I have a coworker who is struggling, for her privacy we will call her Ashley.

Ashley is 20 years old, and was living with her parents in an abusive and toxic family household. Last week, after another altercation, the final straw broke and she made the brave decision to leave the situation for her safety and well being.

She has been living out of her car for the last week or so, and I am letting her sleep on my couch for a couple nights.

I am starting this GoFundMe in order to try and raise some money for her for apartment deposits/first months rent, furniture, supplies, and anything else she may need to get to a stable point in order to help her, but also hopefully give her the opportunity to help the two remaining children who still live in the household.

My partner and I have booked her an extended stay hotel for the next week to give her some time to breathe, rest, regroup, and fill out applications/contact resources to assist in finding housing, stability, etc.

She has plans to one day go back to school and make a better path for herself than she would have had she remained in the family home.

Ashley is a hard worker, and is always smiling and has a positive outlook on life although she has faced much adversity. Her parents were both unemployed due to various reasons including mental health/chronic illness. Ashley from a young age had to step up for her family and siblings and take on the role of being the only I come in the household, providing not only for both parents but also a younger sister and brother, forcing her to drop out of high school. Growing up and during this time the family has been in and out of homelessness, living minute by minute, financially struggling, living out of motels, cars, really anything they could do.

Despite all of her effort to care for and support her family, she still faced daily verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from both parents.

She has plans on getting her GED when she is stabilized and I have been working with her to set goals and find GED programs in our area.

She is such a bright, warm, smart, kind young woman who deserves to have a stable living environment where she doesn’t have to fear for her safety. She was never given the opportunity to enjoy her young adult life and just be a kid, have fun, and live life by her own timeline.

Life has been really challenging for this sweet girl and she really needs support and community right now.

If you can’t donate financially in this challenging economy, but perhaps have some donations of kitchen wares, dishes, housewares, or anything else we can offer her, please feel free to contact me and I can arrange for pickup and storage of these items until she has a place for them.

Just a woman helping another young woman find her way.

-Caty Joy

thanks so much!