Help Michele and Lila Keep Their Home

Hi! My name is Michele , and this is my dog Lila Bean. Escaping an abusive relationship, I came to Charleston 8 yrs ago. I had nothing but a few outfits in a bookbag and a hope to start fresh. I lived at the homeless shelter for about 6 months. I acquired a job and saved enough to move into a boarding house, renting a tiny bedroom. I lived there for about 3 yrs until our landlord was evicted and displaced all of us that were sharing the house. That was troubling but a couple weeks prior to the eviction, I had a sweet, malnourished puppy follow me home from the bus stop. Enter, Lila Bean. I thought I was rescuing HER, little did I know, she was in fact, rescuing me.

We had no choice but to ask a housemate with a truck to please help me and Lila, with the little bit of things I had acquired, to move into a hotel. Cheapest one in town. It was all I could afford really. Until the A/C didn't work and they weren't interested in fixing it. Not wanting to leave Lila in a hot room while I worked all day, I talked that same old housemate into moving us one more time . We finally felt cooool in the second cheapest motel. I worked really hard, and saved, and saved, until I was able to finally afford an apartment in a duplex. Wow!! Was that exciting to finally have a place all our own to call home. Lila and I had privacy, (and AC) and we both slept better than we ever had. I've been living here for almost 3 years and have tried hard to stay afloat. I may have been broke after paying rent and utilities, but damn it, we had a home! Things have happened in the past few months were I am on the verge of being evicted bc of not being able to afford the entirety of rent. Lila needed more expensive food bc of her digestive issues and medicine for her flea allergies. On top of that, I spent the last 5 months, trying to convince Property Mgmt. and the water department that there was a water leak and they are only now coming to investigate. My water bills in the last few months have been almost 300$ each!! Being more and more each month. I can't catch up or catch a break. I've been late with half of the rent a couple times before so being late with only 85$ to give them for rent will definitely get us booted out. I'm so worried and scared that Lila and I will once again be homeless. I've worked so hard for so long and I'm drowning. Thanks to the water leak, almost literally. I also stand to lose the bed, furniture, tvs, dog kennel, etc that I gradually acquired while working every day and living here. I will once again, be back at square one. I just recently turned 50 and I just don't have it in me to start allllll over again. I left the low pay/high stress job I was at for 7 yrs to change my life positively. I've been doing bike delivery downtown, and I just got a new, less stressful job where I start next week!!! I'm so excited to be out of the food and bev industry, and be doing something for a career that I can do for the remainder of my days.... I'm not getting any govt assistance or EBT. And I ran into roadblocks when it came to any emergency funding. I am the sole provider for myself and my child, I mean dog. Lol.

I'm humbly asking for help. Please. Anything will be greatly appreciated. Lila says thank you too!!

And, thanks for taking the time to read this and hearing me out y'all! ❤️✌