I’ve been away from this place for a while. I’ve been completing my edits for my next book, preparing to start teaching, which I did yesterday, and grieving the loss of two powerhouse folks who were a force for good. One died from suicide and the other from senseless gun violence. They both were people of color and welcomed me with open arms into their world. They are gone. We are losing so many good ones these days! And, as I feel into this new year, I am reminded of how vulnerable our elderly population is.

My 74 year-old mother is in danger of being on the streets. I have made an appeal to mutual aid on social media and people have given generously. I am hoping that some of you who read this will consider giving, so that I can safely get her to Nashville without incident. My mother, whose origin is Mexican, has been living with family but that situation is quickly falling apart and she needs housing immediately. I have contacted some places here in the Nashville area and am trying to get her on a wait list. What we need now are relocation funds to get her out of Arkansas and into Nashville. Can you help? If you, please consider Venmo or CashApp as a means to give cash. My handle is iRobyn for both accounts. If you want to use PayPal, just respond to this email and I’ll send you my PayPal account. Some folks are even mailing checks, and if that is an option for you, please reply letting me know you’d like to mail a check and I’ll gladly give you my mailing address. I’m the financial power of attorney for my mother, so I can deposit checks for her. All the money is going toward this relief effort and I’m so grateful for all the generosity that has been expressed. We do need a bit more!

If 100 people give $50, we can meet our goal and I can safely relocate my aging mother to Nashville.

Will you consider giving? I’d be forever grateful!

Saludos, -Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza