This year has been one of the hardest of my life. It started with a layoff and an eviction notice, and things just kept getting harder from there. I managed to find a new place for myself and my cat, but after paying five months’ rent, a security deposit, and all the bills, my savings are completely gone. Now, with the added daily expense of BART fees for my new job and the urgent need for new glasses, I’m struggling to make ends meet. I started a new job this week that requires me to travel all over the Bay Area, but I won’t see my first paycheck for another week or two. My roommates can’t afford to cover me, and if I can’t come up with December’s rent soon, my cat and I will be homeless come January 1st. I’ve already sold everything I can, and I’m trying to sell a bike frame and a mandolin, but it’s not enough. I hate asking for money—especially since my new job is canvassing for donations to save the environment—but I have nowhere else to turn. If I lose my home, I’ll lose what little I own, the job I fought so hard to get, and, most importantly, I’ll have to give up my cat, who means the world to me. Coming home to her at night is sometimes the only thing that keeps me going. Your support would mean I can keep a roof over our heads, keep my job, and stay together with my cat. Any help, no matter how small, would make a huge difference. Thank you for reading and for any support you can give.