Help Anthony Survive the Winter

My name is Nicole and I have known Anthony since I was 18, close to 15 years now. I met him when I was in one of the darkest parts of my life. I was struggling deeply with a complex chronic illness and deep poverty. During this time, he always showed up for me, full of jokes, positivity and silliness. My situation has changed now and I owe that to the help of friends, family, community and even strangers who continually showed up and made sure I survived.

 

Anthony deserves the same chance I got and that is why I am doing this fundraiser. He has faced hardship, violence, and ostrascization due to social stigma and oppression as someone who has survived violence, who is disabled and years in recovery from substance use disorder. He has worked incredibly hard and I have seen him continue to fight for not only his own survival, but for the people he cares about- not matter how bad things get.

 

Without help, my friend will die. He has severe diabetes, is currently in kidney failure, and without money to pay Nov & December rent, he will spend this winter outside. He will not survive this.

 

This fundrasier will help cover basic housing, healthcare, and food costs for two months to keep Anthony alive. During these two months, Anthony and I will be working with our community to help get him set up with resources that will allow greater financial independence. Unfotunately, social services are still heavily overburdened and understaffed due to Covid so we estimate it will be at least two months before we see movement on that end.

 

The monthly costs of living that we are trying to meet are:

 

Rent: $247

Monthly Charlie Card: $90

Insulin: $50.00

Dexcome Sensors: $75.00

State ID Renewal*: $55.00

Food: $200

*Necessary to get access to variou services and for employment

 

This amounts to $1428 for two months. The remaining $216 will be used as an emergency fund to cover unexpected fees and costs that are common when you are managing a deadly chronic illness.

 

If donating money is not something you can do or are comfortable doing, we are also looking for diabetes supplies (to offset the costs), winter clothing, and various other items. You can contact me through this platform to coordinate.