Inside one Palm Springs woman’s journey to reunite with her son, one can at a time

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – If you look around town, you might come across one woman searching for bottles and cans in the recycling bin.

Alisha Gerholdt's journey hasn't been an easy one. Despite being a cardiac patient since she was a toddler and undergoing several heart surgeries, her fight and determination hasn't wavered.

After her most recent open-heart surgery, she said changes to her health have changed her life for the worse. In the year since, she lost her home, belongings, financial stability, and independence – as well as her son, who she became separated with. She said because of her declining health, she could no longer provide a stable life for him, and she sent him to live with his father in Texas.

Now, she has created an initiative to reunite with him: "Recycle to Reunite."

It's a community-wide recycling campaign to raise money to purchase a used mobile home and move closer to her son in Texas.

On her GoFundMe page, she wrote the following:

"Every can collected, every bottle donated, every dollar contributed, and every person who shares this story helps bring me one step closer to home.

I am not asking for someone to fix my life. I am asking for an opportunity to rebuild it."

On the side, she's been using the money to purchase supplies for "blessing bags" – a program her church puts on to provide key hydration, snacks, and other essentials to the unhoused in Palm Springs. Elders at Our Saviors Church in Palm Springs called her actions inspiring.

Tonight, we're sharing Alisha's story with you. We're speaking with her about her recycling effort, as well as members of her church who see her hard work each week.

You can find her GoFundMe donation page by clicking here. It had raised $1,100 as of Wednesday, July 29th.

Stay with us for our full report.