From Curb to Cab: A Safe Van Home for Me & My Cat

$1,000 to raise

My name is Chrystian, and I’m an unhoused DACA recipient in Los Angeles doing my best to stay afloat while working as a liquor store cashier. I’m raising $2,000 to cover the down payment I need to secure a $10,000 vehicle loan so I can buy a van, turn it into a small mobile home and production workspace, and finally have a safe, stable place to live and work.

After years of tension, mistrust, and estrangement with my family, my mom’s passing made everything even more fragile. Even though she and I had our own issues, her presence still held the family together in some way. After she passed, my siblings became more sensitive to my attempts to speak up about things I felt were wrong, and instead of working through it, they chose to distance themselves. When I disagreed with them about legal matters involving my former landlord, they told me that if I took her to court, they would stop helping me—and they followed through. Even after the dispute was settled in my favor, they stopped speaking to me, and I found myself alone, without a safety net.

Because of the family estrangement and everything that happened, I also lost my good standing as a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. Losing DACA means I am no longer eligible for most government support, housing programs, or financial aid, and it has left me more exposed and at risk of immigration consequences, even though I have lived in the United States since I was a baby and had no say in coming here. Since 2023, I’ve been living on the street, doing my best to survive while holding a job as a cashier at a liquor store. That job has been a lifeline, but it’s also come with challenges like issues with sick pay, loss of wages, retaliation, and discrimination, all while trying to stay safe without stable shelter.

Despite all of this, I am determined to better my life and find stability. I have been conditionally approved for a vehicle loan and am working toward purchasing a van to convert into a small mobile home and production studio—a safe space where I can live, work on editing and music production, and rebuild my life. I am raising $2,000 to meet the required down payment so I can secure the $10,000 loan, purchase the van, and begin the basic conversion. The kindness of others—not my family—has helped me make it this far, and I am now reaching out for your support to help me start a new chapter toward safety, stability, and a life of service. Any support you can give—whether donating or sharing this fundraiser—means the world to me and helps me move toward a more hopeful future.