Pelham Memorial High School graduate Mina Simone was hit by a car while riding a Citi Bike on July 9.

Unable to continue her job as a yoga instructor due to her injuries, and without federal Covid-19 aid, she turned to GoFundMe for help, where she detailed the accident and the troubling circumstances around her life at the time. Since her GoFundMe’s  creation, it has received thousands of dollars of donations and significant support from the Pelham community.

Simone’s page, titled “Support a Black Queer Girl Hit by a Car”, stated that her injury was received when riding a Citi Bike in New York City. Due to the shock of the hit, Simone went home immediately and discovered nerve damage on her right side with a sprained right ankle and injuries on her right hand that required a brace. With doctors advising 4-6 weeks of no serious physical activity and no Coronavirus relief funds from local or federal agencies, Simone turned to the nonprofit crowdfunding website GoFundMe for assistance.

“I don’t have the privilege to have the financial support of my parents or family, as my mother is mentally disabled and I am her legal caretaker,” Simone stated in her post. “(Meanwhile), my father is older and out of work as a school bus driver.”

Prior to the pandemic, Mina was a yoga instructor at a local studio. When the studio closed, she organized free yoga classes via video conferences, which used donations to stay afloat. In addition, she attempted to receive federal Coronavirus relief via the CARES Act, but her attempts to receive it have been unsuccessful thus far. “After March 12 (the day the studio closed), I had no stable source of income. I was really trying, but it was difficult to get by even then” Simone said in an interview. 

After the car accident, Simone’s GoFundMe page was given attention by her friends and family, as well as organizations such as Pelham United.  Simone said, “I had worked with (Pelham United) before, as I did the closing meditation at one of their events. I’m really glad they could help support me.” 

With more assistance coming in, Simone is grateful for the help. “I just feel so blessed and honored to have people I didn’t even know pour in all this support. I try to work really hard for the community and I’m really glad that the community can come back for me,” she said. 

Mina Simone’s GoFundMe page can be accessed here.