Help Joe Pace - Former NBA Player

I am starting this go fund me campaign for my good friend, and good buddy, Joe Pace. Joe, like myself, is a former NBA player, but Joe, unfortunately, fell upon hard times after his very short NBA career (less than 2 years), and soon found himself pursuing his basketball dream throughout Europe and South America. This was back in the 1980s, when NBA salaries weren't nearly what they are today. After sustaining several injuries, Joe soon found himself addicted to pain medication, alcohol, and endured several years of homelessness.

Joe story has been well chronicled by various reporters and newspapers throughout the years.

He and I befriended each other several years ago, as I am currently a Board of Director with the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA). Our association is done what it can on various occasions for Joe, and because he did not play a minimum of 3 professional NBA years, he does not qualify for some of the grants-in-aid and financial assistance that is there for those players who played at least 3 years.

Joe is bound and determined to get his life back on track, find steady employment, a place to call home and to get back to being a productive member of society. I've watched him closely throughout the years, and I can see his character, and I know that he is very serious about these things.

I had my dentist here in Seattle give Joe a complete "complimenatary" oral examination, and it was determined that his teeth had deteriorated so badly, that several of them need to be extracted, a bridge put in, and serious dental work on the others. Joe complains frequently about his teeth causing him so much pain, that now he has resorted to basically blending and grinding up his food before he puts it in his mouth to try to chew.

Joe is a great handyman, and he's always busy creating walking canes, backpacks, and other items that he feels people would benefit from. When he gets a small inventory of things together, I told him I would help him place those items on eBay to see if we can sell them for him.

Joe is currently living in government housing, and he will be forced to move out and find another housing situation, because the developers are coming in to develop a mixed-use building on the property. He has about 6 months to accomplish this, find a place that is not only very low income/rent, but also a place that is safe and comfortable for one to live in.

I help out Joe is much as I can, by taking him around town to various appointments, job interviews, etc. I don't mind doing these things, since he is a dear friend of mine, and I know that he is sincere about getting his life back on track.

So, I wanted to resort to go fund me to see if people out there would make a small contribution towards Joe's soon to be, "monstrous" dental bill (it will amount to about $7000), and also to help him get through the winter with adequate clothing, keep on top of his utility bills and prepare for his upcoming housing relocation in the spring of 2018.

Won't you please help? I will be right here with Joe  in Seattle, helping him with his upcoming dental appointments, trying to find affordable housing for him, and encouraging him to stay on his path of getting his life back on track.

Sincerely,
James Donaldson
Former NBA Player and Joe's best friend!