Hello, my name is Dakota. My family and I are recently homeless and living out of our car in the hot, hot Coachella desert.

It is so incredibly hard, and if it were just me, I would never be asking, but my son is my whole life. He is autistic and because of our situation, I have had to discontinue his occupational therapy, in-home services, and additional follow-ups to prepare him for preschool. As any autistic kid, he thrives with routine and his whole world has been turned upside down.

We are seeking funds to relocate to the Midwest where I have family and where my husband has been offered a job.

I do have a job of my own here in Coachella, but unfortunately, it is only part-time hours, and all my money is going towards gas to keep us from overheating, transportation to work, occasional motel stays, and ready-to-eat or easy foods.

My goal with the $5000 is to pay down a pre-existing debt from an apartment complex I used to rent from to be able to remove discrepancies from my credit and give me a good chance at finding a place to rent, fix and replace some parts in my car that would make the drive unsafe to make otherwise, gas to get from where we are currently to Des Moines, and a little bit of money to keep us fed on the way there.

Any sort of contribution at all is greatly appreciated. It is so difficult at times to accept that we need help and we have reached that point. I am very hopeful of a stable future for our family and my son