Update:

Hello there! First off I want to thank everyone who has donated so far! I'm proud to report that I've been able to acquire a vehicle and am working a few hours a week.

Getting a car was one of the biggest hurdles I've faced to date. Now 'm trying to save up for the car insurance as well as dealing with a new setback.

Recently my tent was bulldozed by the town. In there were irreplaceable sentimental items, journals, tools, camping cot, blankets, jackets, and most of my clothing.

The biggest thing I'm trying/needing to replace is the clothing. Now I can sleep in my car so the tent and cot are not the end of the world. For obvious reasons the sentimental items can't be replaced at all. This leaves me to the clothing.

Trying to rebuild my wardrobe for work and getting a second job while also trying to scrounge car insurance money together is my newest goal.

Anything you can do to assist in this endeavor will continue to mean the world to me. If you've already donated in the past then reposting this GoFundMe or sharing with friends would be tremendous help.

Thank you all so much for everything that's been done and continuing to be a part of this journey I've been tested with.

Much love!

Original Posting:

Having never done one of these before I guess I'll start in the beginning...

My name is Todd Wood. I'm a multi-medium artist (painting, wood burning, leather working, glass etching, screen printing, prop and costume fabrication, and much more), fire spinner, LARPer, festival burner, hiker, photographer, hippie-soul with a degree in Clinical Psychology.

I've been unhoused for about three years. What led to this is a series of events worthy of Lemony Snicket.

I have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I . This is something I have battled with for fifteen years now. Personally I find it difficult to explain what it is like to suffer with this mental illness, so I found a description on heathline.com that attempts to bullet point its general description and symptoms as if you were having a conversation with someone trying to understand it:

Mania: “When you experience happiness, it feels great! But during a manic episode, my happiness can shift to euphoria, irritation, and agitation, leading to risky behaviors. I may even have psychotic symptoms with hallucinations and delusions. Mania is way too much of a good thing.”

Depression: “On the other pole, my depression is an amplification of the sadness everyone experiences. It can make me feel like I’m stuck in a hole that’s too big to crawl out of, to the point where I’m no longer able to function. Even the simplest of tasks seem pointless and insurmountable.”

General symptoms: “The extreme highs and lows can last for days or even weeks at a time. They are more than just moodiness — I also experience severe changes in energy, activity, and sleep. Both mania and depression can be much harder to get out of when left untreated, so I need to follow the recommendations of my doctor.”

The very last sentence, "Both mania and depression can be much harder to get out of when left untreated, so I need to follow the recommendations of my doctor.”, has been a part of my life for about six years now. Through a combination of weekly therapy, monthly psychiatric appointments, weekly social worker meetings, and eleven different medications daily I have tried to minimize my fluctuations (referred to as “rubber banding”) and symptoms. Unfortunately due to its nature there is no such thing as a “cure” for Bipolar Disorder.

Despite all of this I had been working my dream job for almost a decade.

I worked full time for a LARP company in the roles of Director, Lead Writer, Event Coordinator, as well as Lead Instructor for our STEM-based learning after school programs. I had the privilege of working with students who were 7 to 17 years old, literally growing up involved with the program; often the teens would go on to be CITs and volunteers with our program's camps. This job was perfect for my diagnosis as it afforded me a variety of tasks and responsibilities that offered creative outlets for my mental health. I adored my students and held immense pride in my work.

During this I had a girlfriend of twelve years that I was living with. Unfortunately our relationship dissolved due to the sad reality of us growing apart in life. For me it came out of nowhere though and I found myself without a roof over my head as she and I were living together. Heartbroken, I lived in my Jeep and continued my routine of going to work and convincing myself everything was going to be fine.

After a period of time my boss pulled me into a meeting to discuss my living situation. He told me that he didn't "like the optics of having a homeless person working for my company." He went on to explain that it would look bad that he wasn't paying me a living wage and that I needed to get my life together and wished me well on my path forward as he fired me. Fired for being homeless. While there is a lot more to this segment of the story about things he said and did this is not the time or place. Rest assured though it was not an amicable experience. Not only did I lose a job but I lost my chosen family, my tribe, my community.

All of this being said it now comes to the fact that my car was still being paid for. Unfortunately my savings only allowed me to continue car payments for another 6 months paired with gas (running the car at night to maintain heat), non-perishable foods, and car insurance. Those were the biggest drains on my finances. The toll on my mental health was catastrophic. I had been admitted to the hospital many times during this life trial as I was being influenced by my mental health. I wanted so badly to be working but could not find a line of employment that fit with my bipolar disorder.

Now we are at the point where I am living in a tent and have been for a couple of years after my Jeep was lost.

I'm tired of it. I want to reclaim my life, my independence, my destiny. I know I have value just as everyone deserves to feel their own importance in life. I even have a business plan written up on starting my own LARP company as my former students, their parents, and school clients have stated to me directly they would follow me if I had an LLC who began once more the work that brought me such joy in life.

I set a goal. I have no idea what to expect, if anything. Here are things that I would like and would do with any donations that I may receive:

If I were to meet those goals then here is a partial list of what would love to do beyond that:

Having never done one of these I'm not sure if there's anything else I should write. I feel like I've already asked a lot of you if you've even read this far. If nothing else I thank you for your time in hanging with me to this point.

Anything you can do to help will be appreciated beyond words. If you can't help at this time then please share this GoFundMe for some more visibility. Those who have helped me in my time of need I adore you and you've shown me that there is still empathy and kindness in this world.

I love you all.