<div>Hi y'all!

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<div>My name is Ella and I am a native New Yorker, an artisan and guardian to many, facing ongoing housing instability. Those that are close to me know how tumultuous the past few years have been but for those that don't I am humbly reaching out for help after experiencing a series of devastating setbacks that have left me without stable housing and struggling to rebuild my life.

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<div><strong>The Story: </strong>

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<div>On December 5th, I found out that the sublet I rented in August was illegal and I came home to find a notice from the Marshall on my door, my cat locked inside, and most of my belongings moved to a storage facility in New Jersey. I was paying rent on-time to the sublessor, who was pocketing it and extremely delinquent on rent. I was not informed of this and, completely blindsided, I have been left to pick up the pieces.

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<div>This incident is the culmination of 2 years of supporting and assisting my narcissist father who did everything in his power to change my lifestyle despite my providing food, clothing and shelter for him, and assisting him in his battle to get my siblings, aged 8 and 11, out of foster care. I succeeded and am now the legal guardian of my siblings. My misguided benevolence also enables him to care for the children without supervision and permits him to live with me and the kids in our apartment in Brooklyn, where I lived with them and my 2 dogs and 2 cats.

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<div>This was a <strong>fatal</strong> mistake.

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<div>He intentionally led to the loss of my first one bdrm apartment, the loss of a subsequent sublet [he claimed I was a hoarder when the sublessor called him as a reference], irreparably ruptured relationships with my friends, discarded or stole almost ALL of my stuff, sabotaged multiple projects, rendering me without stable income and degraded me verbally daily. In June 2025, I returned from work to find the contents of my room in black plastic bags on the street. I dug whatever was left out the trash and couch surfed until I found this sublet in August.

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<div>Things were looking up but just as I felt a wink of stability, that home was torn from me and here I am.

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<div><strong>The Aftermath: </strong>

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<li>Can't reach sublessor, security deposit and December rent not refunded to causing a loss of $2500.

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<li>Cash savings, assets, family heirlooms, important documents are inaccessible until I am able to move entire contents of storage elsewhere.

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<li>Unable to be a reliable guardian to my siblings or pets [other than scout] who are currently residing with my father.

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<li>As a furniture refinisher that works from home, my projects, tools and therefore potential income is locked away in storage.

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<li>My dad threw one of my cats, Scout, on the street and when eviction happened she went to ACC where I was obligated to pay $255 in vet fees to regain ownership.

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<div><strong>Where is the Money Going? Plans? Timeline?</strong>

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<div>The funds from this fundraiser will help me cover moving costs, storage fees, movers, and junk removal. I have found a new apartment and plan to move in soon, but I need help moving my belongings from New Jersey, paying for the deposit, and handling the contents left behind by the previous roommate.

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<div><strong>Rent and Security:</strong> $3,200 [Move in scheduled for 1/5]

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<div><strong>Storage Fees</strong>: $500

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<div><strong>Junk Disposal: </strong>Range from $100-$800 depending on volume of stuff.

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<div><strong>Vet Fees:</strong> $255

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<div><strong>Additional ~$5,000</strong> will act as a financial buffer and enable me to send my siblings to their birth mother in Guyana who haven't seen them in years. This will effectively end any semblance of an amicable relationship with my father and hopefully assist with any litigation I choose to proceed with.

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<div>This is long but I appreciate you reading even a fraction of it. All my life I have prided myself on my silent resilience and allowed PTSD to force me into isolation. No longer an island but a family unit, I have to do whatever it takes to help my siblings and animals get away from this cycle of violence to move on and heal.

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<div>2026 is the year for that and I am great ful and honored to bring you on this journey on convalesce.

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<div>Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be vulnerable and share my story. Expect updates as things progress and lots of gratitude!! If you have any questions for me, or want to know more about my story feel free to reach out!

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Anna Wilgan

Anonymous

Mariel Nazareno

julianna scorsone

Anna Gray

Ciara Fekete

Pascal Boye

Andrew Lastowecky

Valerie Smith

Robert Belpasso

Casey Kelbaugh

Emory Welcher

Amy Valdivia

Melodie Allen

Join Ella in Creating a Safe Home for Her Family

Join Ella in Creating a Safe Home for Her Family

Still $2,240 to go. Help us build momentum.