A Hand Back to Home.....
Donation protected
Before I say anything, I need to give thanks to everyone in my life as without all of your presence, I would not be me, my wife would not be my love, and our son, well he wouldn't be gifted the love that both Binney and I have experienced in our lives... As His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama replies when asked, "Who is the most imporatant person you have ever met?" His answer.... "Every human I meet." Binney, Lev, and I feel the same way.....
Since Nov. 2015, my family and I have been homeless. Homeless.
Homeless. It's a word that makes me think of Tompkins Square park under David Dinkins/Ed Koch. It's a word that makes me feel like if I hand this person a $5 bill his life will change. It's a word that I knew would never describe me, yet, here I am... Homeless.
How do I admit to the people I love and respect in my life, the very people I once bankrolled with education, travelling, businesses, and more... How do I expalin that I actually need help? My ego prevented me from asking for help initially, except from only a few select people.. Even then, I felt dirty, emabarrased, ashamed, and less than, as I asked for help for my family as I worked but could'nt afford the hotel we stayed in, and thus couldn't seem to save up enough for first, last, and security.. We did that for 5 months, and then when a more promising career option came along. It was back in Ithaca where Bin and I had previously lived and I had found such incrdible success. We packed up our room and headed to NY from Boston, and began to save for a place while living on a friend's property... We were close to finally starting over. Unfortunelaty, I got laid off after 4 months of work, and every penny we had went to hotel rooms, prescriptions, and making sure our son always had something exciting to do, learn from, enjoy, if only a benefactory illusion. That was June of 2016.
I have applied for every job I could in my field, 20+ outside of my field, as well as Govt assistance. What people don't realize, and I say this because I definitely did not know before this experience, is government programs for dispalced/in need families has been cut year after year, for decades, and thus my wife, son, and I, would have to wait for months for help with section 8. I have worked 4 weeks in 10, not because I havent tried, but because the work isn't there. Other times because my wife is sick (HIV+ and recently diagnosed with skin cancer-Squamous Cell Carcinome) I am forced to pass on work so I can make sure both she and our son have someone to help. The decision to not make money in lew of making sure Lev has his needs met as well as my wife's needs (sometimes preparing food, sometimes administering meds, talking to Dr's, or all of the above) is what is necessary. It's no decision, they always come first. ALWAYS...
So now here we are. We have lived in a tent for 3+ months outside our friend's barn loft apartment. We have a small $20 heater to keep us warm, though surprisingly it does a great job. We have lived in <80sq/ft. happily as a family, finding things for Lev to do like scavenger hunts, (we actually found something I never thought possible that I put on the original hunt-a fossil-amazing!!) hiking, swimming, and always learning at every turn..... However, it's getting cold. We need a place to live, winter clothes for all of us but definitely for our son, and any employment oppurtunities for me, a carpenter/fine woodworker so I can provide as well as repay/pay this gesture forward.
I just caught myself as I wrote this and thought, "How on Earth can you ask for anything like this?" I quickly made peace with it, as for Binney and Lev, I would do anything....
We are asking for help getting into a place along with a few months of time to insure I can find work, Lev gets settled in school, and Bin's health needs are stable. I feeel ashamed writing this.. I'm not sure of how much to write in the "goal amount" space, so we are simply putting $7500, because we dont know how to do this. I dont know how to do this. That should be enough to cover first, last, security, one month of rent breathing room, moving our few possessions to pour new place, and if possible, giving our son a few weeks of activities above and beyond school, as he has been so incredible and deserves anything we can afford to give....
Thank you for your time, your love, your friendship.....
Most of all, thank you for your grace.....
Eric, Binney, and Lev
Since Nov. 2015, my family and I have been homeless. Homeless.
Homeless. It's a word that makes me think of Tompkins Square park under David Dinkins/Ed Koch. It's a word that makes me feel like if I hand this person a $5 bill his life will change. It's a word that I knew would never describe me, yet, here I am... Homeless.
How do I admit to the people I love and respect in my life, the very people I once bankrolled with education, travelling, businesses, and more... How do I expalin that I actually need help? My ego prevented me from asking for help initially, except from only a few select people.. Even then, I felt dirty, emabarrased, ashamed, and less than, as I asked for help for my family as I worked but could'nt afford the hotel we stayed in, and thus couldn't seem to save up enough for first, last, and security.. We did that for 5 months, and then when a more promising career option came along. It was back in Ithaca where Bin and I had previously lived and I had found such incrdible success. We packed up our room and headed to NY from Boston, and began to save for a place while living on a friend's property... We were close to finally starting over. Unfortunelaty, I got laid off after 4 months of work, and every penny we had went to hotel rooms, prescriptions, and making sure our son always had something exciting to do, learn from, enjoy, if only a benefactory illusion. That was June of 2016.
I have applied for every job I could in my field, 20+ outside of my field, as well as Govt assistance. What people don't realize, and I say this because I definitely did not know before this experience, is government programs for dispalced/in need families has been cut year after year, for decades, and thus my wife, son, and I, would have to wait for months for help with section 8. I have worked 4 weeks in 10, not because I havent tried, but because the work isn't there. Other times because my wife is sick (HIV+ and recently diagnosed with skin cancer-Squamous Cell Carcinome) I am forced to pass on work so I can make sure both she and our son have someone to help. The decision to not make money in lew of making sure Lev has his needs met as well as my wife's needs (sometimes preparing food, sometimes administering meds, talking to Dr's, or all of the above) is what is necessary. It's no decision, they always come first. ALWAYS...
So now here we are. We have lived in a tent for 3+ months outside our friend's barn loft apartment. We have a small $20 heater to keep us warm, though surprisingly it does a great job. We have lived in <80sq/ft. happily as a family, finding things for Lev to do like scavenger hunts, (we actually found something I never thought possible that I put on the original hunt-a fossil-amazing!!) hiking, swimming, and always learning at every turn..... However, it's getting cold. We need a place to live, winter clothes for all of us but definitely for our son, and any employment oppurtunities for me, a carpenter/fine woodworker so I can provide as well as repay/pay this gesture forward.
I just caught myself as I wrote this and thought, "How on Earth can you ask for anything like this?" I quickly made peace with it, as for Binney and Lev, I would do anything....
We are asking for help getting into a place along with a few months of time to insure I can find work, Lev gets settled in school, and Bin's health needs are stable. I feeel ashamed writing this.. I'm not sure of how much to write in the "goal amount" space, so we are simply putting $7500, because we dont know how to do this. I dont know how to do this. That should be enough to cover first, last, security, one month of rent breathing room, moving our few possessions to pour new place, and if possible, giving our son a few weeks of activities above and beyond school, as he has been so incredible and deserves anything we can afford to give....
Thank you for your time, your love, your friendship.....
Most of all, thank you for your grace.....
Eric, Binney, and Lev
Organizer and beneficiary
Eric Sussman
Organizer
Ithaca, NY
Adam Abelson
Beneficiary