A lot has happened over the past few years. After my mom suffered a stroke, she became bedridden, and we had to sell our family home because we couldn’t keep up with the bills and repairs. My mom went to live with my brother once he got a new house, and I struggled to find a place of my own. I had a well-paying job, but the company shut down, and that job disappeared. I stayed with a friend who helped me get a new job, and I tried to keep that while also helping take care of my mother at my brother’s house. Eventually, I moved in with my brother to help more, but I didn’t want to be a burden on them. On August 1st at 8am, my mother passed away peacefully. I lost the car she left me, and then I lost my job in February. Since then, I’ve been applying and hunting for a job, but with no luck at all. Now, I only have a month left to stay at my brother’s place, and I need help.

A good friend has offered my girlfriend, our dog, and me a place to stay so we can start our life over, but it’s all the way in New York. Honestly, I don’t want to leave California, but I also don’t want to live on the streets. With how things are going now, I’m not seeing much of a ray of hope anymore, so I need help getting things ready to make the long journey.

The funds will help pay for storage so I can gather my belongings, car insurance, license renewal, trailer hitch installation, U-Haul trailer rental, food, gas, and emergency expenses for the journey. My brother is helping with car repairs so the car will be safe to drive. I know times are tough for everyone, and as a 38-year-old, I wish I had things together by now. But I’m not giving up. I want to make a fresh start for myself, my girlfriend, and our dog. Any support you can give means the world to us and will help us get to a safer, more hopeful place.