Help Joscelin Get Back On Her Feet

Hi! I'm Joscelin Autumn Voronoy and I could really use some help. I've struggled with mental health throughout my life, but recently it has come to a breaking point. It has never been easy for me to succeed in school or to hold a job, between autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, but I did my best. Then, in 2020, as pandemic lockdowns began, I left my job, both to take care of my spouse and because working from home was not playing nicely with my executive dysfunction. In 2021, after a grueling year in the hospital, I lost my spouse and our dreams for the future. I lived off the life insurance money, paying off the car, selling the house, and moving into a cheaper home I could buy outright to avoid bleeding rent money. Things sometimes felt ok, but the anxiety grew to the point that thinking about going back to work made me hyperventilate and weep. At times, grief and despair drove me nearly to suicide. Today, I'm doing better, attending hours of therapy daily, making new friends, trying to find a job (a few interviews so far, but no offers), trying to stabilize and build a future for myself. Sadly, the money ran out before I could get my feet under me, and it feels like I'm running out of time. Bills are piling up and all the stress that comes with them; therapy can help me put myself back together, but it won't keep the lights on.

At the moment, to get back to neutral seems like it comes out to around $6,000. The largest portion would be getting my car inspected and legal to drive. Lacking my own transport for the first time in twenty years has weighed heavily on my mental health, but more importantly, it makes job hunting much more difficult. Similarly, communication is vital for a job search and for keeping in touch with friends, family, and supportive services, so one or both of phone or internet are a priority. The rest is utilities and housing costs. I am supremely privileged to own my home, because rent is a tremendous expense and I likely would have been evicted by now, but the city isn't going to ignore taxes forever and I'm honestly not sure why gas and electric are still on given how much I owe.

It hurts to ask for help. I've done my best to never judge others for it, but the internalized stigma is stubborn. I've been happy to help others when I could, even when I likely should have saved my own resources for times like this. To be on the other end now feels selfish; I know many who are struggling as much or more than I am. Facing shame and guilt and centering my own needs, however, has been a big part of what I'm working on in therapy, and this fundraiser is a product of that work. Below is a breakdown of the costs I'm facing, if you'd like more concrete numbers. I've tried to order them by priority, but it's a bit fuzzy depending on how things go.

1. Car

Car insurance: ~$200 (for 6 months)

Tires: ~$100 - ~$400 (one is very likely required now, but they're all worn)

Windshield: ~$800 (I doubt the crack in mine will pass inspection)

2. Cell phone: $252.86

3. Internet: $178.02

4. Gas/Electric: ~$600

5. House

Water: $212.16

Property taxes (city): $1,750.78

Property taxes (county): ~$500

Homeowner's insurance: ~$600 (for a year)