Help Z Secure Housing and Supplies

My name is zb hurst and I am a Black, non-binary femme currently living in Chicago. I am a full-time student at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC) where I study Writing, and I also work as a Personal Assistant registered with Illinois DHS. I am a poet who has been fortunate enough to study both at a small, private liberal arts college, and with an American program located in Geneva, SZG. 

During the winter of 2015 I used gofundme to ask my community for funds to secure my enrollment in the School of International Training where I studied International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy during Spring semester 2016. Upon returning to the United States and making some tough decisions, I decided to transfer institutions and began courses at SAIC Spring semester 2017. I am a hardworking student who has been published twice this year - both in Fighting Academic Repression and Neoliberal Education: Resistance, Reclaiming, Organizing, and Black Lives Matter in Education, as well as the forthcoming issue of the Peace Studies Journal.

While I was abroad in 2016 major mental health issues arose and I was diagnosed with Bipolar I when relocated to Chicago last summer. I have been taking medication and attending therapy regularly and am working toward managing my condition as I create a life for myself in this city. My symptoms have become unmanageable on my own these past months, so I have begun a treatment program at Insight Behavioral Health where I am learning a skillset that will greatly improve my quality of life. This program is full-time - 8 hours every weekday - and I will likely be enrolled until my classes resume on August 30th.

I am not financially supported by my family, so choosing to take care of my mental health in a more intensive way this summer has not been without consequences. I am fortunate enough to have been offered a house-sitting position in Andersonville this summer, and can afford to pay my bills. Because I did not choose to work full-time this summer, it will be impossible for me to save enough money on my own to make a deposit on an apartment for this fall. That is why I am asking for your help!

All money raised will be spent on the costs of moving and arranging housing for myself this September: I will be paying for a security deposit, rent, movers through the app Dolly, and small home furnishings like a desk chair, a night-stand, etc. Any funds that are left over will go toward the purchasing of supplies I need for class like canvas, paint, brushes, and other one-time purchases.

My financial aid package this fall will provide great stability to me in the realm of finances, so it is only for these next two months that I anticipate the strain on my wallet will remain as intense as it is now. I have spoken to my Financial Aid Officer at SAIC as well as my contact in Student Life and I am being proactive in arranging my budget for the upcoming school year. 

I am looking forward to creating a healthy living space for myself this fall, and finishing treatment is just step one of this process! I would truly appreciate any amount you can give, as it will help me to cement the life I am building for myself. 

My warmest regards,

zb hurst