In Memory of Ruben Vergara: Funeral Assistance

I'm Sam Prater, the founder of a nonprofit organization called Los Angeles Room & Board (LARNB). Our mission is to end college student and youth homelessness and hunger and to ensure our city's youth make it to and through college. We house and support youth at four locations across Los Angeles.

Yesterday, one of our very first residents, our beloved Ruben Vergara, was murdered in front of our Dunamis House location. A victim of senseless gun violence. I cannot even express how heartbroken we are at LARNB.

Ruben was kind, gentle, wickedly funny, and was a joy to have as part of our LA Room & Board family.

One of the things Ruben and I have in common is that we both completed our GED (high school equivalency) at age 23. That was 21 years ago for me, but for Ruben, that was just this year. We had so many conversations about how it's never too late to be the awesome person you were always meant to become.

He finished his GED and worked diligently as a security guard; a role he took VERY seriously. We'd always joke with him whenever he left Dunamis House to head to work looking clean and crisp as captured in the attached video. We'd call him, Officer Ruben.

I grieve for his family and all those who loved and knew him. I grieve for Los Angeles because senseless violence among young Brown and Black boys is so common that it never even makes the nightly news.

I am helping to raise funds for Ruben's family to help cover the costs of his funeral services. Ruben's mother, Mrs. Marina Garcia Vergara, will be the recipient of these vitally important funds. All funds will be deposited by GoFundMe directly into Marina's bank account. Every dollar counts and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your contributions and for sharing the link to this GoFundMe with your communities.

God bless you.

-Sam Prater

Founder

Los Angeles Room & Board