Help Steve Burton Rebuild

Hello everyone! My name is Tommy Bullington and the handsome man in the picture on this page is my partner, Steve Burton.

On Tuesday, July 3rd, Steve returned to his apartment after work and found himself a victim of a break in resulting in destroyed property and burglary of thousands of dollars worth of belongings. Unfortunately, the landlord has been unreasonable throughout this situation essentially forcing Steve to break his lease in order to be safe.

I have created this page to help us come to our communities seeking assistance to help Steve offset the costs of breaking his lease and relocating to a safe place.

Steve was fortunate to have strong renter's insurance that has been able to help cover some financial losses.

What followed was a month of tireless work with insurance companies, an unsuccessful investigation with the Chicago Police Department due to outdated and insufficient security footage, and an inadequate apartment management company with little care and empathy for their tenants. Days have been spent by the two of us working together to try and re-establish Steve. We had taken time from our work, our time together, and our time with our friends and families.

Steve had his laptop taken from him, which can personally compromise him, along with multiple gaming systems (PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, etc.) and over 150 video games, and other assorted accessories. While these might seem to be luxury items, people who know Steve know that he works as a video game QA analyst and is a part of the video game industry. This collection he lost is something he has put together for decades and is a part of what fueled his passion for his craft. After all was said and done, Steve had $11,000 worth of items taken from him.

Whether you've known Steve for a long time or a short time, I'm certain you can feel how big his heart is, how selfless he is and how he continuously puts others before himself. And I'm sure you feel how much I love him. In our time together, he has gone above and beyond. He has been at my side during times of joy, excitement, frustration and loss. He has held me while crying, cheered for me in successes and showed up when needed most. But that is just the type of person Steve is and the heart he has.

I am turning to my communities, friends, and family, to ask for assistance in helping my best friend, my partner, and my love. I have seen firsthand the toll that this situation has taken on him and strived to be a strong foundation for him. I would like to do one last thing for him before putting this all behind us and looking forward to our future together. If you can, know that it would truly mean the world to me and Steve. I want to acknowledge the tough times right now, so any help will make an impact. I want to thank you in advance for hearing our story and appreciate your support.