Help Brian with Urgent Unexpected Move
I have never been one to really ask for help. Those of you who know me will know me as the helper, as the one who looks to lift others up with no expectation of reciprocity. I have struggled to maintain a positive outlook since the start of the Covid pandemic, and with my current circumstances, being positive is a challenge. It is difficult for me to put this out there, but now I am in need of your support.
Many of you know that I relocated to Baltimore, Maryland from Reno, Nevada with my friends back in February. Since my arrival in Baltimore, I have continued to pay them monthly to live with them, but circumstances have very recently changed, and I am no longer able to stay with them beyond the next few months. I need to find a place to live in relatively short order (read: as soon as possible, urgently).
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was laid off from my well-paying job, and since, have been working retail at a much lower pay rate, leveraging my savings to offset the lost revenue from wages to make up the difference. The pandemic, coupled with my move across country, has exhausted my savings and I’m living paycheck to paycheck at the moment, and while I’m able to cover all my base expenses, I have no money left to cover the costs of another unexpected move. I have been looking for better paying jobs in my wheelhouse since I was laid off over a year ago, but because the market is saturated with people looking for work, finding a job in my field paying that to which I am accustomed has been extremely challenging. Even securing a part-time job has been a nightmare.
Because of my HIV status, I do qualify for assistance through Ryan White, a federally funded government program designed to provide support for people like me living with HIV. At issue, however, is that there is a significant waiting list in the Baltimore area, and I cannot be guaranteed assistance as soon as I need it. I have reached out to my case manager, and they are working to help me, but given the circumstances and my health status, I cannot afford to gamble with housing, and so I am coming to you to ask for your help.
Because I have a job and a steady income, I can pay rent, and can continue to cover my monthly expenses. What I cannot do, however, is afford application fees, first and last months rent, security deposits, and establishing utilities. To put this in perspective, I’d have to live out of my car for at least four months just to save enough to cover these costs, and that’s not safe or good for my mental health and well being. If I am unable to raise the money soon, then I’m afraid that will be the only real option I have left at my disposal. That’s why I am coming to you to ask for your help.
If you feel so inclined, I humbly ask you to consider donating. My mental health has been taking hits ever since the pandemic started, and finding stable housing would be a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Anything you’re able to contribute helps.
