Help Kyle and His Mom in Their Fight Against Eviction

Hi, my name is Kyle. I am disabled, both physically and mentally. In 2019, I fell off a ladder and shattered my leg, then I was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, specifically Aspergers. I also suffer from severe social and general anxiety and major depression, making it very hard for me to be out in public. I have been trying to get on disability for the last couple of years and am now in the attorney stage, but it could probably still take a long time. And since the pandemic, legitimate remote jobs are hard to find.

In the meantime, my mom, whom I live with, has been working hard and footing all the bills. Her health is declining and she is unable to work as much as she used to. I'm sure the struggle she is going through with all this is adding to her health issues too (she is a Type I diabetic, a cancer survivor, and has 6 compressed vertebrae which leaves her in constant pain.) This makes me feel extremely guilty, which increases my anxiety and depression, which increases the feelings of guilt and uselessness.

With increasing medical bills for myself and my mom, ever increasing cost of living, and increases in rent, she has been unable to keep up with all the finances. We are on the verge of eviction. As of June 1, we will be 4 months behind and the landlord is threatening to kick us out. She has tried every resource given to her; rental assistance programs, churches, etc. but with no success. Most of these referrals are a joke and either offer next to nothing, or they have such an incredibly small window of time for application that by the time you get it filled out, they've already hit their limit. She is having to sell belongings and I know a lot of this is breaking her heart, but she does her best to hide it from me so as not to upset me (it's not working).

I would love to lift some weight off her shoulders and at the same time lighten my own anxiety/depression. My mom is almost 63 years old and is looking so tired lately and has no energy and I feel it is all my fault. If I can't raise all the back rent, even part will get the landlord off her back. She's been there for me for all my life and I want more than anything to be able to do something to help her out, but what I can do on my own is very limited.

Some of the resources we have tried are:

United Way 211

Community Action Agency

Gainesville Housing Authority

Gainesville Community Ministry

Catholic Charities

Salvation Army

Neighborhood Housing and Development Corp

Alachua County Social Services

Elder Care

Peaceful Pathways

Family Promise

First United Methodist Church

Holy Trinity Church

Queen of Peace Catholic Church

As stated above, none of these have proved helpful. Either we don't qualify for assistance despite our struggles, they don't provide the assistance we need, or they have such a tight window for applications that they completely fill up before we can get one put in.

Donations don't have to be big, any amount can help. And even if you can't donate, sharing this fundraiser to get more eyes on it and get the word out can also be a huge help.