True Stories of Good People GoFundMe

Claudia Wheeler is a full-time mother, as well as an elementary school teacher based in Jersey City, NJ. On top of all of her other responsibilities in life, Claudia also manages to drive across the entire city, 7 days a week, on food rescue missions to help provide sustenance to those experiencing food insecurity in her community. In total, she has rescued and delivered over 130,000 pounds of fruit, vegetables, grains to families and organizations in need.

After he was kicked out of his family home at 15 for being gay, Kemar Jewel found his chosen family through the underground Philadelphia dance scene. There, he leaned into his passion for movement and truly understood how Black queer men can help each other heal from trauma. Now a choreographer and director, Kemar is blending art and activism to spread hope, love, and healing—all while uplifting Black LGBTQ voices.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the US, it shook New York City especially hard. At a time when so many New Yorkers felt hopeless, New York native and tech entrepreneur Ben Wei found the courage to act. Now, one year later, he’s on another mission to help others; this time, to unite the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the fight against hate, racism, and systemic injustice.

When Ashley Webb moved her family from Los Angeles to New Orleans in 2017, it was a huge culture shock. Not only was the city very different, but the neighborhood they moved into was considered a food desert, meaning there is no immediate access to fresh produce. Wanting to change this, Ashley and her husband started a community garden—and it blossomed into a much bigger project than they ever imagined.

Most people know will.i.am as the founding member of The Black Eyed Peas, one of the most popular hip hop groups of all time. Aside from music, however, Will actually has another passion: education. Since founding the “i.am.angel foundation” in 2009, Will has worked tirelessly to set up robotics programs in schools, get kids into STEAM fields, and help high school students get prepared for and accepted into college.

For formerly incarcerated individuals, safe, stable and affordable housing is the foundation of a smooth reentry into society. Unfortunately, it’s often the most difficult resource for them to obtain. Recognizing this need, one San Francisco Bay Area collective—run by and for formerly incarcerated Californians—is bringing housing and other necessary resources to people who have been similarly impacted by the criminal justice system.