<div>My name is Malcolm. I am 35 years old, a U.S. Army veteran, Black,
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<div>and non-binary. I deployed to Kuwait. I came home carrying wounds
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<div>that don't show up on the outside — PTSD from Military Sexual Trauma,
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<div>chronic spinal injuries, sleep apnea, migraines, depression, nerve
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<div>damage, and more. The VA has confirmed many of these conditions. A
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<div>formal disability claim with multiple service-connected conditions is
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<div>currently being reviewed and awaiting a decision.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>I am not here asking for sympathy. I am here because I am in a
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<div>genuine crisis that no person ( veteran or not ) should ever have to
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<div>face alone. And I need help getting through the next few months until
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<div>my VA compensation is in place.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>Here is my reality right now:
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<div><br />
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<div>Since November 2025, I have had zero income. My SNAP and cash
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<div>assistance benefits were suspended, and the process to restore them
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<div>has been slow and complicated by my disabilities. My bank account is
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<div>in the negative. I have been unable to afford basic hygiene items —
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<div>toothpaste, soap, deodorant — since at least December 2025. I cannot
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<div>afford to do laundry. I cannot afford the distilled water that my
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<div>VA-issued medical equipment (a CPAP machine and nasal rinse device)
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<div>requires to function. These are not luxuries. These are medical
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<div>necessities that were prescribed to me by the VA.
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<div><br />
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<div>My internet ( Starry Internet ) is scheduled to be shut off on
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<div>March 18, 2026, unless I can pay a $60 balance. I know $60 sounds
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<div>small. But when you have zero dollars, $60 might as well be $6,000.
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<div>And losing that internet is not just an inconvenience. It is my only
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<div>reliable way to communicate with the VA for telehealth appointments,
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<div>to work with my VSO on my disability claim, to coordinate with legal
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<div>advocates, and to access housing services. I have no car. I live in
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<div>Far Rockaway, Queens; one of the most isolated parts of New York
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<div>City, where food is expensive and services are far away. My phone
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<div>carrier only allows 2GB of data per month. Without internet, I am
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<div>effectively cut off from everything I need to survive.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>I feel like I have to say this: I am not lazy. I am not asking for
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<div>handouts because it's easy. I have spent years documenting, calling,
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<div>emailing, and advocating for myself through one of the most complex
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<div>bureaucratic systems in the country. I have done this while managing
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<div>PTSD, chronic pain, executive dysfunction, and the kind of invisible
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<div>illness that people dismiss because they can't see it on my body. I
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<div>am 35. I am not missing a limb, and I know some people think that
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<div>means I should "just get a job." What those people don't see are the
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<div>days I cannot get out of bed, the migraines that steal full days,
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<div>the nerve pain that makes basic tasks nearly impossible, and the
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<div>psychological weight of fighting a system that was supposed to protect
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<div>me ( for years ) while barely surviving.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>I have tried every formal channel available to me. I have contacted
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<div>city agencies, state agencies, veteran service organizations, and
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<div>legal aid offices. Many are doing their best. Many are overwhelmed.
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<div>And all of it moves slowly, far too slowly for an internet shutoff
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<div>on March 18 or a bank account that needs to stay open so my VA back
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<div>pay has somewhere to land when my claim is approved.
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<div><br />
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<div>This is what I need your help with:
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<div><br />
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<div>— Keeping my internet on so I can manage my care and my claim
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<div>— Bringing my bank account out of the negative so VA compensation
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<div>has somewhere to deposit
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<div>— Covering 2–3 months of basic hygiene: toothpaste, soap, laundry
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<div>— Buying distilled water for my VA medical devices
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<div>— Supplementing food costs in a neighborhood where groceries are
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<div>significantly more expensive than elsewhere in NYC
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<div>— A small buffer for any administrative costs while I navigate
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<div>the legal and benefits process
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>Every single dollar matters. GoFundMe processes a small transaction
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<div>fee per donation (2.9% + $0.30), which means slightly less reaches
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<div>me — but every contribution still makes a real difference.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>I also want to say this clearly, for anyone who needs to hear it:
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<div><br />
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<div>This is what it looks like to be a veteran of color in America.
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<div>Not a parade. Not a "thank you for your service." A 35-year-old
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<div>person fighting alone — against illness, bureaucracy, poverty,
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<div>and silence — in the country they served. I'm not telling you this
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<div>to be political. I'm telling you this because I believe the truth
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<div>matters, and because if sharing my story helps one person understand
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<div>what our veterans actually face, then something good will have come
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<div>from all of this pain.
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<div><br />
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<div>I am still here. I am still fighting. I just need a little help
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<div>getting through right now.
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<div><br />
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<div>My CashApp is $techmagus and that goes through so much faster if you feel that would be easier for you, and still want to help.
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<div>Thank you for reading this. Thank you for anything you can give.
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<div>And if you cannot donate, sharing this page costs nothing and
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<div>means everything.
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<div><br />
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<div>With gratitude,
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<div>Malcolm
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<div>U.S. Army Veteran | Queens, New York
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<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Update: Amazon Wishlist for Survival Essentials
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<div><br />
</div>
<div>A few people have asked if there’s another way to help besides donating here, so I’ve created an Amazon wishlist with the specific items I need to stay alive and somewhat stable while I wait for my benefits to be approved:
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<div><br />
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<div>Amazon Wishlist: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/33PMA55LKDZCD?ref_=wl_share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/33PMA55LKDZCD?ref_=wl_share" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/33PMA55LKDZCD?ref_=wl_share</a></a>
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<div><br />
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<div>These are not luxury items. They are basics I haven’t been able to afford for months:
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<div>- Hygiene care for my skin and hair (African black soap, Meswak toothpaste, lotion, wipes, socks, underwear, towels).
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<div>- Supplies to manage disability‑related issues (waterproof mattress cover for incontinence, pillowcase and bonnet to protect my hair and skin, laundry detergent so I can finally wash my clothes and bedding).
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<div>- Simple shelf‑stable food so I can eat when I’m too sick or in too much pain to cook full meals.
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<div>- A few optional, disability‑aid items, like a small air fryer, to cook safely when I cannot stand at the stove for long due to chronic pain and PTSD.
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<div><br />
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<div>If you are only able to buy one item, that still makes a real difference. One bar of soap, one pack of underwear, one box of food, or one bottle of lotion is another day I can stay clean, fed, and a little safer in my body while the VA and housing systems slowly process my case.
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<div><br />
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<div>If you’d rather send something that isn’t on the list but you think would help a disabled Black veteran in this situation, I welcome that too. I am deeply grateful for any support—whether it is a share, a single item from the list, or a donation here on GoFundMe.
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Just $682 to go!
Make an impact.

Help a Disabled Black Veteran Survive a Crisis

Just $682$ to go! Make an impact.

Help a Disabled Black Veteran Survive a Crisis

Just $682 to go!
Make an impact.