where it’s normal for a studio to be $2000. Given that most disabled people are low or no income and many are facing the brunt of gentrification (it is impossible to live in Oakland on a $800 SSI check), a central part of the dream for this home was to have accessible community space where disability justice community could gather and a few people could live, including myself.<br /><br />This entire process has been a nightmare. (Nothing compared to what unsheltered folks are facing, but still a nightmare.) Through bank credit, I’ve been paying rent and the mortgage for ten months, and trying to cover the cost of the renovations to get it habitable. It has been near impossible to find contractors and I’ve fallen into some scenarios where people took advantage of disability related vulnerability. There was undisclosed foundation work that needed to be done so I took out more money for that as well. My family has helped as much as in their means and a friend has been helping manage the work.  Still, the anxiety of $$$ every month (especially as a disabled single income person) has been overwhelming, especially considering the house is still not wheelchair accessible.  Working full time and picking up other gigs isn’t enough and I’ve been considering just filing bankruptcy and moving out of Oakland. <br /><br />With that said, prayers recently brought me a retired contractor from the Korean church community who is helping me, largely volunteering his time. He is charging me 1/5 of other quotes and asking his friends to donate some labor. I will still need to borrow another $50k to get it wheelchair accessible but it actually seems possible now to cross the finish line. Still, $50k is. so. much. money. I can’t fathom owing that on top of everything else and am asking community for support dreaming this space with me.<br /><br />If you are able to support this vision for disability justice community space, I hope you will join me. Any funds raised from this would go to the ADA bathroom ($12,380). If anything is raised on top of that it will go to the cost of the gofundme fees, the wheelchair lift ($12,600), and the cost of getting the house livable (electrical, kitchen, rooms, sheetrock etc). I moved to Oakland 9+ years ago because of disability programs and access to social justice community. My life work is supporting disabled people of color community and I’m involved in various roles across movements. All of my work right now is local to Oakland and having a place to do that work is a big motivator.<br /><br />Disability justice dreams got me here and I’ll continue banking on them, regardless of what happens with the house. Thank you for contributing, boosting, and sending good thoughts my way.

Accessible Home 4 Stacey, Dis Justice Organizer

<p>In November 2016, my wife Alana was diagnosed with stage IV gastro-esophageal cancer. After almost two years of fighting this disease, it's  harder for chemotherapy to fight it, and harder for Alana to get around. <br /><br />Now, we need to either move to a new more accessible apartment or increase the accessibility of our current apartment, and we need to do it quickly. Either decision will cost more money than we have, as we are continuing to pay outlandish co-pays, hospital fees, and the direct costs of immunotherapy treatments our insurance won't cover. So, we are reaching out to our community for help to raise at least $25K.<br /><br />Since 2016, my beloved has survived more than 25 chemotherapy infusions, had brain surgery, and lost and regained the use of her left side. She is a warrior and the brightest light I've ever seen.  <br /><br />Please help me make her every day comfortable, while we keep fighting for her life.<br /><br /><br />
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Help Alana Fight Stage IV Cancer

Parker Glick, a local and national advocate as well as a supporter of independent living for people with disabilities was hit by a car on Friday July 13th, 2018 in Decatur, Georgia. Parker was headed home on his usual sidewalk route when he was stuck by a car driven by an uninsured and unlicensed driver. Parker was launched out of his wheelchair, sustained multiple fractures, and is currently recovering at Grady Hospital<br /><br />Parker must now begin the transition from the hospital to his home without the promise of a steady income. But as with everything in his life, Parker is facing this challenge with determination and his never wavering sense of humor.<br /><br />Let’s rally around Parker, so that he can heal at his home (rather than a nursing home - the suggestion of doctors and nurses), while having what it takes to recover and not worry about financial obligations. <br /><br />We are asking for contributions to cover the cost of Parker’s rent, household bills, payment for ongoing personal care attendant, and nursing support since he will be out of work for the foreseen future.<br /><br />Parker has given to so many in his life. Now it’s time that we return the favor.<br /><br />#becauseyoucare<br />#leowithanego

Parker Glick Needs Us!

In November 2001, an 18-year-old Zavion Johnson was just beginning his adult life.  In addition to working for CalTrans, he was the father of a four-month-old baby girl named Nadia.  Being the oldest of seven children, Zavion was used to caring for infants and absolutely adored his daughter.  <br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519682409.4653_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><strong><br />“Everybody said she was my twin.  The nose, the eyes – see the pictures and you’ll see.”</strong><br /><br />And then the unimaginable happened.  Zavion was bathing Nadia when she accidently slipped from his hands and hit her head on the side of the tub.  Nadia would later die from internal head injuries.  Zavion, his girlfriend Raquel, and their families were devastated. But this was the only the beginning of their nightmare.  <br /><br />Zavion spent over 16 years in prison for his daugther's tragic death based on faulty "science" before new medical evidence would prove he had told the truth the whole time (more below).<br /><br />Thanks to brave doctors and his legal team, Zavion finally walked out of prison and officially became a free man on December 8, 2017.  But he walked out with nothing.  No money, no identification, no phone, no wallet, no toiletries, no home, and no clothes other than orange paper pants and a white t-shirt provided by the jail, and a sweatshirt handed to him by an attorney.<br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1520968673.7796_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Zavion with Ben Hur, one of his attorneys, right after walking out of prison.  <br /><br />Zavion is living with one of the members of his legal team.  Imagine trying to start your life at 34, with nothing, after being arrested at 18 and spending half of your life in prison for a crime you did not commit.  What you would need?   How much money would it take to build a life from scratch and start out on the right path?<br /><br />I'm one of the attorneys who was privileged to represent Zavion and finally bring him justice.  His legal team is trying to help him get back on his feet, but we need your help.  Zav needs everything.  Suits for job interviews, clothes for daily living, first and last month's rent, a bed, a pillow, a couch, a car or transportation funds, everything.  He worked in prison, but made 11 cents an hour, and accrued no social security, no retirement.  He also needs the very thing our State stole from him: time.  We can't give him back those 16 years, but we can give him time now with the easiest thing to give - money.  You can give Zavion time to readjust and find his footing.  You can give him time to enjoy his freedom and learn to do all the things to which he has been denied access, time start earning his counseling degree, time to get back on track to achieving his dreams, dreams that were deferred for 16 long years while he fought for his freedom.  <br /><br /><strong>More about Zavion and his Wrongful Conviction:</strong><br /><br />On December 4, 2001, Zavion was arrested at Nadia's funeral and charged with second-degree murder.   At his trial, 13 witnesses, including Nadia’s mother, testified that Zavion was a loving, patient father who never would have deliberately hurt his daughter.  But none of this testimony mattered in the face of (admittedly false) expert medical testimony that Nadia’s injuries could not have been caused by a short fall, as Zavion truthfully explained, but only by violent shaking, also known as “Shaken Baby Syndrome.”<br /><br />The jury was ultimately convinced by the strength of the medical evidence, even though they felt that Zavion “was a good young man, very loving to his girlfriend and their baby girl, and that it would seem horribly out of character for him to murder his baby.”  The court also noted the medical evidence was “overwhelming,” and sentenced Johnson to life in prison.<br /><strong><br />Zavion spent more than 16 years in prison—nearly half his life—for a crime he did not commit.<br /></strong><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519685986.5396_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><strong>“I went straight from that to the funeral to learning how to survive in prison.  I still haven’t had time to grieve.”   </strong>  <br />                             <br />After years of attempting to prove his innocence on his own, the Northern California Innocence Project (“NCIP”) agreed to take on Zavion’s case.  NCIP’s reinvestigation focused on scientific advancements showing that the head injuries typically associated with SBS can also be caused by a short fall, just as Zavion had explained more than 16 years earlier.<br /><br />NCIP contacted various medical experts, including the original pathologist who testified at Johnson’s trial, to review the case based on current scientific knowledge. The experts agreed that Nadia’s injuries are consistent with the fall originally described by Johnson nearly 17 years ago.<br /><br />NCIP, along with pro bono partner Keker, Van Nest &amp; Peters LLP, challenged Zavion’s conviction in the Sacramento County Superior Court.  On October 31, 2017, the Sacramento County District Attorney conceded that Johnson’s petition for relief should be granted.  “It is reasonably probable that had the information available now on this topic had been available then, the outcome of the trial could have been different,” prosecutors wrote last October. “Based on the current state of the law and the circumstances of the case, the conviction should be vacated and set aside."<br /><br />On December 8, 2017, Johnson’s murder conviction was reversed, and he walked out of the same county jail he had been taken to in handcuffs more than 16 year earlier.  <strong>He walked out a free man ... an innocent man.</strong><br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519724730.0649_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><strong>“I’m ready to start my life.  I’m ready for it to continue.”<br /><br /></strong>On January 19, 2018, the District Attorney dropped all charges.  “It’s our job to do the right thing. This gave us the opportunity to do it,” Prosecutor Steve Grippi explained, adding that his office plans to review “other cases that may fall under the same scenario.”<br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519626166.5812_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Zavion with his legal team.  <strong>"They’re family.  I nicknamed them 'The Justice League."<br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519686351.2884_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></strong>Zavion and his mother, Gai Toi Williams.<strong><br /><br /><img class="not-resizable" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/26251150_1519686306.4503_funddescription.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></strong>Zavion with his younger sister, Jazzi Johnson.<br /><strong><br /></strong>Despite being out of prison less than three months, Zavion is already working on behalf of Exonerated Nation, a non-profit based in Oakland that serves California exonerees.  On January 17, 2018, Zavion, along with other exonerees, spoke to California State Senators about the plight of exonerees, who are provided little resources from the State, despite everything that was taken from them.<br /><br /><iframe media_type="0" media_id="wJf3MEog7g8" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wJf3MEog7g8/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe><strong>“We talked about being exonerated, the issues that we face – no housing, food, clothing. We want help, an opportunity, job training. We’re just trying to get back to some normal society.”</strong><br /><br />Having spent his entire adult life in prison, Zavion has very limited resources.  He is currently living with his legal counsel and looking for steady work.  Eventually, he would like to go back to school to become a youth counselor.  And he could use your help.  While Zavion can never get back the 16+ years he spent wrongfully incarcerated by the State, your support can help faciliate his transition from prison to following his deferred dreams.<br /><br />If you want to read more about Zavion's incredible story of tragedy and redemption, click on this in-depth article in the <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article201662174.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sacramento Bee</a> (Zavion's hometown paper).<br /><br />I will be withdrawing the funds raised on this campaign and helping Zavion manage them for the items outlined above.  Thank you for your generosity and support.

Zavion Johnson | Exonerated

ADAPT is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.<br /><br />All funds raised through this campaign will be used by ADAPT to cover the costs of activists from across the country as they continue to fight for civil rights and freedom for people with disabilities and older adults.

ADAPT

On Wednesday, March 29th, Shawnta was on the way to her sisters house to drop off her babies before going to work when she was broadsided by a speeding vehicle.  As a result, both babies are in critical condition.  The oldest, Genevieve, sustained a permanent spinal cord injury and other serious conditions that are yet undetermined. Shawnta sustained serious injuries as well, but was released from the hospital to be at the bedside of one of her babies. The children are in different hospitals, 165 miles apart, and the families are driving back and forth to spend time with each. <br />Medical bills can add up quickly, and transportation is not cheap. <br />At this point, it would be difficult to estimate the cost,  but obviously it's going to be an arduous and expensive endeavor for this young family. Please keep them in your prayers, as this will be a long and difficult journey.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.turlockjournal.com/m/section/15/article/34055/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.turlockjournal.com/m/section/15/article/34055/</a>

Shawnta's Babies Medical Fund

***Feel Free to Scroll Down to Learn The Price Break Down***<br /><br /><br />I am Sumayyah Franklin. I wear many hats. <br /><br /><br />Doula, teacher, artist, dancer, fashionista, thrifter, comedian, thinker, but mostly I am a student. I know for a fact I was put on this earth to learn.To break boundaries and pave new paths by not being afraid to unlearn old ways and make room for innovation. The medium I am called to do this through is the sacred art of Midwifery. <br /><br /><br />A midwife is someone who is trained in skills that provide her with the expertise in assisting a woman throughout her pregnancy including the delivery and postpartum period. This is only the skeleton however because midwives also provide care in ways that help maintain optimal health including paps, STD/STI screening and testing, and at home inseminations to name a few. The midwife is a traditional practitioner who provides care to woman and infants. <br /><br /><br />I am choosing to enroll into the National College of Midwifery. This is the most cost effective institution as well as supports me in completing the apprenticeship model of studying midwifery. There is a disproportinate number of licensed Black midwives  offering care in California compared to white midwives.It is important that we have care providers who are competent and reflect the population(s) that they are serving. Black Infants and birthing people have the worst birthing outcomes in America--More than double that of their white counterparts.<br /><br /><br />I am committed to improving these outcomes by making the midwifery model of care accessible to populations who otherwise would not be able to access it. <br /><br /><br />The National College of Midwifery is a distance learning program based in New Mexico. This school is accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council ( MEAC) and therefore allows me to gain licensure once I complete the program. Once i am enrolled into shooI I may then be able to continue my dream of becoming a midwife by seeking to work with some veteran and skilled midwives.  This will give me the opportunity to learn from a skilled midwife, experience volume ( which creates a skilled midwife), and to work with a diverse population. <br /><br /><br />PRICE OF SCHOOL:<br /><br />At the National College of Midwifery there is one flat fee of $5,000. Books are an estimated $2,000. I will be offering a community doula training as a way to raise the additional funds. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />***ALL FUNDS RAISED WILL BE GOING DIRECTLY TOWARDS ENROLLING INTO NCM and obtaining the required reading material and textbooks***<br /><br /><br /><br />Some Sources of information:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.midwiferycollege.org/Pay.html&lt;&lt;&lt;" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.midwiferycollege.org/Pay.html&lt;&lt;&lt;</a> Fee's for the school i will be enrolling in National College of Midwifery<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensees/Midwives/midwives_practice_guidelines.pdf"><a href="http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensees/Midwives/midwives_practice_guidelines.pdf" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensees/Midwives/midwives_practice_guidelines.pdf</a></a> &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;Practice guidlines of Liscensed midwives in California<br /><br /><a href="http://intensehigh.com/black-midwifery/"><a href="http://intensehigh.com/black-midwifery/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://intensehigh.com/black-midwifery/</a></a> &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;If You Would LIke to Learn More about The Sate of Black Midwifery in this country

Midwifery School Enrollment

Yomi Young

<div>Our comrade, friend, collaborator and fierce <strong>Tiger Mischief Maker, Alice Wong</strong>, has transitioned. 
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<div>This fundraiser, originally launched in 2022 to help Alice pay for care needs and avoid institutionalization, will now go to memorialize her life and continue the work she leaves in her going. 
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<div>Community is what held Alice in her lowest moments. Community inspired her to dream and create. Community, now, must uphold her legacy. 
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<div>Thank you,
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<div>Team Alice
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Yomi Young

Yomi Young

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