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Looking for Help to Move On Out

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Hey folx! My name is Brenda, and I’m a 63-year-old Black, queer, asexual lesbian with a mobility disability who has been active in the anti-violence community for nearly forty years. My goal is to raise $10,000 by July 8th. I am making this ask for financial assistance to be able to move out of NYC in a very narrow time frame.
 
In May, I had an accident where I fell at home, which led to my being hospitalized and sent to a Brooklyn rehabilitation facility. I spent a month in rehab, receiving physical and occupational therapy. During this time, my initial plans of staying with family fell through. I had plans to move to the Dover, Delaware area to stay with family and then find my own place.
 
I’m now trying to find an apartment in the Philadelphia or Dover area. I must be out of my current apartment in Brooklyn by July 1st and am looking for a new home that will meet my mobility needs (a one-bedroom, max rent $1150/month, with an in-unit washer/dryer and NO stairs), as I use a walker.
 
Being unable to work during my time in rehab and now having to find my own apartment has created a monetary crisis for me. Initially, moving in with family would have allowed me to save money, especially after being in the rehab facility, before finding a place of my own which would have helped with the expense of moving out of state. As many of us know, moving expenses are astronomical, to say the least! The savings I had accumulated dwindle rapidly as I manage the unexpected copays for the hospital stay, the rehab facility, and the daily living expenses now that I have returned home. My doctor and physical therapist don’t feel I am ready to return to work, so I have applied for temporary disability thru my workplace. The time frame for a decision regarding the temporary disability and receiving the first payment is still to be determined. It could take as long as three months before I receive the initial payment.
 
As a result, I find myself in the position where I need to ask for help from you, my community of friends, family, and your networks. My goal is to raise $10,000 by July 8th. Any donations, regardless of the amount, will help with the move's expense and get me through this challenging period. If you cannot give and feel comfortable, please consider passing this request to your network of friends who might be able to help.
 
And for those who don’t know me: As I stated earlier, I’m 63-year-old. I’m a proud Black, queer, asexual lesbian who has been active in the anti-violence community for nearly forty years. I began training in Goju karate at Brooklyn Women’s Martial Arts (BWMA, the organization that eventually became The Center for Anti-Violence Education – CAE) and started teaching in the early 1980s. I began teaching empowerment self-defense soon after that, which became a passion. As one of CAE’s senior instructors for 35 years, I have worked with domestic/intimate partner violence survivors, sexual assault/abuse survivors, LGBTQIA+ survivors of hate violence, survivors of elder abuse, survivors of child abuse, and people of all genders. My work teaching empowerment self-defense has led me to my current role counseling crime victims with Safe Horizon, the nation’s leading victim assistance organization, for the past ten years.
 
Over the years, I have been fortunate and blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful community of intelligent, caring, and thoughtful people. Each, in their own way, has worked to make their families, neighborhoods, communities, towns & cities safer, healthier, and stronger. This is the work I want to continue to do wherever I go. Because I know we are, indeed, ALL stronger together.
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Donations 

  • Dale Robinson
    • $50 
    • 9 mos
  • Eve N Bogdanove
    • $40 
    • 1 yr
  • Jacqueline Woodson
    • $500 
    • 2 yrs
  • Susanne Shulman
    • $200 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 2 yrs
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Organizer

Brenda Jones
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY

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