Hi, my name is Lai and I’m fundraising for my friend Shai.

Shai has had to rebuild their life more times than anyone should. They grew up in a rough environment, went through active addiction, fought their way out, and have been clean for years. They’re back in school, double majoring in chemistry and biology, which is not exactly the “take it easy” track. On top of that, they’re neurodivergent and non-binary, trying to navigate school, work, and housing in systems that aren’t really designed with them in mind.

They also already did the terrifying thing once: they left an unsafe relationship and moved states to get away. The house they’re in now was supposed to be the safe landing after that. It was meant to be the “finally, I can breathe” chapter. It turned out not to be that. For safety and privacy I’m not putting all the details here, but the short version is: the current situation is not safe or sustainable, and they’ve been told they need to be out by the end of March. That’s a hard deadline. There is no extension waiting in the wings.

Right now, the only fallback technically available is going back to an ex in another state who was not safe for them. That would mean walking straight back into an environment that hurts them, purely because they don’t have the money or options to do anything else. They already did the work to get out once. Being forced back would be brutal.

So we’re trying to make a third option real.

Shai has already started applying for jobs where I live. They’re not coming here empty handed. They have experience:

There are real leads here, and worst case, they can work as a substitute teacher while something more permanent lines up. They are not afraid of work. What they don’t have is the lump of cash it takes to move across states with a dog and get into an apartment on a tight timeline. What the do have here is a support system that is ready and willing to do what we can to make sure they're successful.

The plan looks like this:

Once they’re here and working, they can take it from there. This fundraiser is about getting them and their dog out before the end of March and giving them enough to actually land instead of crash. We’re not trying to set them up in some fancy, curated space. We’re talking bare-bones, thrift-store, “this keeps me off the floor and lets me cook” level.

What the funds will go toward

Exact numbers will depend on the apartment and what we can find secondhand, but roughly:

Every dollar goes toward getting Shai and their dog physically out of an unsafe living situation, into a stable apartment near me, and keeping them afloat just long enough for the job side to click into place. If we end up over the goal, anything extra will stretch that buffer for rent and essentials while they fully settle.

Shai is not just “someone in need” on a screen to me. They’re my friend. They’re smart as hell, grinding through a brutal double major. They’re neurodivergent and non-binary in a world that isn’t exactly gentle about either of those things, and they’re still trying. They’re good with kids, good with people, and good at the kind of work that keeps communities running. They’ve fought their way out of a lot and stayed sober and kept going anyway.

They deserve a home that is actually safe. They deserve not to be forced back into a harmful situation because the calendar hit the end of March and the money wasn’t there.

If you can help get Shai and their dog here and give them the chance to start over somewhere safe, thank you. If you can’t donate, sharing this still helps more than you know.

Thank you for reading and for helping give my friend a real way out and a shot at actual stability.

Also: The cover picture is the dog tax of their dog, Willow, who is their ESA.