Hello, I come to you today, hat in hand, with an earnest request for help. My mother and I are homeless, and we are working hard to change that. She is a disabled senior citizen and I am her caretaker. Despite our hardship, we are resilient — and we are moving forward.

Since first sharing this page, we have been able to secure a vehicle, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed or shared to make that possible. It has made a real difference in our day-to-day safety and stability.

But we still have a long road ahead — literally. Our next goal is relocating to Ohio for a fresh start, away from the pain of the life we are leaving behind. My mother has had to face a tough path, largely without emotional support. My father, Brian, was not a good husband, and she struggled mostly in silence for a long time. She deserves better, and so we are going to build something new.

To get there, we need support for gas, food, and other necessities as we make our way toward Ohio and begin the process of finding stable housing once we arrive.

It was not long ago that I was helping my closest friend, AJ, from a situation similar to what I find myself in now. He was on the streets and I told him he could come live with us — I bought him a bus ticket to make it so. I share this not for credit, but to make the point that someone's life can change dramatically, for better or worse. Right now, ours needs to change for better.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English, and until recently I worked as a substitute teacher — a role I took partly to give back to the educators who shaped me. I am ready for a new chapter, for both of us.

I do not ask for help easily. But I am caring for my mother, and I cannot afford to keep waiting alone. This page is me asking my community — and strangers who believe in people — to help close a gap I cannot close by myself right now.

Even if you cannot give, sharing this page costs nothing and can change everything. Every share puts this in front of someone who might be in a position to help. I will continue to post updates as things progress, and I intend to pay this kind of generosity forward one day.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.