Donate to help Brenda Tong

Hello, my name is Rosa De Anda, I am fundraising for my friend Brenda Tong. This is her story.

"I am disabled and lucky to be alive. I cannot work due to a 2009 accident. My only sense of freedom was driving my car. Displaced from my rent-controlled apartment, in the first wave of Ellis Act evictions in SF, I was forced to move to a rural area for more affordable rent. It took years of adjustment to find my balance while navigating the newly discovered hardships country living brings. I struggled to survive during the NorCal fires of 2017 and 2019, evacuating to safety in my car.

I drove two hours to reach my first visit with my friend in Oakland since the start of the pandemic. I parked across the street from her house and unloaded most of the things from my car. The next day, I was shocked and horrified to discover my car had been stolen. After a grueling day of hours on hold for the Oakland police, I finally got a dispatcher to send an officer out to take a report. Phone calls to my car insurance made me realize my liability insurance didn’t cover theft. Living on Disability Benefits barely leaves any money for full car insurance coverage, so I lost everything with the theft.

My car was a gift from a favorite Aunt that I never could have afforded to buy on my own. New at the time, a 1996 Honda Accord 4-door Black Sedan, my “Black Beauty” 26 years later, 97,000 miles and still running great. Almost two months later, I received a phone call that it was recovered and found stripped and abandoned in a Homeless Encampment in Oakland. The thieves had stripped the engine, transmission and tires and left the shell of the car behind. It was heartbreaking news.

I mourn this loss, and I’m starting to feel the impact of what it means to me, the loss of my independence and freedom, the loss of being able to shop for food, see my doctors, and travel to see a sunset with friends.

I’m hoping you can help donate to raise money for the purchase of a car.

Thank you for reading my story and for any help you can give… I’d like to restore my faith in humanity with your help."