Hi, my name is Reshoma and, due to some very unfortunate circumstances that are out of my control and that would have me writing a very long novel that many would not likely have the time to read, I have had to live in an Extended Stay America hotel since the end of July 2024 ($2,189.70 monthly rent) and have to pay about $201 monthly rent on a 7' by 16' storage unit to house most of my things. I also pay just over $108 every 6 months for a PO BOX to have most of my mail forwarded and/or sent to.

I have been unemployed through no fault of my own since December 5, 2022. I can't find another job and no one wants to hire someone like me in my situation, and I believe I have been blacklisted by previous employers. I did apply for disability LEGITIMATELY, as I have disabling and crippling mental and physical health conditions (like osteoarthritic knees, chronic lower back pain/sciatica, asthma, PTSD/C-PTSD (which has been triggered and activated a lot), depression, anxiety, hearing loss, etc.) that would prevent me from basically working most anywhere. I can't sit or stand for long periods of time before either my knees or my back cramp up. Again, I'm not intentionally trying to gain any pity or sympathy from anyone. That has been an ongoing battle in and of itself. I have been fighting to get approved for 3+ years now.

I am living off of my quickly depleting savings and do not have financial support from anyone. I currently also have my cat, Winona, who is my emotional support animal, living with me as well. There are many expenses I face that are also depleting my savings (car insurance, cell phone bill, medical over-the-counter items, stuff not covered by my Link card, streaming services, etc.). I don't mention any of this to gain any sympathy, but rather to state the facts of my situation and why I have had to set up a GoFundMe to try and help get me back on my feet and/or if I ever get approved for disability.

I do not see myself moving out of this extended stay hotel anytime soon, and the storage unit will be there a long time. This has been an ongoing and seemingly never-ending struggle. If you are in any position and/or have the funds to donate, I would greatly appreciate it. I feel as though my situation garners and deserves just as much attention as anyone else who is in dire straits and in an emergency, and when things don't gain the necessary traction needed, I lose faith and hope that things will ever get better. This is not the life I want for myself and my cat, Winona, but this is where I am at now to keep from being homeless and out on the street (I don't have family that can take me in right now that would not be more damaging to my already fragile mental health and physical health right now). As it stands, my older sister and mother are unsupportive and are not providing a safe space and pragmatic solutions and are refusing to help me out financially in any way. I'm not asking them to fully fund me. I'm asking them to set aside some money , but thats not even in the realm of possibility for them. So I am doing this on my own because they do not care at all and likely never will before it's too late. And I know they have the funds to help me financially, but they just do not respect my boundaries and would rather just see me in dire straits. You would never ask a DV survivor to go move back in with their a*user to save money. That would be er be a logical and safe solution. That's all I will say about that.

I'm not going to write more at this time because I know there will be people that see this and think it is a joke when it is not. Things are far more expensive nowadays than they need to be, and without a viable source of income that's enough to live comfortably again, it is extremely difficult to nearly impossible. But I digress. So again, if you are in any position to donate and have more than enough funds to donate and not get in a hole yourself, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you and have a blessed day.