Banjo Steven needs a Van

“Ashland locals, i am putting together a fundraiser for Banjo Steven, you know the guy who plays the banjo at the farmers markets and in front of the Co-Op. He has been homeless for months now and is in bad shape these days. He is living in a broke down car in one of the church parking lots here in Ashland. Its breaks my heart to see a sweet man in this situation. I am asking for us as a community to step up and help this man out. It is hard to care properly for oneself without a home and honestly I think that he might not last through the winter if he doesn’t get proper shelter or at the very least a van he can hunker down in. So I am hoping by putting this fundraiser together we can all pitch in and get him a van. Thank you and Many blessings”
Facebook fundraiser for Banjo Steven

Our hero, Christal Sharp. Without your caring nature and effort none of this would have been possible. I’m forever indebted to you for these acts of kindness and concern. The Ashland community is very fortunate to have you as a member.

This was first email sent to my Facebook friend Lynnea Forderer who lives in Ashland, Oregon in July, 2018. I had not heard from my brother since January.

“ Dear Lynnea, My brother Steven Kaucher is a resident of Ashland. He’s kind of a well known character around town. He usually can be seen performing at Farmers Markets, coffee shops and restaurants. A talented singer and musician. He’s 70 years old but looks much younger. A practicing Hindu and vegetarian, enjoys yoga. He’s very intelligent but not tech oriented. He moved from his apt. where he had a landline telephone and I would call him a few times per month. I have not heard from him since January. If you have ever encountered him or know of anyone that has, I would like to have him contact me. I had the Ashland PD contact the apt landlord and found that he was well and had moved leaving no forwarding address. Thank you.”

After Lynnea emailed me about Christal’s Fundraiser and I learned it was Steven, I contacted Christal and explained he was my brother and was happy that someone cared enough to help him, this was her reply.

“Hi Terrell My name is Christal Sharp I live here in Ashland and am a friend of your brothers, I just wanted to reach out to you as a mutual friend said you were wondering about him. I really want to share with you that he is not well and needs help. My husband and I ran into him yesterday downtown and he is in desperate need of new clean clothes, he had blood all over his pants in the groin area, I am very concerned about him. I started a fundraiser to help him get a van. But hopefully he can get into a stable housing situation soon, it gets bloody cold here in the winter. if you have any suggestions or would like to help please feel free to contact me.”

She told me that the next day she would find him and let him use her phone to call me. She then learned that he had been taken to the hospital that night and was admitted to ICU. Not being a relative they couldn’t  release much information. She informed me of this and early the next morning I contacted the hospital. I talked with him and he said he was going to be okay in time. He has to have a surgery after the infection is treated.

Christal then informed me she went to see Steven in the hospital that day, he was having some serious health complications and was still in ICU but is stable now and may be there for a bit. He then will need a safe warm place with running water and electricity while he heals. We are looking into buying a minibus for him to move into once he is fully recovered.

“Hey you guys we did it! I am beyond amazed and super blessed by this whole experience. To see everyone helping out, putting in what they can, saying the sweetest things, I mean Wow my faith has been restored in humanity. Huge thanks to friends near and far. We are so grateful to each and everyone of you.

I’ve found a nice van he could live in.”

I’m calling all of this a “fortuitous happenstance”. It could be called coincidence, divine intervention or the Lord’s way. My brother who’s not connected in any way to modern technology had just disappeared from my life.

Love You Brother,

Terrell