Help Martha Move! Senior Needs Help to Secure Housing

(Note from Ori: I am posting this fundraiser on behalf of a friend who is choosing to remain anonymous. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!)

Even though I have never done anything like this before I have started a GoFundMe to get help for my friend, Martha Ainsworth, who is in dire straits, so that she can move into a financially stable living situation. I’m going to talk a little bit more about Martha’s needs in a moment, but before I do that, I just want to tell you a little bit more about who Martha is as a person.

Martha is one of those special people who has dedicated her entire life to making the world a better place. For over forty years, she worked in various roles with the Episcopal Church: running choirs, teaching children, and managing church communications. She was even an early pioneer in bringing churches and nonprofits online, teaching congregations how to use the internet back in the 90s. Over the years, she’s also followed her passion for the arts by working as a professional singer. Some of her students have gone on to become music teachers themselves! Martha has touched many lives over the years, and she has made all of them better.

Now, Martha is retired and all alone, living what she describes as “a monastic life of one” on Social Security, dedicating herself to contemplative spirituality as an Episcopalian Solitary where she spends her days in spiritual contemplation and praying for others. When she retired, she moved to a modest apartment in New Jersey.

Unfortunately, the rent there has increased dramatically in recent years – she now pays $1330 a month in rent, leaving her with only $30 on hand after she pays her other necessary bills each month. Martha has also been paying off some past medical debt from a catastrophic event a few years back, and because of this, her credit score has taken a serious hit. She’s had to rely on food stamps to feed herself, and working odd online jobs for friends to try to cover some of her needs. As I write this, she has $20 to her name.

Martha has been on a waitlist for affordable housing for a long time, and now she’s finally reached the top of the list. The rent at her new apartment would only be around $500 a month, leaving her with dramatically more income that would be enough to cover her needs. She’d even be allowed to keep a pet cat, which would bring a lot of joy to her life!

There’s just one problem: to break her current lease, she’s going to have to pay a steep penalty of 3 month’s rent. She also needs funds to finance her move, including movers and the security deposit at her new apartment. Once her application is approved, she’ll have 30 days to pay the deposit and move into the new apartment. We need to raise a minimum of $8,000 to make this possible, but I’m shooting for a goal of $9,000 to help cover any unexpected expenses that might come up, and to help her get settled in a new, better, and affordable life in her new apartment.

Please help us raise the funds Martha needs to make this happen. Securing affordable housing would literally be life-changing for her. If you can donate even $5 to help Martha move, you’ll be making a huge difference in her life and the lives of all the people she’s touched. If you aren’t able to donate at this time, simply sharing Martha’s story with others online and in real life could help us get closer to our goal. All GoFundMe contributions will go directly to Martha.

Martha is the best person I know. She has suffered serious hardship and abuse in her life, but she has never once lost her faith in God and other people. Please don’t let her down.

Here are a few words Martha has written about her situation:

Hi, I am Martha Ainsworth. I moved to Deptford, NJ, five years ago after I retired. I am 70 years old, disabled with mobility issues and poor health. My sole income is Social Security. My rent increased dramatically and now takes nearly all my income. I can no longer afford my apartment and I must move into subsidized senior housing within 30 days. To break my current lease, I am required to pay a huge penalty of 3 months' rent, plus moving expenses, and the security deposit for the new senior apartment. I have no savings or assets and no relatives who can help me. I spend my days immersed in prayer for others. Now I need to ask for help for myself. Can you help an old lady?