Cynthia Godfrey

Hi! My name is Charlotte — I work at VOCAL-NY; a nonprofit drop-in center for people facing housing injustice + a syringe exchange. One of our participants, Arick, recently and unexpectedly lost his wife of 43 years. In addition to this, he is now losing his housing.

Arick's wife died this weekend; three days later, he was notified by his building's management that he has until Monday, October 16 to move out. This is the home he and his wife lived in, raised their children in, and built a life within for 30 years. He is being evicted not because he is unable to pay rent or because he has been a noncompliant tenant, but because of a bureaucratic discrepancy of his name not being on the lease.

Cynthia was a devoted wife and mother of three. In addition to grieving his wife, Arick is now facing homelessness. We are asking our community for support to cover funeral and memorial costs, as well as moving costs. Any amount helps. We want Arick and his sons to be able to mourn without worrying about the costs associated with funeral services and finding new housing.

Arick has been a part of the VOCAL-NY community for many years; he is a friend, former colleague, and powerful advocate for his community. Thank you for your love and support during this time! Arick and his surviving children and grandchildren will greatly appreciate all donations.