An 8 years old girl, Rebekka Hólm Halldórsdóttir donated ISK 100.000 (USD 811, EUR 616) to the Loftur Gunnarsson Relief Fund, a relief fund established to honor the memory of the late Loftur Gunnarsson, who passed away last year. He was a prominent member of Reykjavík’s homeless community, and the fund was founded by his mother, Þórunn Brandsdóttir, Alma Rut Lindudóttir, Hrafnhildur Jóhannesdóttir, Ásrún Björk Gísladóttir and Tinna Óðinsdóttir.
Representatives from the City of Reykjavík attended the event. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
All women are members of the relief fund’s board as well as Loftur’s siblings, Ellen Ágústa Björnsdóttir, Brandur Gunnarsson and Kolbrún Petrea Gunnarsdóttir, ruv.is reports.
The purpose of the fund is to improve the conditions of homeless people in Reykjavík, and make sure their human rights are safeguarded by the letter of the law and honored by local officials.
The eight-year old Rebekka started the collection when a homeless man gave her a flower out of the blue outside a local supermarket.
The money she raised is used to buy beds. In addition, she gave the fund a total of 20 bed sheets for the new beds, and fifty backpacks stuffed with necessities for the homeless.
She raised a total of ISK 300.000 (USD 2.434, EUR 1.848) from individuals and in forms of donation from larger companies such a Hagkaup, Penninn, Rúmfatalagerinn and Krónan.
The Loftur Gunnarsson Relief Fund’s first generous donation since was given to the Þingholtstræti homeless shelter in Reykjavík, to which they donated 20 new beds with bedsheets, pillows and duvets worth a total of ISK 1,5 million (USD 12.171, EUR 9.240).
The Loftur Gunnarsson Relief Fund has been the recipient of generous donations from various other individuals and companies.
Frosti Logason and Þorkell Máni, radio DJs at FM X-977 have sponsored the fund by hosting concerts and donating the profits to the fund.
Helga Hafsteinsdóttir, a good friend of Loftur, raised money by shaving her hair entirely for donations. Her contribution was ISK 100.000 (USD 811, EUR 616).
Jón Sæmundur at Dead, a local artist, sold handmade t-shirts with a picture of Loftur and donated the profits to the fund.
JB
