Help Carnelian recover health and housing stability

Hello, my name is Carnelian and I’m a disabled, Black trans organiser and 1 half of the core team for Black Trans Foundation. I have worked as a community organiser in trans, disabled and POC communities for nearly 10 years. In 2022 I suffered such severe burn out that I totally lost my ability to walk and live independently, as well as losing my home. This lead to 2 years of trying to break out of the cycle of homelessness whilst also trying to recover my physical and mental health.

I’m reaching out to you today because I need your support to get back on my feet. I finally have the possibility of stable housing in Brighton, but in order to make this happen I need to raise some funds that will allow me to pay for the first few months rent and bills as well as a weekly care worker. With severe mobility issues, Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, I am not well enough to produce stable income or live without the assistance of a carer. My access to care services as well as benefits are denied to me currently because of the precarious and mismatching paperwork of a long term homeless trans person- without extensive help from a PA or care worker, I am unable to do the work necessary to gain access to any institutional support. This is the vicious cycle that so many trans and disabled people fall into that stops them from accessing safe and stable housing, as a lack of basic material needs only exacerbate those disabilities that prevent a person being able jump through the hoops required to access help.

On top of this, I have costs of the ongoing treatments for my chronic health issues that the NHS have not provided for me such as regular physiotherapy and bodywork. Like many disabled people across the country, I have to pay for most of my medical care out of pocket due to lack of NHS provision caused by its chronic underfunding.

Your contributions will help cover:

Total: £6,240

These funds will allow me the security of housing and healthcare through the winter, giving me enough time and assistance to gain access to local services and institutional support that will allow me to stay housed and continue to heal and recover.

Sometimes it is hard for community workers to turn back into the communities they serve for support, but true community strength is not a top-down one-way system- it is a network from which we can all pour into and drink from as a collective. Right now I need to fill up my cup.

Your generosity will not only help me recover but also enable me to continue the work I love once I’m back on my feet.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for any support you can provide, whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this campaign with others.

In solidarity and gratitude,

Carnelian