Moving to a New Home At Long Last!
Donation protected
Hi, I'm a Deaf disabled non-binary/trans woman who's been living on the road for 10 years, struggling with various disabilities, health issues, C-PTSD, Depression, Social Anxiety Disorder and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). I've been homeless since the financial crash of 2009, and after my wife and daughter died that year, I lost my home, my life, everything - then I packed my bags, had a van for a while before it broke down and hit the road. I haven't looked back since then.
I'm also an cancer survivor, and have faced really tough challenges, almost died and came close to freezing to death a few times in the last few winters, etc. Had it not been for certain friends, the support of my LGBTIQQA+ and Deaf community, being offered temporary safe places to stay and an amazing team of healthcare and mental health specialists who worked closely with me over the years in various cities/towns, states, etc. all across America, while on the wait-lists for all sorts of low-income housing in a total of 5-7 states, I wouldn't be here today. So much love to everyone who's got me through this.
Now, let's talk about why I started this GoFundMe campaign, and why you should donate, and yes, this involves some really good news - read on!
After 10 long years on multiple housing wait-lists for HUD, Section 8 and low-income housing units/apartments, and living on the road those last 10 years, struggling with homelessness, health issues, cancer and mental health issues, I've finally got a warm safe place to move to.
Recently, on February 14th, 2020 and again on February 22nd, 2020, I was contacted by the Vermont State Housing Authority and another housing authority in the regional area of a small town in Vermont about my housing application, and was told that I am officially now on the top of the first 5 to 10 people on the wait-lists, and that they finally found an apartment for me.
The good news is, they're now processing the last of the paperwork and waiting for this one person to move out so that I can move in by March 1st, 2020 at the latest. The bad news is, I'm in California and only get at least $943 a month, which isn't enough to pay for a train ticket home, move-in expenses (such as getting a bed, some furniture, etc. to get started), paying a deposit and the first month's rent (they said with the housing voucher they're giving me, my rent will be at least around 10-30% of my income per month - this would be one of those low-income housing units/apartments in Vermont), and temporary lodging expenses to stay at a motel there until the apartment is ready for move-in.
So this is why I'm raising the funds - combined with my $943 a month I get from my disability benefits, along with my EBT cash/food stamps benefits, and the money I saved up from my Patreon income and working various odd jobs for cash under the table and putting it all in a savings account with a bank, and your donations to help me reach my goal, I'd have more than enough to pay for the entire move, getting new supplies/furniture/bed, etc., paying the move-in fees (first month's rent, deposit, etc), paying for a ticket to get to Vermont and staying somewhere in a motel for about a week to two weeks until the apartment's all ready to go, and to be able to get groceries/additional supplies upon move-in, and of course, to have some money for food on the train ride home, I will be able to do all that.
But I cannot do this alone without your support and your help. If you're able to donate, then please donate as little or as much as you can afford without breaking the bank. I would need to complete this fundraiser by March 1st-10th. 2020 at the latest, so that I can get the ball rolling and leave the state of California beforehand and get there to meet with the folks who's helping me move in to the new apartment and to meet my new housing case manager too at Homeless Prevention Services in Vermont to get things going as well.
I am so relieved that I finally got permanent and stable housing, because it's been a long journey, a lot of tough battles and a lot of personal trauma I've endured being homeless and on the streets and living everywhere I have gone, but it will be such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders to finally have a warm safe place to call home after waiting for far too long. There were days and some sleepless nights, brutal cold nights in winter months and so forth where I thought I'd die young and never get housing. And I am so grateful that this is finally happening.
All funds would go to Amtrak (where I'll take a train home to Vermont), the Vermont State Housing Authority and the local/regional housing authority who was informed by VSHA and contacted by Homeless Prevention Services that I qualified and that I would need an apartment ASAP since I'm on top of the lists, and would also go to a local furniture store in Vermont when I move in, etc. This fundraiser, along with my combined incomes would pay for everything needed aforementioned above, and would lift some of the burdens of moving to an new place.
I am truly grateful for all your help if you're able to do so, and thanks so much for showing your support, love and community outreach in advance when this fundraiser is launched on GoFundMe. And as a reminder, if you're unable to donate, then please share this GoFundMe campaign instead to everyone in your social circles, tweet it, post it on Facebook, etc. - every little bit helps.
Let's get me home and settled into my new place - thanks again and I appreciate all of you. I finally have a safe place to call home now and I don't have to live on the streets anymore. A special thank you to the housing authorities who kept working around the clock those last 10 years for finally getting me to where I need to be, and a additional special thank-you to the social workers, the case managers, the healthcare/mental health specialists, all the doctors, cancer specialists, etc. who got me through the last 10 years - I will never forget it. You saved my life, so this is my way of paying you back for saving me from dying on the streets: a place that's finally my own. Thank you, thank you all so much.
I'm also an cancer survivor, and have faced really tough challenges, almost died and came close to freezing to death a few times in the last few winters, etc. Had it not been for certain friends, the support of my LGBTIQQA+ and Deaf community, being offered temporary safe places to stay and an amazing team of healthcare and mental health specialists who worked closely with me over the years in various cities/towns, states, etc. all across America, while on the wait-lists for all sorts of low-income housing in a total of 5-7 states, I wouldn't be here today. So much love to everyone who's got me through this.
Now, let's talk about why I started this GoFundMe campaign, and why you should donate, and yes, this involves some really good news - read on!
After 10 long years on multiple housing wait-lists for HUD, Section 8 and low-income housing units/apartments, and living on the road those last 10 years, struggling with homelessness, health issues, cancer and mental health issues, I've finally got a warm safe place to move to.
Recently, on February 14th, 2020 and again on February 22nd, 2020, I was contacted by the Vermont State Housing Authority and another housing authority in the regional area of a small town in Vermont about my housing application, and was told that I am officially now on the top of the first 5 to 10 people on the wait-lists, and that they finally found an apartment for me.
The good news is, they're now processing the last of the paperwork and waiting for this one person to move out so that I can move in by March 1st, 2020 at the latest. The bad news is, I'm in California and only get at least $943 a month, which isn't enough to pay for a train ticket home, move-in expenses (such as getting a bed, some furniture, etc. to get started), paying a deposit and the first month's rent (they said with the housing voucher they're giving me, my rent will be at least around 10-30% of my income per month - this would be one of those low-income housing units/apartments in Vermont), and temporary lodging expenses to stay at a motel there until the apartment is ready for move-in.
So this is why I'm raising the funds - combined with my $943 a month I get from my disability benefits, along with my EBT cash/food stamps benefits, and the money I saved up from my Patreon income and working various odd jobs for cash under the table and putting it all in a savings account with a bank, and your donations to help me reach my goal, I'd have more than enough to pay for the entire move, getting new supplies/furniture/bed, etc., paying the move-in fees (first month's rent, deposit, etc), paying for a ticket to get to Vermont and staying somewhere in a motel for about a week to two weeks until the apartment's all ready to go, and to be able to get groceries/additional supplies upon move-in, and of course, to have some money for food on the train ride home, I will be able to do all that.
But I cannot do this alone without your support and your help. If you're able to donate, then please donate as little or as much as you can afford without breaking the bank. I would need to complete this fundraiser by March 1st-10th. 2020 at the latest, so that I can get the ball rolling and leave the state of California beforehand and get there to meet with the folks who's helping me move in to the new apartment and to meet my new housing case manager too at Homeless Prevention Services in Vermont to get things going as well.
I am so relieved that I finally got permanent and stable housing, because it's been a long journey, a lot of tough battles and a lot of personal trauma I've endured being homeless and on the streets and living everywhere I have gone, but it will be such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders to finally have a warm safe place to call home after waiting for far too long. There were days and some sleepless nights, brutal cold nights in winter months and so forth where I thought I'd die young and never get housing. And I am so grateful that this is finally happening.
All funds would go to Amtrak (where I'll take a train home to Vermont), the Vermont State Housing Authority and the local/regional housing authority who was informed by VSHA and contacted by Homeless Prevention Services that I qualified and that I would need an apartment ASAP since I'm on top of the lists, and would also go to a local furniture store in Vermont when I move in, etc. This fundraiser, along with my combined incomes would pay for everything needed aforementioned above, and would lift some of the burdens of moving to an new place.
I am truly grateful for all your help if you're able to do so, and thanks so much for showing your support, love and community outreach in advance when this fundraiser is launched on GoFundMe. And as a reminder, if you're unable to donate, then please share this GoFundMe campaign instead to everyone in your social circles, tweet it, post it on Facebook, etc. - every little bit helps.
Let's get me home and settled into my new place - thanks again and I appreciate all of you. I finally have a safe place to call home now and I don't have to live on the streets anymore. A special thank you to the housing authorities who kept working around the clock those last 10 years for finally getting me to where I need to be, and a additional special thank-you to the social workers, the case managers, the healthcare/mental health specialists, all the doctors, cancer specialists, etc. who got me through the last 10 years - I will never forget it. You saved my life, so this is my way of paying you back for saving me from dying on the streets: a place that's finally my own. Thank you, thank you all so much.
Organizer
October Rain Evans
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA