Hi. My name is Dusty. Since 2006, I've been around the anime fandom and a part of anime conventions across the Midwest US, hosting game shows, performing panels, and helping run them. I'm also a tour guide for Jungle Jim's, one of the most unique grocery stores in the United States.

Recently, my tiny family of me and my cat Willow have fallen onto some hard times. I'm rounding the corner on my recovery from a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant, which has allowed me to begin a new chapter in life. However, because of the time it's taken, I have lost my Social Security Disability income, which paid my rent and monthly bills. I'm trying to pick up the shortage by working more hours at work. I'm having some success, but my body is still a little ways off from allowing me to take on 40 hours a week.

I am working to both increase my hours at work and find a job with better pay and more stable hours—either at Jungle Jim's or with another company. While in that process, I've fallen short on my monthly bills—rent, phone, internet, electric, and car note. The amount listed here will be able to help pay these past-due bills, allowing me to focus the money I'm making now on staying current—with a roof over my head and food on my table.

While I have nothing to give immediately in return, your investment will help me complete my health recovery and control, allowing me to return to my previous level of involvement with not just anime conventions but in the fandom world in general—a world which has given me so much over the last 25 years, including lifelong friends, moments of triumph, and a community in which to belong.