My name is Christine, I am a 29 year old single mother to a 3 year old named Alexander located in Chicago, Illinois.

I have been trying to delay asking for this assistance but the situation has left my control this is very difficult for me as I have been fairly independent since 18 years old, due to being assaulted and robbed in Chicago my son and I are facing homelessness.

My landlord who was more like a slumlord decided to sell the 2 flat apartment building that my son and I have been renting at for 3 years now and did not give proper notice to the any of the Tennant's. He also timed it around when my lease was ending and had me under the impression that I could renew it.

Now there is a buyer and he intends to rehab the whole building.

I had made appointments to view various apartments even enlisted the help of a real estate agent with no luck. I contacted someone who I considered a friend who I have known for several years. He was very aware of my situation and pretended to have his "landlord" contact me for a viewing. It was all fake it was him contacting me from a fake number.

When I arrived at the building to supposedly meet the landlord, this "friend" assaulted me punched me in the face multiple times, pushed me to the floor and proceeded to pistol whip me, snatched my purse and then stomped on my face with his timberland boots and then fled.

I am just glad I wasn't shot and that my son was at school and not with me when this happened.

I have this individuals real address and information and photos, there is video footage of the attack that the police where able to retrieve. w

In my purse I had security deposit and first months rent total of $2,200 my plan was to view the apartment and if it went well I would go retrieve a money order.

I know this individual I have his info and filed a police report and picked him out of a photo line up the police are actively looking for him and once arrested I will eventually have to testify.

I have thought about going public with this story and posting his photos/info but the fear of my son and myselfs safety is paramount and I am already receiving death threats as he knows police are searching for him.

I work full time and am afraid coming to and from my job, I am afraid to walk out of my apartment. This coward of a man has made me a victim which is something I have never experienced before.

The police cannot get my money or my purse back even if they catch the individual. They can't even assure me that if I testify there won't be retaliation against me.

I have spoke to catholic charities.

I have spoke to housing forward.

I even tried section 8.

I am on waiting lists for all 3 which will take months.

My sons father is not in the picture at all.

My very small immediate family all live in the same house. I have 4 grandparents that my mother is caring for at her home so there is no room for my son and I due to her being their caretakers full time she hasn't worked for years and cannot help much financially.

I have looked into motels & hotels and honestly that would exhaust the small funds I do have for an apartment.

I have looked into homeless shelters for when the time comes but shelters are packed this time of year that is not a guarantee and I would have to abandon all of my and my son's things.

I have been desperately applying to second jobs to try and come up with the security deposit and first months rent that I was robbed of. Every restaurant I have applied for has told me to come back in spring that the service industry is slow right now.

I have applied at any store you can think of I have applied. I am even willing to wash dishes do odd jobs.

I can afford rent and the cost of living but due to this situation I do not have enough time to earn and save up the security deposit and first months rent all over again from one job.

I do not know what else to do, I am extremely depressed, do not have high hopes, I am scared of the uncertainty of this situation and now must ask for kindness and empathy from others which I am not used to... my mental health is at an all time low due to the possibility of not being able to continue stability for myself and my son. To be honest I have lost my will and the only thing keeping me going is my son.

I feel like I am failing him... He doesn't know or understand what is going but he doesn't deserve to go homeless he is innocent in everything...I am trying to stay in the Chicago land area because he does go to school.

If it comes down to it I may have to separate from my son for a while so that he does not experience homelessness until I can give him a stable roof over his head again. I am trying to save every penny and the stress has caused me to lose sleep and I am barely eating.

This is the one and only GoFundMe I have created if any friends, acquaintances, loved ones or strangers would like to donate on here or directly to my Paypal or Cashapp I will provide the credentials at the end...

My cards have been canceled and changed so no one else has access to them and that is a way to avoid Gofundmes fees.

ANYTHING WILL HELP RIGHT NOW EVEN JOB LEADS.

(Also I have spoke to a few people about this and I know my rights as a Tennant. It is not illegal to be evicted in Chicago in the winter it us up to the disgregtion of the sheriff they typically will not put anyone out if it is 15 degrees or below that but again that is up to the sheriff and their ethics.)

Thank you for reading, thank you for any donations... I will provide updates.

Cashapp: $cram029

https://cash.app/$cram029

Paypal: @cram029

https://paypal.me/cram029?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US