Winter Is Here, but We Can Still Keep Each Other Warm

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lost homes, lost health, fading dreams, fading pets. At Christmas, need and loss often hit harder than at any other time of year — and so does the desire to help.

For the past two Christmases, The Local Reporter has searched the GoFundMe website for people in Carrboro and Chapel Hill asking for community support. This year, we continue the tradition.

GoFundMe is straightforward: people post a request explaining what they need and how much money would help. If all goes well, donors contribute until the goal is met. If donations exceed the goal, recipients keep the extra. Recipients keep all raised donations, even if the goal isn’t met, unlike some other platforms. GoFundMe sustains itself by collecting 30 cents plus a 2.9% fee from each donation, with higher costs for recurring gifts. The fee covers credit-card processing and the transfer of funds to the recipient.

There are no deadlines. Whether someone reaches their goal or not, a GoFundMe page remains active until its creator removes it.

Sometimes It’s Life or Death, Literally

Jeremy Bailey says his friend Brian Kennedy recently began cancer treatment and faces “substantial medical costs that exceed what insurance and disability benefits can cover.” Bailey is seeking $30,000 and has raised $27,000 as of press time.

Kimberly Travolina is asking for $50,000 to support baby Gabriel, diagnosed with childhood leukemia earlier this year when he was only a few months old. The campaign has raised $13,351 toward “costs of medical care, travel for treatments, and everyday living expenses.”

Gisele Long says past donations have allowed her to remain by her husband’s side while he is in hospice care. With his condition worsening, she has reached out again and has raised $4,500 toward a $5,000 goal.

It’s the Little Things

GoFundMe is not always about life-and-death emergencies.

Ty Chapman of Chapel Hill is raising $1,200 to buy a new oven and stove for Ms. Odessa Wilson, described as “one of the most prolific and generous bakers in the Northside community.” Her oven no longer works and her stovetop is failing. “We’re returning to what Northside has always done best: caring for one of our own,” Chapman writes. The fundraiser has brought in $1,043 so far.

Jeff Gorski hopes to raise $4,000 to refurbish a javelin runway he built 25 years ago “when university facilities closed access to their tracks.” More than 30 young athletes have earned college scholarships after training there, he says. Time has worn the surface and equipment; the fundraiser has reached $3,650.

Woody Moore is asking for $500 — none raised yet — to buy a giant stuffed bear for his room.

And also pets

Local GoFundMe campaigns frequently include appeals for animals.

Jason Foster hopes to raise $4,000 for Pepper, his 4-year-old cat, who is suffering from bladder stones. Donations will cover vet bills, follow-ups, medications and prescription food. So far, $1,646 has been raised.

Arlo A. is seeking $1,100 for dental surgery for their 7-year-old cat, who lost most of her teeth after being adopted from a shelter. The remaining teeth must now be removed. Arlo has raised $945.

Amy Brock asked for $500 to help determine why Riggs, her 7-year-old golden lab, is scratching his face raw. Donors have contributed $570.

And more and more

Whatever cause you want to support, there is probably a GoFundMe for it: unexpected car repairs, Drum Corps participation, a high school culture club, an aspiring filmmaker, gifts for staff at Mary Scroggs Elementary School.

Whether your interest lies in Carrboro, Chapel Hill or elsewhere in the Triangle, if you want to give this season, there is a GoFundMe that fits.

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press