** Please scroll to the bottom for Updates!!**

Hey everyone. Most of you know me as Kara, some of you know me as Rahslynn, and many of you have followed me on the journey to finding a "New Normal" since the devastating event that led to my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and all of the life changing symptoms that followed. If you're just tuning in, or haven't caught up in a while, I'm happy to share the story with you any time, but it is a very long story and I know not everyone wants to read all of it right now.

I am asking for donations to help us move into a new apartment. It is a miracle that we have this opportunity and once moved in we will be able to survive financially on our current income. That means when my disability settlement comes in we will be able to pay off debt, pay back the wonderful people who have helped us, and finally be able to hit Play on our life together that has been Paused for 2.5 years. Maybe even get to have a honeymoon and subscribe to streaming services again.

What it comes down to is this:

-Our current lease is up

-We can't afford to renew

-We don't know anyone who would let us stay with them

-We were denied by several properties before finally catching a break and being approved for an affordable apartment. (This truly was a miracle)

-We have less than two weeks to make this work

Please, if you have the ability to help financially, any amount would be greatly appreciated. It may seem like $10 or $20 wouldn't make much of an impact but it truly does. It could mean the difference between buying real toilet paper for $6 or a big bag of napkins for $2…. Napkins work but they really aren't ideal.

You can reach out to me on facebook by searching my name Rahslynn Krasucki (You must enter the full name with correct spelling)

Or email kara.krasucki

@gmail.com

Cash App: $Rahslynn

Paypal: kara.krasucki

@gmail.com

Venmo: @KaraKrasucki

We still had to pay rent for this month at our current residence, plus our normal bills, and we have had to pay anywhere from $25 to $40 per person in application fees for each place we applied for. Remember we were already short each month. So, all money raised will go towards the move and getting caught up.

-Rent, Deposit, Pet deposit

-Uhaul Truck, gas

-Transfer service fees/Deposits for utilities

-Household essentials for cleaning current residence

-Past due balance on utilities that must be paid before transfer can occur

Most people I know will have stopped reading by now and made a decision based on their current situation if they can help or not. If you're still here and want more of an explanation, I've got you covered.

● The lease at our current residence came to an end. The renewal was offered at $300 more per month than what we were paying. It just wasn't possible, or responsible, to sign a year lease. The apartment also isn't up to ADA standards and I struggle daily. The search for new housing began in August 2023. Even though our monthly income has increased, we were already behind so everything is basically gone before we get it, never being able to make ends meet with the due dates and pay days balancing out.

● We applied to several apartments and started looking into staying with friends as it would only take a couple months to get caught up. Unfortunately both leads were unsuccessful. We have been denied for apartments cheaper than what we pay now due to credit scores being too low or having too many collections, and one lady flat out denied us because “No newly married couple could be happy in such a small apartment.”

I guess it's not realistic that we thrived in quarantine, we follow each other when one of us does need to go to another room because we don't like shouting, and we would rather live in a tiny room than spend 80% of our income on rent. I may still be a bit upset at that woman. Both of our credit scores are between 590-620 and our collections consist of medical bills and student loans. My student loans conveniently started showing up as missed payments just recently and there are 9 total across 3 lenders. Clearly this is not an accurate representation of our finances and logic would dictate that less money spent on rent would mean more money to put towards debt, we just couldn't seem to catch a break.

● We reached out to public assistance programs, IDHS, Catholic Charities, Capital Township, LiHeap, and the Springfield Housing Authority (5 year waitlist btw) and while some were able to help us a little, we still were not able to secure housing.

● As we need to be completely moved out of our current residence by November 22nd, my last resort was to book a stay at Extended Stay America which offers monthly rates that can be paid weekly. It would run about $57 per night plus tax which ultimately would make it impossible to really save anything in order to get ahead or save enough to move again. We would still be just barely making ends meet. The plan was to put everything in storage and just tough it out in the hotel until I receive my settlement for disability. SSDA estimates December, but my Lawyer has advised that it can take several weeks to actually get the payout once a decision is made, she believes it would be late January 2024 at least before I saw a payment.

● With just a few weeks left, I saw an apartment that fit our budget and needs just hours after it was listed online. I met with the owner and took a risk spending the steep $40 per person application fee and we submitted the application. I did this because the conversation with the owner was so different than what I had been having with real estate agents, various landlords, and corporate owned apartment complexes. I got the sense that she wasn't just trying to fill her property with bodies, rather, she's trying to build a community.

● Two weeks went by with problem after problem. She couldn't get a hold of my references, my previous apartment complex got sold and no one at the parent company knew who to call for rental history, etc etc. So, after several days of phone tag she told me she would have an answer for us on a specific day and that day came and went. I was a nervous wreck and really didn't have any hope left that this would work out so I dove back into the back up plan- to stay in the hotel.

November 13th at 5:07pm she called me to apologize for the delay and let us know that we have been approved for the apartment.

We Have A Place To Live!!!

Now, we just have to make it happen and keep following that light, keep having faith, and keep living our lives. Again, every little bit helps and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

*****UPDATES*****

Update as of 11/28 - The complex we moved out of has processed a a check that they previously would not accept or give back to me. I tried to make a partial payment back in October, as it always has been my goal to pay them everything I owe, however, we were behind and late fees were stacked every day. At that time the manager denied the payment, stating she could only accept the full due amount. She told me in person and confirmed via email that she wouldn't accept a check or a partial payment and that she couldn't even if she wanted to because company policy was that only the full payment would be accepted via their website. Nearly two months went by and I didn't think I needed to Stop Payment on the check as she said the company wouldn't take it anyway and my bank charges $30 for stop payment requests. I should not have believed or trusted her and found a way to stop the check. I was trying so hard to do things right.

She cashed the check today which has caused our account to go negative. We still don't have the electricity in our name and do not get paid again until Dec 7th.

Update as of 11/25 - We paid rent for the month of December! We are working with a very tight budget but we are so very close to making this work!! I also have an appointment with my disability lawyer to go over my Adult Function Report so that she can ensure I provided everything necessary before submitting it to SSDA. This should be the last of the documentation they require before making a decision.

Update as of 11/23 - We lost some things in the process but they are only things and can be replaced. The complex is closed so I asked the manager if we could have an extension so that we could rest and then continue cleaning. She said no. We turned in the keys.

Update as of 11/22 - Blessed with help from Tabi and her brother, who for 6 hours continously loaded and unloaded boxes, added an extra vehicle to use, and made sure we ate. I feel absolutely useless not being able to stand very long or lift things but they never made me feel guilty and Tabi sat with me frequently when I was having an episode or just needed to pass out for a half hour. I've been in a constant cycle of overheating, vomiting, and passing out from exhaustion and pain.

Update as of 11/21 - My Dad came to help with the heavy lifting like all Superhero Dads do. He is flying back to WA today. We still have a lot to do and will be making many many trips back and forth via car.

xoxo

Rahs & Nae