WASHINGTON — A fashion student in D.C. that went viral for helping a man experiencing homelessness says she cannot access the money raised to help him.
Sanai Graden started a GoFundMe on Jan. 31 that has to date raised more than $400,000, but GoFundMe has not released the funds to her yet, she says.
Graden met a man named Alonzo while vlogging a normal trip to the grocery store, and Alonzo asked if she would buy him some tea. She was moved by his story, and she shared a video of their encounter on her TikTok, @hustlanani.
Since then, the two have become friends and Graden said she's trying to help him find housing and food. She has continued to document their experiences togerher online. The community reacted to the first video by donating over $403,000. But Graden said she still hasn’t seen any of that money.
"At this time, GoFundMe has refused the make the funds available to Sani as the organizer to make the funds available to Alonzo for use,”Graden’s attorney, Na’il Benjamin, said on her behalf.
Benjamin said Graden has maxed out some of her credit cards while she continues to support Alonzo financially, because they haven't received the donated money as reimbursement. GoFundMe and Graden have been trying to come to an agreement for over a month now.
"As is our standard practice and outlined in GOFUNDME Terms of service, we temporarily hold funds raised so that they can be delivered to an intended beneficiary," GoFundMe told WUSA9 in response to our questions. "In those instances donations remain safely held by our payment processor partners."
Benjamin said this goes against the website's terms of service.
"Sani is an organizer, [and] the terms of service specify what the organizer is responsible for, and that the organizer making a commitment to use the funds consistent with the language in the campaign to donate,” Benjamin said. “She is supposed to have access to those funds, according to the terms of service."
Since initial reporting, and after the video went viral, it has been revealed that Alonzo has a criminal history. WUSA9 confirmed through court documents that he was charged in 2020 for aggravated assault, sexual abuse and robbery.
"That isn't a life sentence for how someone's supposed to live, for whether they should be denied basic human services and care," Benjamin said. "And what Sani has done is about basic human care."
WUSA9 asked the attorney if they feel like Alonzo's past may have anything to do with the funds being held.
"To me, it’s a part of the picture for sure,” Benjamin said. “If anything, that part may have come from some donors that were no longer as committed or interested or even comfortable being involved."
When WUSA9 asked whether Alonzo’s past had anything to do with the holdup, GoFundMe said it was not going to determine his merit. Rather, one of the main things the company has asked for is verification of Alonzo's identity.
"Sanai has actually takes steps to try to give him guidance on getting him an ID so that she can close out this GoFundMe, but this is a homeless gentleman and the things he needs to get an ID, apparently he doesn't have,” Benjamin said.
Both GoFundMe and Benjamin said if people want their money back, they can file a claim; GoFundMe says they will honor any refund request.
As of publication, there is still no agreement between the parties about when the money will be given to Graden, to distribute to Alonzo.
For now Graden continues to pay on her own, and just extended Alonzo's housing for him and brought him groceries.
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