Help HOPE Live for Judy Grossman

January 25, 2025

On May 29, 2024 Judy, unexpectedly lost her beloved Dean. Her Rock of support and nurturing caregiver passed away, after almost 20 years of marriage. Judy was faced with extra caregiving costs, trying to maintain a new household, losing a lost income, finding out the fact that Dean had to use most of their savings to give her the best care possible, and struggling to get stronger physically as well as mentally. All of this, while grieving.----------------------------------------------------------------------------Hello all you loving, beautiful people. It's been almost THREE YEARS since my first debilitating surgery, the 4 other surgeries, 4 hospitals, two rehab facilities, and a transitional care (nursing home!!!) facility. I thought I should check in with you, personally. Three years is so hard to comprehend. It's like the world stopped in some kind of time warp and I am just coming out of it's dark cave. Thanks to so many wonderful donations, we were able to buy a wheelchair accessible van and pay for some caregiving for me.Caregiving companies charge a huge amount of money and we watched our savings and small retirement dwindle to almost nothing. This has been a painfully rude awakening on many levels. Who would have ever thought this shocking medical disaster would happen? Who could have planned well enough for it? We, unfortunately did not. And this has now become a harsh reality. The reality is that we did not plan for a situation such as this. In 2009 Dean struggled through a year of bladder cancer with a major loss of income, and again in 2013. Both times beating the Big C, but at a huge hit to our savings. And again in 2019 when he had to have one kidney removed.Currently I have a caregiver during the day for four days, and 3 days are split shift. I am alone at night. Dean was my primary caregiver overnight and two and a half days a week. Finding the balance in providing quality care that’s affordable is critical to helping gain more strength and independence.I will always need a caregiver for the rest of my life; not full days, but partial days. I am positive of this. A challenging thought, for sure. Here's a bit of a quote from a very dear friend who honors me with her kind words: "Have you been shopping in downtown Sonora? To the farmer’s market on Saturdays? Have you visited any of the small towns in Tuolumne County? If your answer is YES, then you’ve seen some of Judy’s contributions to our community. Judy has been an accomplished sign painter , mural artist, and graphic designer via her business JG Signs and Designs in Tuolumne County for over 35 years. Her signature is everywhere in the county.Judy started the wine and paint business in Tuolumne County with the creation of Brush & Cork, teaching our small community to not be afraid to put brush to canvas. At Brush & Cork, Judy always used to say “this isn’t a class it’s a party” and there was always infectious laughter at her paint parties. She has brought the beauty and colors of the rainbow to our community.Amazingly, towns and communities across the country have been touched by Judy’s colorful personality and artwork. Since 2006, she has dedicated a week every year to travel to small towns across the country working in tandem with other sign and mural artists to bring beauty via art to their community. Most of it as an unpaid volunteer."How will donations help?1. Upkeep of the accessible van. 2. Financial help to continue necessary caregiving needs (the most costly of her needs), and 3. Providing Judy the ability to remain at home as she continues to build her strength.TIMES HAVE CHANGED since Dean's passingUnfortunately, Judy has come to the harsh reality that it is just too costly to maintain a household and pay for her caregiving needs too. She is faced with these painful facts and the understanding that she must move into an assisted living facility. She will be putting her new house on the market and having an estate sale. During this painful, decision-making time, she needs your donations and support to help facilitate the process. After searching through more than 20 assisted living facilities, she has finally found ONE that is actually accessible (YES, you read that correctly...ONE out of TWENTY!!!), and it's in Manteca. She needs our donations to make it through this last push of time that it will take to sell her household and move on.PLEASE SHOW YOUR LOVE with donations to help with caregiving costs during this very painful time for her.

May 30, 2024

You are invited to a Fundraiser in Honor of our Friend Judy Grossman

Fundraising will help finance an accessible kitchen remodel for Judy and to pay for continued personal care which will be a life-long undertaking for her. All funds will be donated to Help Hope Live in Judy's honor to help with these and other medical expenses. Help Hope Live is a registered 50l (c)3 non-profit.

Inner Sanctum Cellars Basecamp, 20004 Parrots Ferry Road, Sonora 95370

July 13, 2024, 5-8 PM

Tickets available here! https://events.helphopelive.org/event/6144/signup/

Click on the REGISTER OPTION to PURCHASE TICKETS!

Please note tickets are non refundable. Also, the Chef's request you please purchase before July 10!