Help For Two Cats and a Senior Citizen
Donation protected
The Story from a Cat’s View
“Hi folks, Polar Bear here,” he said while stretching out in front of the heater. Polar is a big cat, close to 25 pounds.
“And Cat here. Don’t forget about me,” said the fur ball standing next to him. Cat is a little Siamese rescued from a bad area when she was terribly thin, sick and had been kicked in the head. She’s now plump and healthy.
“So, what are we doing on ‘Go Fund Me,’you may ask. Well, the lady who took us in isn’t so good at making a living,” they both agreed. “Although we know she has a good heart, it appears she isn’t the brightest bulb. So now we’re all teetering on the edge of homelessness. The story goes as follows.”
Long, long ago, a member of the U.S.Air force married a young German woman in Munich after World War II.
Back in the states, they moved a lot because of contract work with the military, which eventually led to an engineering job at Area 51. And they had children who got used to moving all the time, as well.
When the daughter, Erika, became a writer, she worked at several newspapers around the country, always giving in to the urge to continue moving on. She even spent time in Germany working for the University of Maryland, European Division, designing their education ads for Stars and Stripes - and transforming their advertising.
One day, years later, Erika was taking a walk with her mother, Olga, in Flagstaff, Arizona, when someone passed by walking their dogs. “What pretty horses,” Olga said. Later that day she admired the cats outside the living room window -which were actually birds.
And that was the beginning of Olga’s Alzheimer’s. It wouldn’t be long before she’d need oxygen at 7,000 feet and Erika would move with her to Pacific Grove, where she didn’t need an O2 machine any longer.
After a few years of Erika caring for her mother 24 hours a day, she died peacefully one night with her old cat lying next to her, at the age of 89.
Erika used her savings to care for mom, as her wealthy father assured her that she would soon have an inheritance and wouldn’t have to worry. But her father married a woman in Greece and had a stroke over there, which led to his wife taking everything.
With no savings, Erika tried to hold onto her rental house in Pacific Grove by renting out a room until she could get on her feet again. But she failed at that as well.
Polar bear, who dropped into Erika’s life one day when he dropped out of a tree in the yard, moved with Erika into her Jeep Grand Cherokee.
It took time, a job and much help from others, but she finally moved into a small apartment. A little over a year ago, she and Polar Bear moved into her current one bedroom apartment, and Erika continued driving for Uber seven days a week with her 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. She purchased the van with about 52,000 miles on it for $16,000.
Then, on December 31, 2019, with just $5,000 left to pay on the Dodge van, its transmission died. While Erika made her January rent, she has no income, other than her $800 social security, until the van is working again.
“So folks, Erika blew it,” the cats purred. “She stayed with the ride-share business in the hope that we’d be able to move into low income senior housing at Pacific Meadows by Carmel. But after driving for Uber almost three years, and being on the Pacific Meadows waiting list four years, we’re no closer to getting an apartment.
“Her credit union won’t give a loan for the transmission, her bank won’t provide a loan and the Dodge dealer that had been providing maintenance on the van won’t let her make payments on the transmission,” the fur balls added.
“And so, without that income from Uber, we’re less than a month away from having no home once again. Only this time the vehicle doesn’t move, and there are two cats instead of one.”
While the cats blame Erika for this mess, it should be noted that she’s gotten many thousands of compliments on her van full of herb gardens and her peaceful, soothing music.
Most riders have said she provides the best Uber ride ever, including Pebble Beach golfers arriving at their competitions so calm they’re melting into their seats.
She’s also stopped people from getting into wrong vehicles, provided encouragement and counseling to those in need and given everyone a safe ride - no accidents or tickets.
Now it is she who needs a little help. Anything would be appreciated. Even a loan. But we’re quickly running out of time, once again...
——————————
The Story by Erika
More than a year ago I moved into my one bedroom Pacific Grove apartment. At age 67 and with a small social security check, I’ve paid the rent by driving for Uber seven days a week - until December 31, when the transmission in my 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan died.
When I purchased this vehicle nearly three years ago for $16,000, and with mileage of about 52,000, I didn’t realize Dodge caravans had a reputation for faulty transmissions.
Now, with a little over 100,000 miles on my van, it’s no longer under warranty. And the Dodge dealership in Seaside, where I’ve been taking the van for service all this time, will not allow me to make monthly payments for a rebuilt transmission. The cost of a transmission there: Nearly $4,000.
I have no savings, as all my money goes toward $2,000 rent, a few hundred in utilities, $100 phone service, $230 car payments, several hundred dollars in car insurance, regular vehicle upkeep and repairs, as well as food and cat food for my two cats, Polar Bear and Cat.
I’ve been on a list for low income senior housing at Pacific Meadows by Carmel for four years.
Although I’ve paid my January rent here in Pacific Grove, my income stopped when my van stopped. Unless I can repair my van quickly, I’ll lose my apartment and everything I own by February.
The Dodge dealer said the transmission replacement would take three days. Then I could return to getting people safely to their homes, jobs, activities and airplanes in a van filled with herb gardens. I’ve made nearly 7,000 trips and have a platinum rating (very good). But right now, I need a little help.
“Hi folks, Polar Bear here,” he said while stretching out in front of the heater. Polar is a big cat, close to 25 pounds.
“And Cat here. Don’t forget about me,” said the fur ball standing next to him. Cat is a little Siamese rescued from a bad area when she was terribly thin, sick and had been kicked in the head. She’s now plump and healthy.
“So, what are we doing on ‘Go Fund Me,’you may ask. Well, the lady who took us in isn’t so good at making a living,” they both agreed. “Although we know she has a good heart, it appears she isn’t the brightest bulb. So now we’re all teetering on the edge of homelessness. The story goes as follows.”
Long, long ago, a member of the U.S.Air force married a young German woman in Munich after World War II.
Back in the states, they moved a lot because of contract work with the military, which eventually led to an engineering job at Area 51. And they had children who got used to moving all the time, as well.
When the daughter, Erika, became a writer, she worked at several newspapers around the country, always giving in to the urge to continue moving on. She even spent time in Germany working for the University of Maryland, European Division, designing their education ads for Stars and Stripes - and transforming their advertising.
One day, years later, Erika was taking a walk with her mother, Olga, in Flagstaff, Arizona, when someone passed by walking their dogs. “What pretty horses,” Olga said. Later that day she admired the cats outside the living room window -which were actually birds.
And that was the beginning of Olga’s Alzheimer’s. It wouldn’t be long before she’d need oxygen at 7,000 feet and Erika would move with her to Pacific Grove, where she didn’t need an O2 machine any longer.
After a few years of Erika caring for her mother 24 hours a day, she died peacefully one night with her old cat lying next to her, at the age of 89.
Erika used her savings to care for mom, as her wealthy father assured her that she would soon have an inheritance and wouldn’t have to worry. But her father married a woman in Greece and had a stroke over there, which led to his wife taking everything.
With no savings, Erika tried to hold onto her rental house in Pacific Grove by renting out a room until she could get on her feet again. But she failed at that as well.
Polar bear, who dropped into Erika’s life one day when he dropped out of a tree in the yard, moved with Erika into her Jeep Grand Cherokee.
It took time, a job and much help from others, but she finally moved into a small apartment. A little over a year ago, she and Polar Bear moved into her current one bedroom apartment, and Erika continued driving for Uber seven days a week with her 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. She purchased the van with about 52,000 miles on it for $16,000.
Then, on December 31, 2019, with just $5,000 left to pay on the Dodge van, its transmission died. While Erika made her January rent, she has no income, other than her $800 social security, until the van is working again.
“So folks, Erika blew it,” the cats purred. “She stayed with the ride-share business in the hope that we’d be able to move into low income senior housing at Pacific Meadows by Carmel. But after driving for Uber almost three years, and being on the Pacific Meadows waiting list four years, we’re no closer to getting an apartment.
“Her credit union won’t give a loan for the transmission, her bank won’t provide a loan and the Dodge dealer that had been providing maintenance on the van won’t let her make payments on the transmission,” the fur balls added.
“And so, without that income from Uber, we’re less than a month away from having no home once again. Only this time the vehicle doesn’t move, and there are two cats instead of one.”
While the cats blame Erika for this mess, it should be noted that she’s gotten many thousands of compliments on her van full of herb gardens and her peaceful, soothing music.
Most riders have said she provides the best Uber ride ever, including Pebble Beach golfers arriving at their competitions so calm they’re melting into their seats.
She’s also stopped people from getting into wrong vehicles, provided encouragement and counseling to those in need and given everyone a safe ride - no accidents or tickets.
Now it is she who needs a little help. Anything would be appreciated. Even a loan. But we’re quickly running out of time, once again...
——————————
The Story by Erika
More than a year ago I moved into my one bedroom Pacific Grove apartment. At age 67 and with a small social security check, I’ve paid the rent by driving for Uber seven days a week - until December 31, when the transmission in my 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan died.
When I purchased this vehicle nearly three years ago for $16,000, and with mileage of about 52,000, I didn’t realize Dodge caravans had a reputation for faulty transmissions.
Now, with a little over 100,000 miles on my van, it’s no longer under warranty. And the Dodge dealership in Seaside, where I’ve been taking the van for service all this time, will not allow me to make monthly payments for a rebuilt transmission. The cost of a transmission there: Nearly $4,000.
I have no savings, as all my money goes toward $2,000 rent, a few hundred in utilities, $100 phone service, $230 car payments, several hundred dollars in car insurance, regular vehicle upkeep and repairs, as well as food and cat food for my two cats, Polar Bear and Cat.
I’ve been on a list for low income senior housing at Pacific Meadows by Carmel for four years.
Although I’ve paid my January rent here in Pacific Grove, my income stopped when my van stopped. Unless I can repair my van quickly, I’ll lose my apartment and everything I own by February.
The Dodge dealer said the transmission replacement would take three days. Then I could return to getting people safely to their homes, jobs, activities and airplanes in a van filled with herb gardens. I’ve made nearly 7,000 trips and have a platinum rating (very good). But right now, I need a little help.
Organizer and beneficiary
Patsy Volpe
Organizer
Pacific Grove, CA
Erika Fiske
Beneficiary
