“I had pledged to visit Claude [my husband] in prison with the kids every couple of months, a daunting challenge given our financial circumstances…. When [a fellow activist] first told me about the Rosenberg Fund, I couldn’t believe that a resource existed that would help the children of radical activists like us. Now, [our activist friend’s child and our own] were able to receive assistance with visits to [their] parents in prison as well as money for summer camp which we couldn’t otherwise afford…” —Excerpt from “Arm the Spirit—A Woman’s Journey Underground and Back” by Diana Block

“I am writing to tell you how grateful I am for giving me the opportunity to attend [a performing arts camp] this summer. It has helped me gain friendships, sharpen my artistic skills, and it has been extremely fun. This summer will be the third time that I have had the privilege to attend [the camp] and it would have never been possible without your help.” —Son of targeted peace activists
 

“Gina,” (performing, left) the daughter of a journalist fired and blacklisted for expressing left-wing views and covering controversial topics, first began receiving support from the RFC in 2004 when she was a teenager interested in the circus arts. Her hometown had a world-class (and progressive) circus program, committed to giving every child “the opportunity to grow and be challenged” and creating an environment “in which boys and girls work and train side-by-side as equals, learning together the values of discipline and hard work.” RFC grants have supported her circus classes for the past six years. Now 20, Gina is using a Carry It Forward award to help defray the costs of her internship with a trapeze troupe.

"My daughter’s mom [a target of the Green Scare] was incarcerated two years ago and faces over 20 years in prison. My daughter was followed regularly by the FBI, and had guns pulled on her by federal officials twice in the course of her mother’s arrest and the events leading up to it. The RFC has allowed her to visit with her mom much more than she would have been able to otherwise. As difficult as this has all been for my daughter, the RFC has been a huge comfort.”  —Father of a beneficiary

In 2005, the RFC began assisting “Arnold,” the son of a COINTELPRO target who has been in exile in Africa for the past 25 years. Arnold came to the U.S. for better educational opportunities and was living with his cousin, but was placed in a Children’s Home when his cousin was deployed overseas.

Arnold’s U.S. guardian recently updated us on his progress: “[He] has surmounted the challenges of language, culture, and separation from his parents during his delicate teenage years. He will graduate from high school in May 2011. While he has made significant process over the last four years, I am concerned that he may not have advanced enough to get into college or be able to do college level work if and when he is admitted. This is not because of a lack of effort. In response to these concerns, I have arranged for him to increase his tutoring to twice a week in addition to the tutoring he gets from a [local university] student. The RFC grant [is] a tremendous help in that effort.”