Please Help Donna Reed Keep Her Home

Hi, my name is Cheryl Barclay and I have created this fundraiser on behalf of Donna Reed, and in honor of Todd Workinger. Many of us who are/were employed at Horizon remember Donna as the ever-smiling cashier in our cafe who always had a great sense of humor, a kind word, and a ready hug to offer. She is also a very close friend of our own Todd Workinger, who tragically passed away last week. In the aftermath of Todd's death, Donna has humbly shared with me that while in the midst of grieving the loss of her beloved friend, she is also grappling with the very real possibility of losing her home. Because she was recently out of work for several weeks with Shingles (unpaid due to no sick or vacation time), she is now behind on everything, including her rent. While she has been able to make deals with her utility and other companies, her landlord of 14 years has been inflexible post-Covid because so many other tenants have had difficulty keeping up with their rent over the past couple of years. She has attempted to obtain assistance from the City of Newark, East Orange, and Montclair Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, Newark New Community Services, and other agencies, all to no avail, as she doesn't meet their criteria to qualify for assistance. Her family is unable to help. As was customary, Donna and Todd were supposed to celebrate her birthday last week and his later this month - meanwhile he had no idea of the gravity of her situation, as Donna has never in their 8-year friendship asked him for help. But if you knew Todd at all, you know how much he cared about Donna. Among many other things in common, they shared the same Birthday month, a love of cats, and huge, giving hearts, as they both care deeply about the plight of the homeless and people in general. What you may not know is that Donna is the creator of Team Go Givers, an amazing group of humans who regularly fed and clothed the homeless at Newark Penn Station for several years, right up to the pandemic. Donna has always freely given to others. Now, after exhausting all other avenues, she is finally the one in need. What I know for sure is that Todd would never want or allow his beloved friend and her pet kitty to lose their home. If you can find it in your heart to contribute in any way, and/or help spread the word, it would mean so much to all of us. Thank you very much for reading this and for your consideration.