Help Maria Stay Safe

From Benefactor Mariessa Devincentis:

Hello, my name is Mariessa and I am raising funds on behalf of my long-time friend Maria. Maria is a beautiful person who has come onto hard times. I've known Maria since middle school, when her mother moved her to America from overseas. We bonded over a love of art, comics, and music, despite the language barriers. We attended middle school, high school and college together. She's a talented artist, a loving friend, and a caring parent. She has never asked me for anything but to be her friend. She has helped me out many times without judgment.

After fleeing an abusive relationship, she has suffered severe mental health problems and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I saw first-hand the abusive situation she was in, and was hopeful when she was able to escape. She unfortunately became homeless and lived in and out of shelters for over a year. Anyone familiar with what it is like to live in a shelter or be homeless knows how incredibly traumatizing and dangerous that kind of life is.

During this time, I had no contact from her, and I was terrified - I feared the worst may have happened. I was relieved to recently hear from her, but horrified to learn of all the things she had gone through. Maria is trying to get her life back together, and is in the process of applying for disability. She has no resources, no family ties to help her. She's been trying to work, but in her current mental state without stable housing or medical treatment, no one is interested in hiring her, and frankly she is not in any condition to be working until she can get proper treatment.

We are raising money to get her an IUD. With reproductive health and safety more at risk in America, an IUD implant is a great option that will last for 10+ years. With her mental health issues, Maria has trouble keeping track of medication that needs to be taken regularly. Living in the deep south, if she became pregnant unexpectedly, she could be forced to endure a pregnancy that would ruin any chance she has of climbing back out of poverty and illness. Maria already has a beautiful child (not currently in her custody) that she wants to get well for, to be reunited with when she's stable again.

Your help would give Maria a fighting chance. Thank you for taking the time to read this; thank you for being a person who cares.