Help After Fleeing An Abusive Household

[This fundraiser was posted by me, Nicholas, on the behalf of M. for her safety and anonymity. All money received will go directly to her through GoFundMe's withdraw portal. The following text is her writing given to me to post, not mine. For complete transparency all updates made by M. on her behalf are entirely her unedited writing given to myself to post.]

My name is M. I have to use an alias for necessary anonymity and my own safety along with deliberate vagueness of detail, though I swear by the truth of the overall picture.

I'm a young black woman living on the East Coast and I'm asking for help in leaving my difficult domestic situation. My 2020 started with a heavy depression, lung problems, and financial difficulty. I was starting to finally heal in June when I realized something that shook me to my core. I was assaulted and filed a report. Naturally I sought solace from my family but didn't find comfort or support.  This led me to decide to take a trip to get healing in a different state with close friends.

My family fought me tooth and nail and insinuated it would be the last they'd ever see of me. One of my family members told me, "Well, if you leave, how do you know they (guardians) will still have a place for you?" I was crushed but I went anyway, even at the risk of COVID-19 and being myself immunocompromised because it was so important to me to  be some place I could heal and process trauma. The experience was frightening at first, a lot of my triggers and PTSD had to be dealt with, but by the end of the two weeks I had come a long way and was looking forward to healing at home. I knew that I needed to quarantine, but my family’s request of 10 days without going outside at all was a hard pill that as of my writing I am still trying to swallow.

Things escalated when they upped my rent suddenly and asked for help with their car note, expecting somewhere in the range of $1500. I paid my rent and the other bills they asked of me but by the end of the week of my posting this they’re going to want more and I can’t afford to stay here. Financially and for my mental and emotional health. The offer was given to stay at an apartment in a different state, the same as I visited, and I accepted. For the past few days I have been working nonstop to necessarily secretly work towards leaving before the rent increase in September, making the latest day to leave August 31st, 2020. (Update: I was able to make it out.)

I have enough for four months of rent (Update: 5 months, but left with very little left), but in the days ahead with moving expenses and desires for money from my parents along with insurance, I’ll be putting myself in financial danger and I can’t afford to get this wrong. There is also evidence of fraud from members of my family that has impacted my credit score. Which brings me here to ask you for your help.

Anything you can provide, no matter how small, with a promise of my prayer for you and gratitude I can’t even begin to put into words. The expenses would go toward the following:

+$1000 insurance for the car for a year

+$4000 for rent, food, and medicine

Budget updated as of (8/30) at almost $2,000 raised:

+$200 check-up for emotional support animal, Milo

+$300 utilities for 5 months

+$1500 necessary furniture and cheap dishware, cleaning items, etc.

+$500 gas, (future) car expenses,  and initial therapy or doctor appointment costs

+$500 for emergency funds for unexpected events

Thank you for your consideration and taking time out of your day to read this,

M.