Help Ari avoid eviction!

Hello! Thank you for checking out my flyer. My name is Ari Rivera and my partner and I are on the verge of losing our housing. I was recently working a full-time job canvassing for Benson and Stevens when I was abruptly and unfairly fired after getting assaulted at a Pride festival, costing my partner and I our $4,000+ monthly income.

Please, if nothing else, read my story and share it. It's bizarre and unreal, and yet it's the very reality we are contending with as we stare down the barrel of eviction and homelessness.

I live with my partner, who was also a former canvasser at the same place of employment. We are two disabled trans people of color who have been denied disability income many times. Despite my debilitating Tourette's syndrome and my partner's severe fibromyalgia. It is no exaggeration to say we are always exhausted, but we always find a way to persevere through the struggle.

On my third day of working for Kolehouse Strategies, I attended the Big Rapids Pride event. At that event, I was grabbed and kissed up on by an older cis woman at the Trap, Neuter, Release table. It was triggering and retraumaziting, even sickening to hear her say "I'm sorry, you're just so beautiful."

I took time to find a bathroom and collect myself. When I walked out, my boss, Stevan Linn, was waiting outside the door, accusing me of slacking to spend time with my partner. In fact, my partner was off the clock due to heat exhaustion. My boss had already dismissed the sexual harassment my partner experienced two days prior at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids. By the end of the day, my boss fired me for my "attitude and performance." I exceeded my goal for the day but he would not discuss it further, becoming hostile and threatening me.

I am extremely distraught. My partner lost their job a few days later after being unable to tolerate further abuse. We emailed Kolehouse Strategies with no response. We've emailed the Benson campaign, Stevens campaign, and Big Rapids Pride, waiting for a response. But we are in dire straits now. We lost over $1000 of weekly income and desperately looking for work, but it may not be enough.

I wanr you to know I am very active in and love my community. I'm proud to be a youth group facilitator at the Grand Rapids Pride Center, building supportive environments for children and teens. I love spending time with my friend and partner Cloud. Earlier this year I was honored to engage in part-time work as a behavior technician, especially because I'm neurodivergent and it's very empowering to work with autistic children who know what it's like to see and experience life through a similar lens.

As I wrestle with these financial fears, I lose sleep and suffer from panic attacks. It deteriorates my health. At work, I deal with transphobia. On the streets, I face racism, especially from the police. At home, I deal with an abusive housemate with mental health struggles.

I feel like I'm drowning. I'll do anything for a chance to breathe. It's okay if you don't have money. Could you help me by sharing my story? There are so many ways to help me get this across social media. Sharing your thoughts along with a link helps immensely! A flyer has been uploaded to this page that can be downloaded and attached to social media posts.

As a rapper and performer, I'm willing to do gigs for free. I recently performed at the Grand Rapids Pride Fest under the name Mamser and plan to perform at the Woodstock Benefit in Heritage Hill on October 4th. If you'd like me to perform at your event for free, feel free to reach out!

If you wanna support me emotionally, drop a comment on this GoFundMe page! I'm losing my mind these days, writing this up and feeling like no one is reading it, like it's pointless to air out my dirty laundry when other people have their own problems. I'm really trying not to let those thoughts control me; gimme me a shout out in a comment if you wanna help me remember I'm not alone.

Thank you for reading my story. Gimme a honk if you ever drive by me and you see me dancing on the sidewalk.

-Ari (they/she)

The fundraising goal is reflective of our living costs, including lease renewal, and lost wages from my firing. The fundraising goal may be lowered to reflect in-person donations received outside of GoFundMe. My partner and I are still looking for work and going to interviews. Many employers discriminate against applicants who are severely disabled and mask for their health.