My name is Joseph. I live in Redwood City California. Because of the economic collapse brought on by the COVID pandemic, I ended up broke and homeless. From October 2020 until May 2021, I lived in a men's homeless shelter where I was a model resident. I mopped floors and cleaned bathrooms and followed the program. Friends of mine from Twitter were very generous during that time and I was able to save some money so that when I was placed in a low-income senior housing residence I was able to start a new life.


My Social Security Retirement benefit covers my rent here at the residence and pays for the storage of my things.  I do have an EBT card for food and my medical expenses--including dental and medications--are now covered by Medicare and MediCal (Care Advantage).  However I am still in need of funds for other living expenses.  I am in good health and am able to work, but ageism and being "over-qualified" for many jobs has been a serious obstacle to finding suitable employment. Furthermore, the PTSD brought on by the disruption in my live over the past two years has left me apprehensive about putting myself in a situation that may be excessively stressful.


As a deeply religious Catholic, I have given my life to God and the Church since I was a child. I have volunteered many hours of service to many causes and donated my talents or received inadequate compensation for my work. I thought people around me would lend me a hand when things got tough, but, unfortunately I have been marginalized and ignored by local Catholic communities.  If you can spare some funds while I seek out alternate sources of income, I would be most grateful. I am sure God will reward you for your generosity. Please be aware that GoFundMe.org deducts 9% from each donation and that the amount posted for each contribution does not completely reflect the amount that I receive. More information about my background and my plans and dreams are available on this website: <a href="http://OurLadyOfRefugeMonastery.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OurLadyOfRefugeMonastery.org</a>  


I promise to keep each of you and all those whom you love in my prayers!

Ben Kaiser

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Recovering from homelessness

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