Two days ago, I was running an errand near my home in Garden City, NY when I saw a young woman sitting alone in a parking lot. Something made me stop and check on her. She was not OK.

She had a shopping cart with a few bags of clothes and no basic hygiene items. I took her to Stop and Shop for essentials and checked her into a hotel so she could be safe. Since then, I have been bringing her food and helping where I can.

Her name is Kassy. She is 33 and this is her first time experiencing homelessness. She told me she had not showered, eaten properly, or slept safely in over four months and had been eating only about every five days.

She has no family support. After her brother died by suicide last September, everything unraveled. She has lived through significant trauma and is going through an incredibly difficult time.

I am currently paying for a very basic hotel room so she can stay off the streets while she waits for a shelter bed. There is no timeline and I am worried she will be attacked or trafficked if she has to go back to sleeping outside.

Kassy is a certified home health aide and wants to work, but she needs a safe place to sleep, shower, and get back on her feet.

If you are able to help, any amount will go directly toward keeping her safe and covering her most basic needs until she can get into a shelter. The room is about 100 dollars per night.

I am not someone who is comfortable asking for help, but this is more than I can do alone. I will make sure every dollar is used carefully to support her during this time.

Thank you for reading and for any support you can give.

PS: Kassy just took this photo for me after her first shower in 4 months.

Big hugs, Dayna Garvey xxxx