Rosenda's Gift is a nonprofit dedicated to honoring loved ones and supporting grieving families. Rosenda's Gift was founded to create a legacy for Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley (Rose), who died in 2024 at 14 years old after being struck by a drunk driver. The organization aims to provide solace to families experiencing the death of a loved one by creating meaningful, permanent memorials and lasting tributes to celebrate their memory and provide a space for all those in mourning. Rosenda's Gift facilitates the creation of memorial benches, plaques, commemorative bricks, and other enduring memorials to honor and remember those who have passed too soon. The charity creates places of reflection, emotional restoration, and shared remembrance, helping individuals and communities navigate grief, reduce isolation, and support mental well-being.

Memorial Day weekend of 2024 was supposed to be filled with warmth, laughter, and togetherness. Instead, it became the darkest moment of our lives. Our beloved daughter, Rosenda Smiley, was taken from us by a drunk driver, an unfathomable loss that shattered our world beyond repair. In the days that followed, the weight of grief was suffocating. Every moment was an unbearable reminder of what was stolen from us: Rose’s laughter, her kindness, her boundless love for life. The agony, the despair, and the pain were inescapable. But even in the depths of sorrow, we knew that Rose’s story could not end here. She deserved to be remembered, not just in our hearts, but in the world around us.

From this grief, Rose’s Legacy was born.

We began with one goal: to create a permanent memorial for Rose, a place where her name would be spoken and her spirit honored. When I approached Jasmine Glover about placing a plaque at the San Bernardino Animal Shelter in Rose’s memory, she suggested something more, a metal bench. That single idea ignited what has now become a lifelong mission to preserve Rose’s legacy and create meaningful change in her name.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of family, friends, colleagues, local businesses, and charitable community members, we accomplished our first goal: funding the memorial bench at the animal shelter. That first success fueled our determination. We realized that Rose deserved not just one memorial, but many; she deserved to be remembered for as long as she would have lived, for at least 70 more years.

Today, we are striving to achieve our larger vision. Through patience and determination, we have crafted a lasting tribute to Rose, ensuring that her name is spoken, her love is felt, and her impact is seen. We have placed 13 memorial benches, funded 21 commemorative bricks, 10 plaques, an engraving in Newport Beach (where she was taken from us), a seat at a performing arts center, and two gardens being planted in her honor. Rose’s memory now lives on in every bumper sticker, magnet, lanyard, wristband, and pin worn by those who loved her. Each of these tributes represents a promise: that Rose’s life was meaningful, that her story will not be forgotten, and that her name will continue to inspire kindness and change.

The pain of losing Rose is omnipresent. It is overwhelming. It is something no family should ever have to endure. While nothing can ever heal the wound of her absence, focusing on her legacy gives us purpose. Through our efforts, we are not only remembering Rose but also working to ensure that no other family experiences this heartbreak. Every donation, every act of kindness, every effort to honor Rose is a step toward a world where such tragedies become less frequent. Drunk driving reform and improved street safety are achievable goals. 

To everyone who has contributed, whether through time, care, concern, love, or financial support, thank you. Your generosity has allowed us to honor Rose in ways we never imagined possible. The impact of your kindness extends beyond our grief; it transforms tragedy into a movement of love, remembrance, healing, and change.

We are excited about the many ways we will continue to honor our beloved Rose and help others in the process. This is only the beginning. Rose’s story is not over; it is being written in every memorial, every shared memory, and every effort to make the world a better place. To honor our beloved Rose, we will turn our suffering into purpose, advancing mental, emotional, and psychological well-being for individuals and families navigating loss. 

With deepest gratitude,
Dr. Fillmore Lewis Smiley IV
Founder, Rosenda’s Gift