I met Patricia at a NJ transit station about two winters ago. It was a bitingly cold day, and we both had missed the train, so I invited Patricia to sit in the car with me to stay warm and wait for the next train. Patricia shared her story then with me, how she came to the U.S. from Kenya over 7 years ago to work, and proudly showed me photos of her family and the new house she had built for her mother and family members back in Kenya. (I’ve included a couple photos below of her with family.) 

(Patricia's mother with grandkids in Kenya and the home Patricia helped her mother build in the last few years. She tells me that while she was able to support family earlier on, the recent pandemic has rendered her unable to support family back home at this point.) 


(Patricia on the left, center and right are family members.) 

Patricia has never asked for my help through the years we have known each other, and like most strong, independent individuals, she doesn’t like to share her struggles with others. (But she's agreed to let me share her story now.)

I’m asking for your support because Patricia's alone here in the U.S. without a single family member and few friends in a global pandemic that has ravaged our entire country’s health and economy. Patricia has been looking for work every day since she lost her job as a home assistant to the elderly, and was recently evicted from her home. A few months ago, I had tried to help her with rent pressures, but my financial support then and now as a PhD grad student/postdoc is limited, so hopefully this GoFundMe campaign can rally wider community support. 

Please consider supporting Patricia while she continues to look for work. Her current rent is $500/month, and she has not yet found work and will likely struggle to find work in the next year, given the pandemic and economic crisis. (She's told me she currently stores her things at a rented room in NJ for $500/month and is looking for work in PA.) Unfortunately, because she is NOT a citizen—and being in the process of renewing work papers complicates this too—she cannot easily access unemployment/stimulus check benefits. I have been trying to find someone who can help her with her immigration/visa/renewing work papers, but legal fees require hundreds and thousands of dollars, which she cannot afford at this time. 

Any kind of support, financial or otherwise (i.e. sharing this campaign), would be much appreciated! Donations will go straight to Patricia's account, NOT to me.