Hi, dear reader, my name is Hellen. I am a native New Yorker and as of a year and a half ago, I have been facing housing instability. I work in the service industry, and like many other folks, work has been slow for me as of recent, leaving me struggling to stay afloat. To make matters more dire, I have recently been put in a position of being my family member's sole source of support due to several strokes leaving him unable to care for himself. If social security or other government benefits were an option for him, we would not be in this predicament. However, he is not a citizen, disqualifying him from any government aid.

I am often the first person to offer my support for others in my community, and now I am in the position of needing help myself to get me back on track.