Final Push to Get Anya Across the Finishline
Donation protected
Hi everyone! My name is Anya and I am a queer, Black, femme 5th year student at LMU. I am inches away from graduation and in a really precarious position. I am facing eviction, the store that I work at is closing on April 25th, my mom’s teaching contract is not being renewed at the end of the academic year, and I had a stress induced seizure during a class and was rushed to the hospital a few days ago.
I simply cannot afford to be in school past this semester, so I am currently in 17 units..which is far more than I a can manage. I am working 22-24 hours a week at my off campus job as well. Not only is this schedule overwhelming, but the circumstances around this have made surviving even more challenging. For starters, I have been unable to secure my housing since the end of my lease in October. Moving has not felt like an option as I know that that would destabilize me to the point of not being able to finish school. Uprooting has been an experience throughout my life, and this kind of shift is not possible without stopping school. I did spend a few months looking for roommates but was unsuccessful.
I was already navigating pretty high levels of anxiety prior to the pandemic; this anxiety has only intensified and is sometimes all consuming in ways that make basic functioning feel impossible. I am currently responsible for all household expenses (utilities and rent), transportation costs to and from school and work, basic living expenses like medication, and basic living expenses for my cat. I am luckily already on SNAP, so food is not an issue.
Over the past two weeks things have truly come to a head. I was thankfully approved for two months of state rental assistance, but considering that I applied in October, my and my mom’s savings have been depleted and cannot be applied to current rent. My mom is unable to financially support me anymore as her resources have been exhausted. She is a single parent on a teacher’s salary.
As I said, the store that I currently work at will be closing April 25th because of rent hikes, so my income will be changing rather soon. I was offered a position in Teach For America New York, but have now decided that deferring is the best option as I cannot emotionally or financially afford to move across country at this point in time. Unfortunately, my mom has also been informed that her teaching contract will not be renewed at the end of this academic year, so she is also looking for employment.
This is all to say that I need help and don’t know where to turn at this point. I’ve tried to keep it together for so long but am now facing eviction as April rent is not paid and I am no longer protected by COVID-19 renters protections. To make matters more complicated, I had a seizure during my class on Tuesday and was rushed to the hospital. The seizure was presumably brought on by stress as my tests all came back normal. I have no idea what that expense will be but I know that it will be added to the mountain. I don’t know what to do and I do not know where to turn. I’m honestly really scared and I feel like I am free falling.
Right now I primarily need help with paying off rent so that I do not lose my housing. I plan to move into a more affordable place with roommates after graduation, so I just need one last push over the line. This semester has been in so many ways terrifying because my future feels like its being blockaded by hurdles that I feel unequipped to contend with. Any support is endlessly appreciated. If there are any other resources that I should look into, please let me know.
With endless gratitude,
Anya
I simply cannot afford to be in school past this semester, so I am currently in 17 units..which is far more than I a can manage. I am working 22-24 hours a week at my off campus job as well. Not only is this schedule overwhelming, but the circumstances around this have made surviving even more challenging. For starters, I have been unable to secure my housing since the end of my lease in October. Moving has not felt like an option as I know that that would destabilize me to the point of not being able to finish school. Uprooting has been an experience throughout my life, and this kind of shift is not possible without stopping school. I did spend a few months looking for roommates but was unsuccessful.
I was already navigating pretty high levels of anxiety prior to the pandemic; this anxiety has only intensified and is sometimes all consuming in ways that make basic functioning feel impossible. I am currently responsible for all household expenses (utilities and rent), transportation costs to and from school and work, basic living expenses like medication, and basic living expenses for my cat. I am luckily already on SNAP, so food is not an issue.
Over the past two weeks things have truly come to a head. I was thankfully approved for two months of state rental assistance, but considering that I applied in October, my and my mom’s savings have been depleted and cannot be applied to current rent. My mom is unable to financially support me anymore as her resources have been exhausted. She is a single parent on a teacher’s salary.
As I said, the store that I currently work at will be closing April 25th because of rent hikes, so my income will be changing rather soon. I was offered a position in Teach For America New York, but have now decided that deferring is the best option as I cannot emotionally or financially afford to move across country at this point in time. Unfortunately, my mom has also been informed that her teaching contract will not be renewed at the end of this academic year, so she is also looking for employment.
This is all to say that I need help and don’t know where to turn at this point. I’ve tried to keep it together for so long but am now facing eviction as April rent is not paid and I am no longer protected by COVID-19 renters protections. To make matters more complicated, I had a seizure during my class on Tuesday and was rushed to the hospital. The seizure was presumably brought on by stress as my tests all came back normal. I have no idea what that expense will be but I know that it will be added to the mountain. I don’t know what to do and I do not know where to turn. I’m honestly really scared and I feel like I am free falling.
Right now I primarily need help with paying off rent so that I do not lose my housing. I plan to move into a more affordable place with roommates after graduation, so I just need one last push over the line. This semester has been in so many ways terrifying because my future feels like its being blockaded by hurdles that I feel unequipped to contend with. Any support is endlessly appreciated. If there are any other resources that I should look into, please let me know.
With endless gratitude,
Anya
Organizer
Anya Michele
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA