Help our friend Julie avoid Homelessness

Natalie and Kate are reaching out to our friends and family to help our dear friend in need.  On September 10, 2021, an accidental fire at her apartment left our friend, Julie Nuccio, without a home. On her behalf, we are raising funds to help Julie stay in temporary housing and have her basic needs met in this tumultuous time.

 

A little history: Some of you may know Julie was diagnosed with brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in 2015, which led to a series of treatments including radiation and very complicated brain surgery--an embolization of the AVM. This ultimately led to brain necrosis which resulted in massive undesirable changes in her life and has rendered her disabled. Julie now has to use a walker, is living with regular seizures, and is receiving disability benefits and food stamps instead of being gainfully employed. Sadly, after many ups and downs, Julie currently has no family support, other than her elderly aunt with whom she lived in the Bronx.

 

The fire & the apartment: The fire happened in her and her aunt’s apartment, where a candle fell in Julie’s bedroom. As the room went up in flames, Julie tried to put it out with her own body. (In her words: “The only thing I could think of was what we learn in school - ‘stop, drop, and roll’ - so don’t ask but I grabbed a comforter and wrapped it around me and since I can’t walk that fast I climbed over my bed and rolled on top of it.”) Shortly after, she blacked out, and was told by neighbors that a good Samaritan ran down 5 flights of stairs into the apartment, and dragged her out of the bedroom engulfed in flames. Her aunt was brought to the hospital for smoke inhalation and has not been back since. Julie suffered 2nd degree burns on her legs. For 5 nights Julie slept on the balcony.

 

Shelter or Airbnb: Julie’s photo IDs, laptop, and personal belongings were destroyed or are now inaccessible. On 9/15/21 Julie received a cease & desist notice from her building due to the apartment’s uninhabitable condition. Red Cross provided her with 2 nights at a hotel in the Bronx, which was also being used as a temporary NYC shelter. That’s all Red Cross was able to provide and Julie would have to pay any subsequent nights out of pocket. Natalie connected her with a non-profit in NYC so she can access resources and legal assistance she desperately needs, but that process is just getting underway. Natalie joined Julie for an intake on 9/17 and was heartbroken to be told that at the moment, the only immediate option open to her was reaching out to HRA to get into a shelter that night.

 

How you can help: Since Julie is disabled and unable to walk long distances or up stairs and needs to be able to get to her medical supports, her living options are limited. Moving into the NYC homeless shelter system would be destructive to Julie’s already fragile health and well-being. Natalie, with some help from Kate, was able to secure Julie a cost-efficient Airbnb wherein Julie will be safe and have access to the resources she needs. For Julie, being able to stay in this temporary housing means the difference between her continuing to stay viable rather than falling through the cracks in the system, resulting in homelessness.

 

While Julie is currently safe, she will not be able to return to her apartment with her aunt for at least the next three months during repairs from the fire and while related challenges are sorted out. Since Julie is on a fixed income, we are asking for small donations from our friends and family to help offset her living costs until she can move back to the apartment. All funds will go directly toward Julie’s living expenses.

 

Please help us reach our goal of raising $9,600 for Julie to be able to remain in the Airbnb and out of the shelter system. ALL support received will go toward Julie’s basic needs - housing, toiletries, and food - which Natalie will coordinate. Total cost for her long-term Airbnb stay is $1,700 a month. Julie’s monthly disability disbursement will be able to cover her other regular expenses including prescriptions and transportation.

 

Any amount you are able to contribute will immensely help Julie in this uneasy time. We know that this past year and a half has been difficult for everyone and we cannot thank you enough for opening your hearts and sharing your resources with our friend. If you are unable to financially contribute at this time, but would like to support Julie in another way, please contact either of us to discuss. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! We will be keeping all receipts to ensure all funds go directly to Julie’s needs and are happy to share them at any time.

 

With gratitude,

Natalie and Kate