Help Cindy rent a place after losing her home of 23 years

Hi, all.

I rarely ask for help, but a situation has arisen where I feel absolutely compelled to.

And it's not for me, it's for a friend of mine, Cindy.

Cindy is one of the kindest, smartest, coolest women I know. If you know her, too, you'll agree, wholeheartedly. She knows everything about counter culture, art, film, and music. The depth of her knowledge of Portland - especially old Portland - is astounding. These things make for excellent conversation, and she'd be a treasure of a human being for these reasons, alone. However, she also happens to be the warmest and most compassionate person as well, someone who treats everyone with thoughtfulness and respect.

Cindy recently lost her home in the Hillsdale neighborhood of SW Portland. Specifically, she lost her home to grief. Philip, the love of her life, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and for the duration of his passing Cindy continued to make payments to a mortgage company that had sold her loan. This unscrupulous practice was untenable, and when Philip passed, their beloved home went into foreclosure...and Cindy wasn't even aware of it until the new owner showed up on her doorstep, demanding access. If this sounds terrifying to you, just imagine dealing with it as a newly grieving widow. It's absolutely unfathomable, and I'm disgusted and horrified that this is the unfair state of the world we're living in - that a woman in her 70s can be so easily displaced after a lifetime of "doing everything right". Cindy is on the cusp of houselessness, after enduring the harrowing ordeal of Philip's decline and death.

Cindy also has a beloved cat, Tommy. I don't need to tell you the harsh reality of trying to keep a pet safe and protected while homeless on the streets. Cindy would likely need to give up Tommy, for his own good, despite him being her only comfort and solace as she grieves. As an animal lover, this is just unimaginable to me.

Now, I am determined to fundraise to get Cindy and Tommy enough money for a couple of months' rent with the hope that one of the many "safety nets" in Oregon can be deployed and save her from this awful situation. She needs enough to cover first and last month's rent, and, ideally, some extra to supplement for the coming months as we wade through the red tape of bureaucracy.

Believe it or not, Cindy is lucky. She has friends and neighbors in Hillsdale who have her back, helping her in any way they can. Many women in Cindy's situation do not. Ultimately, cold, hard cash is what is going to help the most. Sad, but true.

I want you to think about this situation, and how you'd feel if this was your mother, or your grandmother, facing houselessness. I want you to consider your good feelings about me, and translate that into a donation. If I've helped you in the past, please repay me in kind by helping Cindy and Tommy. I'm doing all I can, but we're gonna need a big community effort. I work with beautiful, kind people. I know we can do this.

If you can't throw $ towards this GFM, please share, share, share. Strangers can be compassionate, too, and we need all the help we can get. I cannot imagine a world where an older, grieving woman is left to fend for herself on the streets - even though I know it's becoming an increasing reality for MANY women. I need you to help me help this one person, a truly kind woman who asks for nothing, but deserves the basic safety and security of a roof over her head.

Thank you, and let's show what our community can do.

Chandra.