Help Dan and His Cats Secure a Safe Home: The Final Push

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UPDATED

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My name is Zack and I'm here to ask for help in supporting my friend Dan. This is a photo of us together in 2005.

Dan is currently experiencing homelessness and is in need of immediate help. He has two cats (Beckett and Victor) as well as suffering from chronic pain from past workplace injuries and previous surgeries. Being both a cat-dad and disabled, it has been particularly challenging to find him a new place to call home. After losing his home in St. Louis, he drove to Wisconsin, then to Washington state, and Oregon, spending time in each area trying to establish a foothold in life. Dan has now found himself in my neck of the woods, southern California.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been completely smooth sailing here either. Dan interviewed for and was hired for one job only to have it taken away by the business owner for undisclosed reasons. Then he was hired by an agency that recruited him, to help other homeless people find housing, only to have the job offer rescinded because he didn't have a California drivers license or vehicle registration. Even with that he didn’t stop pushing forward to find a home him and the cats and job.

And you know what?

He got a job!

He’s started working in a field he loves, and with merit based pay. That means no paid training, but he’s excited by the potential the job has shortly after. Now that he has full time employment, the goal is to raise enough money to help Dan get into a studio apartment or single room for rent. He also needs to repair the damage that a cross country road trip has caused to his car; which includes a broken AC unit.

Dan is currently staying in motels at an average rate of $130 a night because of needed accessibility accommodations and pet costs. As one might guess, that is an incredible way to bleed all funds you had a chance to save. But with his cats, no working AC in his car, and a collection of disabilities including mobility issues requiring a cane, a motel or Airbnb is our only choice until we can find a more permanent solution. So while I'm asking for your financial donations, I'm also asking for more direct help if possible. If you have any connections to a room or apartment in southern California or the west coast in general, please do reach out.

We have tried the initial 211 options, but nothing so far has been able to help without life-threatening wait times. Dan is not physically capable of sleeping on the streets and I'm afraid that would be the end. We just need to get him in a safe place so he can start over. It all starts with your help.

I will be updating this GoFundMe daily to the best of my ability, and having Dan back me up occasionally until we reach our goal and get him into a new home.

Please donate or share.

Thank you.