TupiliLea's Monthly Giving Circle

Dearest Members of TupiliLea’s Giving Circle,

First of all we would like to give a huge thank you to our monthly supporters! These regular donations, no matter the size, help TupiliLea make plans for covering living and medical costs and have a sense of security.

Over the last month TupiliLea has achieved their 50th outdoor trip to the Tucson’s beautiful desert landscapes. Finding a deep friendship with their field trip buddy has been deeply healing. Queer nerd kinship is medicine! And amongst the powerful saguaros to boot? What a blessing!

TupiliLea also shares gratitude as well for the weather changing in as fall creeps in. It is now down to the 90s. Phew! What a year it has been for all of us who experience extreme climate and the challenges it poses. As many of you know, for anyone with chronic illnesses/chronic pain such as our dear elder, these extreme temperatures pose an even greater risk. Managing symptoms takes lots of care and attention to the various ways the climate takes its toll on the body.

When you donate you funds to this giving circle, that support goes directly towards preventative care and most importantly, housing. Having safe, reliable shelter with air conditioning is the most meaningful way to offer support.

As this fundraiser approaches the $20,000 dollar mark, we are asking one-time and sometimes donors to consider becoming a monthly donor of (at least) $20. Our goal is to be able to raise enough funds monthly to cover Tupili’s rent. If you cannot give right now, you can still help by sharing this message with your communities to widen our support net.

We will be moving be updating the goal posted on our page to reflect that this is an ongoing fundraiser. Your act of generosity is an honored practice of mutual aid historically by queer and trans communities of color, so thank you in advance!

In gratitude,
Marta

Hello friends of Tupili,
First of all, so much gratitude for all of the care and support that you have shown since this campaign started. Together we have almost raised $20,000, so let’s keep it going! These funds have provided a much needed sense of security in a very tumultuous time. During these times of political, climate, and other crises, your donations have truly been life-saving and life-giving.

In my chats with Tupili, they have spoken about a time when our indigenous elders were cared for by community. They did not have to worry about keeping a roof over their head, having access to medicines or other basic needs, because they were watched over and cared for by family. This is what the Fundly has provided Tupili in a time when our elders, especially our queer elders, often lack biological family to lean on. You have all shown up in a huge way!

Thanks to your continued support, Tupili has been able to transition smoothly to their new life in Tucson. After over 40 years in the Bay Area, they have found a beautiful apartment with a wonderful community, access to air conditioning, natural medicines, including delicious, organic foods, and a vehicle for reliable transportation. Despite the unprecedented weather Tucson has been experiencing, Tupili has remained safe, thanks in no small part, to all of you. Such blessings!

At the same time, maintaining wellness continues to be a challenge. They have increased expenses to treat their rheumatologist arthritis, chronic pain, and other chronic health issues, including very upcoming dental work, which is all very costly. The dental work itself is estimated at 14k!

If you are willing and able, we ask that you continue this practice of generosity, as it truly makes a world of difference. I have witnessed the ease that it brings, the deep breaths that TupiliLea can take, knowing that community is always there when they need it. We ask that those of you who are able, please consider becoming a monthly donor. This offers the most stability and allows Tupili to make financial plans with confidence.

Tupili says, “Cherished Donors gracias! and por favor keep keeping on. ❤️❤️❤️”

Deepest gratitude to you all! We plan on making regular updates to keep you posted on Tupili’s well being and other travesuras.

Much love,
Marta (Tupili’s tech support and Fundly admin)

A message from Tupili:

Dear Familia of Survival Care,
Hola dear Familia of donors. I am sending each one of you large loving vibrations of gratitude for your hearts! You are all making a huge difference in the quality of my life and survival, gracias!

If and when I come across your mind it is because consistently I send love and gratitude your way it is one of my practices that I really enjoy and it happens every 24 hours multiple times.

I have been in Tucson 7 1/2 months and now that the weather has shifted I really feel a huge difference in my body mind and spirit. Climate crisis really showed his face this summer. The second hottest summer in recorded climate history here in beloved Tucson. Hijole, yikes. One compassionate day at a time. Radical acceptance, radical patience, and big, deep compassion for self. A’ho, Ache’.

Modupe’ ( thank you in Yoruba) for your love, support and energies here! Gracias for the monies! We are up to approx $650 committed monthly promises! StormMiguel Florez my Earth Angel, gracias!

I am sending you two images so you can see I am alive and powerful. I will be 71 years old in January and I do not have any pharmaceuticals. I have acted as my own doctor with western medical help (when absolutely necessary)I have been my doctor for decades. And a shout out to the western practitioners that have helped me! I had a fabulous cataract surgery about a year and a half ago! I am navigating rheumatoid arthritis and that has been challenging I was diagnosed about two years ago. I have good natural medicine herbs, good nutrition to the best of my ability and regular exercise. I have an mexica indigenous medicine woman who is creating miracles with my body. Her and I have decided to begin giving classes and workshops together and I am thrilled about this and about her care and friendship.

Love and more love to all!
Tupili Lea Arellano
Saguaro Borderlands Medicines

PS new donors I moved to Tucson (survival, birth familia and dry heat) after living in Oakland and The Bay for 42 years. Elder power at 70 years I pulled this off with love, help and your gifts! I did grow up in Tucson Arizona spent 26 years before I moved to the bay and I cherish this land.

Hello all! I'm writing with an update from Tupili. First I want to thank you all for your continuous donations to our beloved elder, Tupili Arellano. These donations continue to sustain them. Please keep those monthly donations coming. As they state below, this $$ is literally helping them stay alive.

Update from Tupili:

Dear Familia, Friends, Fundly Donors!

Thank you to all the ongoing sustaining donors! You and I and Storm have a raised a little over 12 K.

And a huge shout out to donors that have given what they can when they can! You also have helped raise these survival monies. With your donations I was able to organize and make a huge change of moving to Tucson, Arizona - the place where I grew up and still have family and friends.

After living in the Bay Ohlone area for 42 years I could no longer afford to stay. In the last six years I have been couch surfing and housesitting and subletting and staying with friends in the Bay Area for two or three nights at a time. Thank you everyone.

So grateful to have had the housing it was the only way that I could save the monies we were raising to be able to move back to Tucson, Arizona where I (we) am paying $850 for a spacious, quiet, peaceful apartment. Gracias! Your donations paid for the moving expenses which were over $2000, gracias!

Your donation reparation monies are held and utilized safely with honor and gratitude.They are ensuring my survival one day at a time.Gracias!

As many of you know I am a 70.5 year old Elder who navigate’s disability and the ongoing healing of the wounds of so many years surviving racism, fat phobia, homophobia, classism, genderphobia and the beat goes on.

Currently I am acclimating to culture shock to the extreme heat and my Eldering old body. And not a day goes by that I am not feeling the terror of survival as an indigenous Queer Elder.

I survive by working and earning when I can which includes fundraising. So thank you for joining me here and partnering with me and literally helping me stay alive.

A very big and deep shout out of gratitude to Storm Miguel Florez Who suggested this vehicle for fundraising and who has administrated it this whole time. Gracias Storm! All of us move forward together in love and gratitude!

I have a very sweet place to live. I’ve been walking in the desert every morning studying the plants that are foods and medicines and will incorporate those into my medicine practice. I am truly in love with the Sonoran desert. I lived here for 26 years before I moved to the bay. I am gradually making you friends. Thanks to you I am able to continue a creative art practice. Below is a photo of a painting I made.

Please everyone who can give especially if it’s only one time please do so and thank you. And dear sustaining donors thank you for continuing to partner with us!

Please consider becoming a sustaining donor.
Tupili Lea Arellano

Hello everyone!

TupiliLea asked me to share this rock star photo of them as an expression of gratitude to new donors and existing donors of this campaign. You are all rock stars!

This pic was taken in 2016 when they were supporting an LGBTQ youth fundraiser in Hayward, CA.

Please continue to share this campaign. Your contributions are really helping so much and it would be wonderful and very helpful to have even more people contributing on a monthly basis.

Much love and gratitude,
StormMiguel & TupiliLea

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that Tupili and I both have art pieces in tonight's virtual BIPOC Trans Pride & Resilience Visual Art Exhibition.
Here's a link to the event: https://bipoctrans.art/_wp_art21/

BIPOC TRANS PRIDE & RESILIENCE
LIVE 5:30 PM Thursday, June 17, 2021
Join the Virtual Gallery

National Queer Arts Festival
BIPOC Trans Pride & Resilience is an exhibition featuring art and interviews by 15 artists that celebrates the realities, the beauty, the brilliance, and the power of BIPOC trans existence.

We hope you can join us! xoxoxo

Hello beautiful supporters of TupiliLea!

I hope this finds you well and safe and looking forward to more in-person careful connections with your loved ones soon!

I wanted to share this call for housing for TupiliLea. Please see the photo with details of what they're looking for and feel free to share with your Bay Area community.

Also, it's never a bad time to share this campaign! We're still raising money. This is an ongoing effort. Your monthly donations are helping out so much! We'd love to continue to grow this support for TupiliLea.

I'm wising you all a beautiful week!

Love,
StormMiguel

HOUSING NEEDED BY MAY 15
Post from Maya Scott-Chung: Friends and Communities-
Let’s co-create and collaborate with TupiliLea Arellano to help magnetize a safe, sacred, happy, healthy long term housing and home here on Ohlone lands in Oakland

From TupiliLea:
Support me please.
Spacious Oakland Fruitvale, Dimond, Laurel, Maxwell Park studio for this indigenous art medicines Elder. Quiet with full real kitchen and bath with tub. Spacious live room for art and comfort. Emotional support animal welcome. Light is good and on first floor. Shared private back yard with garden and hot tub. Space for planting and making art outdoors.
Need by May 15th.
Please support me by putting energies here and looking out for this space for me. Aho’ Ase’

TupiliArt

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while since our last update. We're going to start sharing more of TupiliLea's art here. If you are interested in purchasing their art, please contact them directly at: [email protected]

Here is an anthology of small paintings by TupiliLea made in their studio sublet in Berkeley.
Tiny work space.
2021 pieces.

A message from TupiliLea: "So grateful to have a healing space such as this. Getting ready for housing search for end of May. Moving back to Oakland. Gratitude to all my donors!

PS just had successful cataract surgeries. Elder care.

Hi all!

I just wanted to share this beautiful photo of TupiliLea at last year's BAAITS Powwow in Forbes Magazine!

The Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Powwow will take place online this year on February 6th. Info: https://www.baaits.org/powwow

Here's a link to the Forbes article: http://bit.ly/2YCmpIx

Thank you all for being a part of TupiliLea's monthly giving circle. Please keep sharing! It's working!

Much love and appreciation,
StormMiguel

Hi all!

I just wanted to share this beautiful photo of TupiliLea at last year's BAAITS Powwow in Forbes Magazine!

The Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Powwow will take place online this year on February 6th. Info: https://www.baaits.org/powwow

Here's a link to the Forbes article: http://bit.ly/2YCmpIx

Thank you all for being a part of TupiliLea's monthly giving circle. Please keep sharing! It's working!

Much love and appreciation,
StormMiguel

A message from TupiliLea:

To all the beautiful folks who sent me money for my birthday thank you!!! I’ve had a beautiful birthday and I’m still celebrating amongst all the grief and loss. These times are very difficult not pretending they are not.

Art is good medicine!

I have purchased some art supplies with some of the money thank you very much!!!

This is one of the paintings I made with your gifts of art supplies!

Today is TupiliLea's birthday!

Hello all! Please join me in celebrating TupiliLea's 69th year around the sun. This beautiful Aquarius has brought so much healing and love and beauty to this world. The attached photo is a recent photo of them and two of the paintings they created this past week in their current sublet.

TupiliLea is currently living in a sublet that lasts through May. Their intention is to find a more permanent place to land after this sublet. Moving this much is exhausting for anyone, much less an elder with sight loss during COVID. Help us envision and manifest permanent housing where TupiliLea can be safe, stable, and thriving. A place where they can cook, make art, take long healing baths, dance, and rest. Please keep sharing this campaign and help increase the amount of monthly donors to help sustain our beloved elder, curanderx, TupiliLea Arellano.

And as a gift to all of you, I am sharing my Spotify Aquarius playlist. I hope you enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3SlKS77TCk1v1fj0KbTOUz?si=iRn165vGS9-oxiFHXSRjiA

Much love and appreciation,
StormMiguel

Hello all! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted an update.

Welcome to #chihuahuathon2020!

That's right, my brood of chihuahuas are helping me to raise money for TupiliLea. Wanna get in on it? Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stormmiguel and catch & share all of the ridiculously cute pics of my chihuahuas and those who are sharing their pets as well. It's a hoot and it's helping to raise awareness about TupiliLea's giving circle.

All new donors (and existing donors upon request) will get a special adorable personalized thank you meme from one of the Chihuahuas. The pic in this update is my baby,
Cha-Cha with a face that'll hopefully launch a thousand donors. :D

We're still raising money for TupiliLea and it's going great, but we still need more monthly donors. Do you know of folks you can share this campaign with who might be able to donate at least $5 per month?

Please help spread the word and thank you so much for your generous support!

xoxoStormMiguel

Hello everyone!

This is StormMiguel. I had a really lovely morning today because I got to see my t-ix, TupiliLea in person for the first time since the pandemic started. We stood more than 15 feet apart, we wore masks, and our visit was brief. I was so happy to see them that I forgot to get a picture, so I'm attaching this beautiful pic of TupiliLea that was taken pre-pandemic.

My goal for the weekend is to get 5 new donors to donate at least $5/ month. We have two so far! Do you have time to reach out to folks and share the campaign to help us get the remaining three?

Here's a message from TupiliLea:
"Good morning dear familia. I am looking for housing for January 1 so this is a great time to donate and contribute as every penny will be used for housing expenses.
Please keep your eyes open for me I would love a one bedroom or large studio in Oakland Fruitvale area or surrounding neighborhoods. I am also open to possibly living with one other elder Dyke. Thank you for the demonstration of your generosity and kindness for any support and love you send my way thank you!!!
Ase’ Aho’

Happy Dia(s) de Los Muertos!

Hi all! This is StormMiguel, TupiliLea's nephew.
The veil is thin and the ancestors have blessings and information for us and are receiving comidas, stories, and love from us!

Yesterday, TupiliLea and I had virtual ceremony with our altars, ancestors, and ourselves. It was so beautiful! See the pic attached: TupiliLea and the altar they have created where they are housesitting, and me in the lower right hand corner with the altar in my home.

We marveled at the gifts both from the ancestors and the living! So far the living have helped us raised $977 in one week and gain 10 monthly recurring donors. Thank you all so much for your generosity and love!

Please continue to spread the word to your networks for this elder who is planning to be with us for a long time. Let's help make that time comfortable, safe, and joyous for TupiliLea.

Much love to you all and don't forget to listen for our blessed ancestors' messages.

Love,
StormMiguel & TupiliLea

A message from TupiliLea:

Pubic, to friends Prayer.
Gracias for your loving attention. I am and have been SIP and I am extra grateful for this portal called Fundly. 

Hola

More about TupiliLea:

TupiliLea has been offering CCS - Community Sacred Service for the past 12 years on Facebook. They regularly make altars with their paintings and offer prayers for their community.

Thank you for being a part of TupiliLea's giving circle!

Please continue to share with your networks. <3