To get a handicap van to become a uber and Lyft

Hi !  
My name is Alonzo J. Green.  And I am Gonzales Lee Green Jr's little brother.  !  We called Gonzales "Junior", but he preferred to be called "Lee".  I am very proud of my big brother Lee Green, because he is my hero, and inspiration for everything I do in my life!  He is my favorite brother!
If you could just take seven minutes of your time to read this story, you will understand why Lee is asking for funding on this web page. This story is how Lee was shot, paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair when he was eleven years old!  


When were growing up a few years before Lee ended up in a wheelchair, I would follow Lee around everywhere he went, if I could go.  I am four years younger then he, so that makes him my big brother.  I was always amazed with my brother Lee, because he always did amazing things!  He always worked after school, asking people in our neighborhood if he could cut their grass, mow their lawn, carry their groceries, wash their car, to earn a few extra dollars to help our family make ends meet! You see, we were poor growing up!  We slept on old, used, broken up mattresses that had holes in them, and were held up by milk crates. It wasn't the best, but we had a bed to sleep on! We played baseball with any old stick, and can for a ball. We shared clothing, and even shared some old toys given to us by people in our community. But Dad made sure that we had a full belly every night before going to bed! Lee was always helping out, since my dad was always working! 
Lee would deliver newspapers on the weekends when most of us kids would be outside playing.  You see, Lee was not like other kids.  


He always watched the older adults to learn what they do, and how they did things to achieve a better life.  When the day slowed down, and came to greet the afternoon skies, Lee would always bring something home for me after working all afternoon. He would bring me a toy, or some candy, a nickel, a dime, sometimes a whole dollar! He would always help me do my school work,  get me dressed in the morning, make I brush my teeth, and wash my face before school.  And he always made sure I said my prayers every night before bed! Lee was like a father and a brother to me!  My dad worked all the time so we never got to see him very much.  Besides, my father was too embarrassed to look us in the eye without  thinking about our mother who died from a brain tumor, and my father couldn't take care of us, because he worked very long hours!  


So after my mother died, the state  took and split us up, and put each of us into foster care homes!  We had older brothers, but some of them ran away, and some joined the military after my mom passed.  I didn't see my brothers much when I was in foster care. And I cried every night calling Lee's name to come take me home! I later learned that one of my older brothers was hit by a car, and was killed!  
I was too young to understand all of what was happening, and why my mother died, and the whole family was split up! 
The state welfare brought Lee to see me  now and then. When we saw each other, we hugged, and cried, and laughed with joy of seeing each other!  I would cry so hard, Lee would pick me up and say "Don't worry little brother, we we'll be together again some day, I promise you".  And after a few hours of joy seeing each other, gone just like that, we went our separate ways.


Many years later, my father remarried and brought us home.  Lee and I, and one of my other brother, James were together again!  Life went on as a family. We still struggled, times were pretty rough back then, as much as it is now.  We lived in a very poor neighborhood, where there were fights, robberies, gunfire, and killings that went on every day!  But we were a good Christian, and Law bidding family. Who would ever thought that disaster would shatter our family's lives! 


One evening late summer, Lee was working at a boating club, cleaning up from a fish fry they just had.  Lee loved the water, and really enjoyed the free boat rides from the owner! The owner would let Lee drive the boats when the club went out fishing. Boy, did Lee really love working at that boat club! Anyway, that evening as Lee was cleaning up, there was an older, grey-headed man, who was drunk and playing with a gun!  Somehow he started pointing the gun at my brother Lee saying, "You better run boy, I am gonna shoot you"!  
Lee started yelling at the man, and waved him off. The old man didn't take being waved off by Lee very kindly, so he cocked the trigger!  Lee began running away from him. 
The old man was so drunk, he fired the gun, striking Lee in the right shoulder! 


The bullet went threw his right shoulder, then traveled across his back, spitting his spine in half. Blood was pouring out of Lee's body like rain! Lee fell to the ground, and into a pool of blood, he cried out for help! The old man started yelling, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to shoot him, it was a mistake!" The owner of the boat Club ran over to Lee, and picked him up while yelling at the old man, "Are you crazy", the owner said, as he was rushing Lee to the hospital! 


Word got back to my family that Lee had been shot! Lee was only eleven years old! How can this be, everyone thought! No one wanted to believe that this had really happened! When word got to my Dad, he rushed to the hospital with me by his side. When we got to the hospital, my dad told me that they wouldn't let me go in to see my brother Lee. So after long hours of waiting, and praying! Other family members came running up to the hospital. Hours, and hours went by, 
It seemed like eternity before the doctors came into the waiting room! Lee had made it out of surgery! The doctors told my Dad that Lee had pulled through, and had to be revived several times, after coming close to dying on the operating table,
and that it was up to Lee to fight for his survival to stay alive now! The doctors went on to tell my dad, that Lee was paralyzed from the waist down, and would no longer walk if he survives! 
My dad then asked the doctor, "can I go see my son?" The doctor allowed my dad into see Lee.  After the doctor walked away, my Dad snuck me into Lee's room. When we got there, I saw Lee had tubes running in and out of his mouth, and wires everywhere!


I could have just died right there!  My heart was floating in mid air.  I couldn't breathe!  Tears ran down my face like rain.  I screamed to my brother "Lee, Lee!  Don't leave me!  My father covered my mouth, and picked me up, and hugged  me.  I screamed out, "Please, God, don't let him die!"  And my brother Lee's head moved!  It was as if he heard my voice crying out to him! My dad looked at me and said "Lee's a fighter.  He always was, and always will be a fighter"!  


The next day, there it was, in the morning newspapers. An 11 year old boy gets shot by a 63 year old man playing with a gun!! No one could believe that this had happened! Calls came from the hospital every day, because Lee needed more surgeries and was not expected to live without them! I couldn't sleep at night, all I could see was my big brother Lee laying in that hospital fighting for his life! 
Days passed as Lee continued to fight for his life, and my family was falling apart! Every day was like the world coming to an end!  More and more time passed, and it was a difficult battle, but my brother Lee pulled through and survived after several more surgeries were done! Lee lost the use of his legs, part of his hand, and other medical complications.  He still had a long journey's road to recover.


I shut down.  I became non-responsive to everybody and everything in my life.  I ran away, I started drinking at a very young age, using drugs, and running the streets.  I didn't get to see Lee much after all this happened.  Lee was far away in a facility way out in the country.  My dad would bring us to see him when he was able to afford the drive.  Lee spent days, weeks, months, and years alone, wondering why all of this happened to him!  "What did he do so wrong to deserve something like this?" The old man who shot my brother Lee was never arrested and charged with a crime. (It was ruled as an accident)! Could you believe that? I asked God millions of times, "Why my brother Lee?"  He was just a kid, who helped everybody, loved his family, and wanted to play professional football, and be a radio disc Jockey when he grew up! And at the age of eleven, it was all taken away from him for no good reason! 


I couldn't accept it, and hated the world because it was not a place of fairness to me! As time passed, days, weeks, months, and years, Lee spent Christmases and holidays without family around him.  He felt alone, left out of life, no longer needed! I couldn't put my head around it!  My brother Lee was ripped from my life.  I did thank God that he was still alive, but I couldn't bring myself to see him in this condition! 
Years later when my family went to visit Lee in Newington, CT where he lived, and recovered, I asked him if he was angry with God? Lee looked me in the eyes, and told me "Nothing in this world is ever going to stop me from getting and doing the things I want to achieve in my life".  "And he said, "God didn't shoot me, that crazy, old drunk man shot me!"


I was shocked, because he then smiled and said, "I will live and do everything, and anything I want to do anyway, whether I walk or not"! Lee went on to learn how to use his hands and upper body, bathe himself, feed himself. Years later, Lee began to play music, lift weights, and go to work!  He even saved money from his job and bought himself a car.  He helped put in the special remote controls for his car.  He began to prove to the world that he was alive and could do anything he wanted to achieve in his life!
But I was still angry at God!  
I later quit school and joined the army to get away from all the hurt and pain that we went through as kids!  Life for me drifted, and Lee and I drifted apart from the closeness we once shared.  Lee went on with his life, accepting the tragedy of what happened to him. Lee never asked anybody for a nickle or a dime, he had his moments of asking God questions, but never looked back! 


Today Lee has his own apartment.  He lives alone, but gets around in his wheelchair.  Life has been very rough for him, but he never gives up hope or feels sorry for himself.  He is a lot older now, age 60.  And he needs a van to get around, but unable to afford it! He would love to go back to work where he used to work, at Home Depot.  They loved him there! Home Depot gave Lee a great opportunity to work, and to prove to the world that nothing is impossible.  But now, Lee has health problems at age 60, and is unable to work!  
But Lee believes his dreams are not over.  This man has fought all his life to be the very best he can be.  
And still fights the odds that dare to hinder him from achieving his goals in life.  After many years of living apart, Lee and I are close again. I am committed to helping him get a van.  He wants his independence, to come and go just as anyone else. 
 I ask you all from the bottom of my heart, to please donate what you can.  I know things are hard with Covid-19, but anything will help!  If  you can give him just a small part of you, he will appreciate it more than you will ever know.  Lee is still "my hero", and he would appreciate you to be a hero in his life. 


I will never forget those words Lee said to me, "I am not mad at God, God didn't shoot me, that crazy old man did"! 


Amazing, I love my brother Lee!  Please help him!!


Thank you so much!


God bless you all!.........I was shot when I was 11 years old. I spent most of my life in a rehabilitation hospital. They showed me how to take care of myself which it is not easy.  If I have the right medical tools I can do it! I am a little dyslexic, but I do very well for myself so far in life. My first job was working for Amway selling Amway products in the 1970s. After that at age 14 I bought my first car which was a 1969 Camaro. Then I got my license at 16 years old. After that I went for my FCC license in the 1970s which required a test. I was a disc jockey very briefly, but even so, it was a great feeling to have passed the test and get the experience. After that I finished Devocational School and went back home to Bridgeport Connecticut.  I then got a job at the Bridgeport Parks Department and worked there for three years.  After that I got a job at Home Depot in 1998. I worked there until 2013. I loved it there! It was great helping people with their projects in home repairs. It's the best job I ever had and I can still work there if I can get another handicapped van!  I rent an apartment and live on my own now! When I am able to start working again I'm going to save up  for owning my own condo or house one day,