Keep Ben on His Feet
Donation protected
Hey everyone! I’m launching this fundraiser for a dear friend of mine and an incredibly talented dancer. His name is Ben.
Ben is 21. He and I met at Ballet Preljocaj, where he was working as a dancer in the junior company until spring 2020. Just as he was finishing his contract with the company, COVID hit. Even though he spent months traveling around Europe following job offers and auditions, opportunities continually fell through until he was forced to return home to the Philippines for the first time in five years. Between lockdowns and record high unemployment as the Philippines grapples with the pandemic, Ben hasn’t been able to find a job.
Though he’s so young, Ben already has experience with houselessness. With no family who can afford to take him in, I’ve been sending Ben 250$/200€ per month to cover his rent and food expenses since he flew home around Christmas 2021. Unfortunately, on a dancer’s salary this is unsustainable.
I’m making this fundraiser as a way of asking for your help keeping a roof over Ben’s head. I hope to be able to help him buy a plane ticket to come back to Europe, where he will no doubt get a contract with one of the many companies here. Ben is kind, hard-working, gentle, and resilient. He’s like a little brother to me. He is also a young man going through one of the world’s worst crises in decades completely on his own. Please help me keep him safe and healthy so that whenever dance performances resume, the world will get to see his spirit shine.
Ben is 21. He and I met at Ballet Preljocaj, where he was working as a dancer in the junior company until spring 2020. Just as he was finishing his contract with the company, COVID hit. Even though he spent months traveling around Europe following job offers and auditions, opportunities continually fell through until he was forced to return home to the Philippines for the first time in five years. Between lockdowns and record high unemployment as the Philippines grapples with the pandemic, Ben hasn’t been able to find a job.
Though he’s so young, Ben already has experience with houselessness. With no family who can afford to take him in, I’ve been sending Ben 250$/200€ per month to cover his rent and food expenses since he flew home around Christmas 2021. Unfortunately, on a dancer’s salary this is unsustainable.
I’m making this fundraiser as a way of asking for your help keeping a roof over Ben’s head. I hope to be able to help him buy a plane ticket to come back to Europe, where he will no doubt get a contract with one of the many companies here. Ben is kind, hard-working, gentle, and resilient. He’s like a little brother to me. He is also a young man going through one of the world’s worst crises in decades completely on his own. Please help me keep him safe and healthy so that whenever dance performances resume, the world will get to see his spirit shine.
Organizer
Matt Emig
Organizer
Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon
