Only $5,000 To Go! After Losing Bob, Help Steve Re-Start

Hi, this is Steve. If you haven’t read my story, please read it. If you are already familiar with my situation, please read my most recent Update. I only need $5,000 more to re-start my life after losing Bob, my soul mate and partner of 49 years.

Hi, my name is Steve. Many of our friends have known us as "Bob & Steve"—committed to each other in a loving partnership for nearly 50 years. Bob and I met when we were 19, in our freshman year of college, and we built a life together filled with love, laughter, and memories.

Sadly, our journey was cut short when Bob was diagnosed with colon cancer in late October 2022. After a courageous battle, he passed away on December 8, 2023. This past New Year’s Eve would have been our 50th anniversary. I spent the evening alone, setting a place for him at the dinner table, raising a toast to one of his familiar shirts draped with his favorite scarf.

Now, I am facing another devastating challenge: I can no longer afford to stay in California.

Why I Need Your Help

Losing Bob meant losing not just my partner, but also 75% of our household income. I have been surviving on Social Security widower’s benefits, but it is simply not enough. My rent is $2,100 a month, and after paying rent and my car payment, I have just $15 left to live on.

• I couldn’t pay my February rent after Social Security deducted nearly $500 for old Medicare premiums, I wasn’t aware of.

• My food stamps were cut to just $62 a month, and I’ve lost 25 pounds in three months.

• My credit cards are being canceled one by one.

• My landlord has threatened eviction. I have promised to move out by the end of May.

A New Beginning in Ohio

After much thought and discussion with a few close friends and family that I have left, I have decided to move to Oxford, Ohio. There, I can afford a one-bedroom apartment for $500–$750 per month—a fraction of what I pay now. More importantly, I will have the support of my dear friend Mary, an accomplished writer who has encouraged me to finish my memoir, something I started years ago but put aside during Bob’s illness. Before Bob passed away, he asked me to promise to finish “our” memoir.

This move is my best hope for stability, but I can’t do it alone.

How Your Support Will Help

Your generosity will allow me to:

• Catch up on critical bills and save at least one credit card.

• Pay my past-due rent to avoid eviction before I can move.

• Cover moving expenses, including hiring movers and transporting my car (as my eyesight makes the long drive unsafe).

• Secure a safe place to live in Ohio and start fresh.

I am not looking for luxury—just the chance to survive, to rebuild, and to move forward without the constant fear of homelessness.

If you can help in any way, I will be forever grateful. Even sharing this page with others would mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

With gratitude,

Steve