Help Reunite a Survivor with Safety—Support Her Journey Home

Donna Castillo-Garcia RN, BSN

FNP-DNP(c)

Executive Director GRBB

May 5, 2025

At Grassroots Bridge Builders ICT (GRBB), we believe every person deserves dignity, safety, and a chance to start over. We're urgently raising $300 to purchase a bus ticket to help one of our clients return home to Colorado after surviving weeks of trauma, homelessness, and barriers to care here in Wichita.

Our client came to us after sleeping outside for over a month. She had fled domestic violence, been abandoned by her partner, robbed, and repeatedly turned away from services—largely due to having a service animal.

One of our peer ambassadors met her and her loyal puppy outside and immediately connected her to our mobile medical outreach. From there, GRBB sprang into action:

• Our founder, an RN and nurse practitioner in training, conducted an urgent health assessment and coordinated ER care for a serious foot wound.

• We successfully negotiated access to the ER with her service animal.

• We secured temporary foster care for her dog, so she could finally sleep indoors at a shelter.

• We gained her day shelter access, offered consistent peer support, and coordinated across local providers and out-of-state support systems.

Our executive director was a big hit with the foster pup.

On Day 2, she began experiencing seizures. GRBB got her immediate medical attention, helped advocate for accommodations at the shelter, and ensured she received her seizure medications. Unfortunately, the shelter could not provide the medical respite care she needed.

On Day 3, our team returned to check on her—but she was missing. Shelter staff were overwhelmed and unaware of her situation. Within 15 minutes, our team located her in a hospital ICU. Our RN and CNA ambassadors gave her medical history to hospital staff, visited her bedside, and brought her hope and reassurance.

Now, we need your help. Although a police-sponsored ticket program was in place, it fell through due to pending legal matters, leaving no funding to get her home. $300 is all we need to complete this journey.

Please consider donating today—help us get her back home, to safety, support, and stability.

🧡 Every dollar counts. Every bridge we build together matters. https://gofund.me/00cb9128