I’ve spoken before about the importance of writing to and communicating with our incarcerated loved ones/neighbors/comrades, and I’ve been lucky enough to have had two penpals in my life—Lacino (who was exonerated and released from prison two years ago!!) and Alfonza. Alfonza is my most recent penpal of the two and he’s quickly become a dear friend. Thankfully, Alfonza will return home this summer after being away from family and friends for a long time! There’s nothing more exciting to me than someone being released from the shackles of incarceration and Alfonza will get to reunite with everyone and everything he loves in a handful of months! Unfortunately, the legal system does not provide anyone with resources, financial assistance, or tools post-release, so most people are left scrounging for help on their own. While some folks are extraordinarily lucky to have a team of help behind them, others like Alfonza need a bit more assistance from the rest of us. Because he needs to find a place to live without having income to immediately contribute, I’m trying to fundraise $1,000 to get Alfonza in a safe home where he can decompress and restart after his release this summer. We luckily crowdfunded $200 last year to get him a required post-incarceration tool, but this amount is a lot larger for a greater necessity. Most parole boards won’t parole someone if they don’t have a place to stay lined up, so this $1,000 is absolutely crucial to raise so Alfonza can finally go home. I truly believe in behaving as though we all owe everything to each other (because we do) and no one is a singular entity, and providing people with material and financial assistance is just one way to show our love to others. If you’d like to help me help Alfonza go home, please feel free to Venmo my account @nkakimoto so I can put the money on his account. All contributions are absolutely appreciated!
