Hello, my name is Kabiru, a dear friend of Liza Matthews. I have created this fundraiser to support her during a challenging time. Below, Liza shares her story in her own words—so you can hear directly from her about why this support means so much:

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." — Ernest Hemingway

Turning a Shipping Container into a Safe Home – Please Help Me Survive This Winter

Dear friends, family, and kind strangers,

I’m reaching out today with a heavy heart but also with hope. Times are incredibly hard for me right now, and I’ve come to a point where I can no longer do this alone.

I live on a fixed income—one that forces me to choose between buying food and buying fuel for electricity. Because of my ongoing cancer battle and worsening hearing loss, I’m unable to work. This is why I depend on that limited income, and it simply isn’t enough to cover the basics.

In 2025, I came dangerously close to homelessness. It was one of the most stressful periods of my life. But God opened an unexpected door: I was able to get a shipping container, and a kind friend allowed me to place it on his land. Right now, that container is my only viable housing option. Due to my remote location, there are no public utilities—no electricity, no running water, no sewer.

What I call “home” is a metal box with no windows and only one opening—the same door I use to enter and exit. I have no well, so I haul water from elsewhere, which is exhausting but something I manage with God’s help. For power, I rely on a small gasoline generator to run a one-burner induction stove, a space heater in winter, a fan for air circulation, and a small fridge. I also have a portable diesel furnace, but fuel is expensive and hard to stretch.

Last winter was brutal. The temperature inside my container often ranged from -7°C to 5°C (19°F to 41°F). There were many nights I slept in my winter coat, buried under three layers of blankets and a sleeping bag, just to keep from shivering. I honestly don’t know how I made it through—and I’m truly scared about what this upcoming winter will bring.

To make this space livable—not comfortable, just livable—I desperately need to:

1. Insulate the container

2. Add a proper roof

3. Install a second door

4. Put in two windows

5. Dig a well

6. Install a septic system

These aren’t upgrades. They’re necessities. Without them, I’m facing another winter of freezing temperatures, and I’m not sure my body—or my spirit—can endure that again.

I’ve tried to save what I can, but between the soaring costs of food and fuel for the generator and furnace, there’s nothing left at the end of the month.

I’m sharing all of this not for pity, but for understanding. I’ve always been proud and independent, but I’ve learned that sometimes survival means asking for help. So I’m humbly asking: Can you help me make my shipping container a safer, warmer, more sustainable place to live?

Any contribution—no matter how small—will go directly toward materials for insulation, roofing, windows, doors, and water/septic systems. Your support could literally keep me from freezing this winter.

Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for caring. And if you can’t give, I completely understand—please just keep me in your prayers or share this with someone who might be able to help.

With gratitude and hope,

Liza

This is what I call home at the moment

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2

This fundraiser is for Liza and her bank account is the beneficiary of the donations.