Help Sydney Recover

Hi! We are Bailey (she/her) and Di (they/them) and we are raising money to help our friend Sydney.

 

After being laid off from a social media management job where Sydney (they/she) was being paid less than minimum wage, Sydney decided to start their own business mere weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Excited by the lure of being her own boss and tired of being taken advantage of, Sydney opened up their business supporting survivors of abuse. As a survivor of sexual assault and intimate partner violence herself, Sydney knows how much this sort of trauma impacts survivors in all aspects of life, including financially. They have only ever offered sliding scale pricing and mutual aid scholarships for her clients to ensure accessibility, but this has prevented Sydney from making an income that covers their living expenses.

 

Sydney after one of the assaults. 

Additionally, Sydney’s abuser contacted them as they were working through the Title IX process to report the incident, this further triggered their trauma surrounding the abuse. On average, she spends about $2000 on therapy each year, not including other forms of care they require.

 

Sydney's abuser continued to try to contact her after the assault. 

In the online coaching field, where business coaches are infamously predatory, Sydney fell prey to financial manipulation. This landed them with $5000 of debt as they were talked into “investing” in their business, seeing little to no return on investment. Sydney was manipulated in ways that reflect that of intimate partner violence they endured prior, triggering their PTSD and making them more susceptible to sleazy marketing tactics. They have since stepped away from the online coaching world, shut down their business, and been outspoken about the realities of this field. She has been applying for full-time jobs in tech to support their financial independence and career growth.

 

During the past two years working this business, Sydney was unable to make a liveable income and thus, has been living with their parents. She is looking to move out and be on her own again, but they need our help immediately.

 

The funds we raise will would cover