Woman known as โBrick ladyโ wanted in Houston for theft doesnโt show up for planned surrender
A woman who went viral on social media after making claims a man assaulted her with a brick outside a Houston club and then used the story to fraudulently raise over $40,000 on GoFundMe was expected to turn herself in to police, but didnโt show up Thursday.
Houston prosecutor says this is not the first time viral โBrick ladyโ has made false claims of assault
The lead prosecutor on a case where a woman is accused of making up a story about being hit in the face with a brick during an altercation with a man outside a Houston club is sharing more about what led up to her facing charges.
Woman known as โBrick ladyโ charged in Houston after being accused of making whole thing up, raising $42K on GoFundMe
A woman who went viral on social media after making claims of being assaulted by a man outside a Houston club has now been charged after raising a large amount of money on GoFundMe, according to charging documents.
Verified ways to help: GoFundMe launches Astroworld Festival Relief Hub
Following the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival, there has been an influx of activity on GoFundMe as the community comes together to support the victims and their families, but how do you know which fundraising campaigns are legitimate?
Donations pour in for families of Atlanta shooting victims
(AP Photo/Ben Gray)Shortly after his mother was killed in the Atlanta-area shootings, Randy Park launched a GoFundMe page asking for $20,000 to pay for funeral expenses. For now, donors to victims of the Atlanta shootings must scour individual GoFundMe accounts. A page for Yong Yueโs family drew more than $115,000. AdPark's family was the first to launch a GoFundMe page. This is simply a change in my life,โ Park wrote to the 70,000 people who had contributed as of Sunday afternoon.
Major sacrifice: Houston teen offers to deplete college savings in order to help her mother pay rent
HOUSTON โ When a local mom lost her job, her 18-year-old daughter decided to drain her savings to keep a roof over their heads. Alondra Carmona sacrificed her dream of going to college to save her family. She planned to use that money to go to her dream school -- Barnard College. โIt made me really sad,โ Carmona said. AdIf you would like to help by contributing to Carmonaโs school expenses, go to her GoFundMe page.
A Houston-area suburb is the second-most generous city of 2020, report says
HOUSTON โ A report from GoFundMe ranked Spring, Texas, as the second-most generous city for supporting causes for 2020. In a news release from GoFundMe, the fundraising website released its annual giving report, which includes Spring and several other U.S. cities who have supported numerous causes and organizations. Several notable fundraisers included the GoFundMe for Spc. The report also included 2020 trends and a list of causes supported such as COVID-19 relief and hurricane relief. To read the full annual report, click here.
More than $47K raised for family moving to Houston after vehicles packed with belongings stolen
HOUSTON โ People have stepped up in a big way to help a family in need ahead of the holidays. A GoFundMe account set up to help a family whose UHaul and car were stolen during a cross-country move to Houston has raised more the $47,000 of its $50,000 goal. The family traveled to Houston last week and one morning discovered their packed belongings and vehicles were stolen. Their car, packed with other belongings, is gone. The Martinez familyโs sister-in-law, Kim Machado, organized a GoFundMe campaign to help the family.
Father and 1-year-old son come to Houston after losing home in recent hurricanes
HOUSTON โ Several people from Louisiana evacuated to Texas before and after Hurricane Delta stormed across the region. Many made the long trip to Houston to get out of harmโs way. One such family was Justin Meche and his 1-year-old son Bryson. They arrived Saturday to an RV resort in south Houston because they had nowhere else to go. A GoFundMe page has since been set up to help the family in the rebuilding process.
Church seeking donations after man drives through front door causing $300,000 in damage
HOUSTON โ A southeast Houston church is still rebuilding after a car crashed through its front door. Earlier this month, the car smashed into New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church along Beldart and South Wayside Drive. The driver was seen moments after the crash, tearing up the inside of the church, before he took off. The suspect was later caught and arrested but not before causing an estimated $300,000 worth of damage. Maybe seeing the damage done would give remorse but certainly, the church as we recognize we are the recipients of mercy.
$60K raised for Houston mother of 4 evicted, forced to live in car, according to GoFundMe effort
Without government assistance, a single mother and her four children were forced to live in their car after being evicted amid an economic crisis as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to a GoFundMe account asking or help or the mom. According to Monroe, Madrigal was laid off at the start of the pandemic and denied unemployment and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The mother of four was unable to find work for several months but once she did, it was too late. Madrigal and her children -- ranging in age from one to 11 years old -- were evicted from their home. Monroe describes Madrigal as a hardworking, optimistic, and brave mother who was unfortunately failed by the United Statesโ response to the pandemic.
A VFW Post in Pearland is in financial trouble and may have to shut down. Hereโs how you can help them.
PEARLAND, Tx โ The coronavirus pandemic is threatening to permanently shut down VFW Post 7109 in Pearland due to funding, six months after marking their 50th anniversary. The organization has turned to GoFundMe to raise $20,000 to keep the facility open not only to veterans of all military branches, but also to the community at large. Located at 4202 Walnut Street, VFW Post 7109 organized several notable events for the public such as cook-offs, parades and festivals. It became a place for veterans to call their second home after combat, they said. How to helpContribute to Pearland VFW Post 7109โฒs GoFundMe by clicking here.
Texas barbecue joint asks for help after thieves steal all of their meat
HOUSTON โ The owners of a San Antonio barbecue joint turned to GoFundMe for help after seeing all of their meat was stolen from their restaurant storage last week, San Antonio Express-News reported. Security cameras showed multiple thieves breaking into the restaurant at around 2:30 a.m., leaving two hours later with boxes full of food. The restaurant, which opened last June, struggled during the coronavirus pandemic as they had to lay off most of their staff. A GoFundMe account was created last week to raise funds to replace all the items stolen. Ransom said the support from his local customers had been above and beyond, as they take advantage of curbside ordering and delivery.
GoFundMe set up for The Woodlands volleyball player Julieta Valdes and family
On Monday night, it was made public that The Woodlands volleyball player Julieta Valdes is in the fight for her life after suffering a heat attack and going into cardiac arrest on Sunday. Valdes was a big piece to The Woodlands volleyball program this past season as a freshman and is a member of the Houston Juniors VBC 16 Elite Team. She has an older brother and sister, Xavier and Patty, according to the GoFundMe page. "We predict there will be many challenges in the future," the creator of the page wrote. โ VolleyHigh (@volley_high) May 5, 2020An update on Valdes' status was posted to the GoFundMe page on Tuesday morning.
You can now donate to local businesses you love through this new donation button on Yelp
HOUSTON โ Yelp has teamed up with GoFundMe to create a donation button to make it easier for people to support to a local business they love. Yelp and GoFunMe wanted to make it easier for loyal customers to help relieve small businesses of their financial burdens during the pandemic. The partnership follows Yelpโs announcement of a $25 million in relief for local businesses, which will primarily focus on supporting independent local restaurant and nightlife businesses, in the form of waived advertising fees, and free advertising, products and services, during the outbreak. The GoFundMe fundraisers will appear on Yelp pages for restaurants, nightlife, beauty and fitness and active life businesses. For more information on the partnership with GoFundMe and eligibility for participation, click here.
Celebrities rally to send Quaden Bayles to Disneyland after bullying video goes viral
Bullied at school for his dwarfism, 9-year-old Quaden Bayles sobs uncontrollably in the back of his mother's car -- saying to the camera: "Give me a knife, I want to kill myself." His mother, Yarraka Bayles, from the Australian state of Queensland, posted the heartbreaking Facebook Live video this week to raise awareness of the impact of bullying. "This is what bullying does," she said in the video. Among them is Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who posted a video message to Twitter telling Bayles: "No matter what, you've got a friend in me." "Let's show Quaden and others that there is good in the world and they are worthy of it."
Pearland family who lost everything in fire is asking for help to rebuild
HOUSTON โ A Pearland family is asking for help after they lost everything when their house burned down on Dec. 12. The fire happened in the middle of the night at a home off Mustang Lane near Airline Road South. Jennifer Lafferty explained what happened on her GoFundMe page. Our first thought was our 79 year-old mother who was left inside.โJennifer Bajet Lafferty is asking for help after their family home burned down on Dec. 12, 2019. โI donโt even want to clean it up yet because itโs just heartbreaking right now,โ Lafferty told KPRC 2.