This is a desperate plea for help. I need to raise money to get myself back home to California. After both of my parents passed away two months apart, I was flat broke from dealing with their final expenses and was stranded in south Florida forced to live with a family member & their family. I am an aspiring writer and was just accepted to CSUN to finish my bachelors degree in journalism when I lost both my parents and my life turned upside down. I need to get back home so I can finish school, pursue my dream of journalism and put my life back together. I also studied acting and filmmaking and love doing anything around performing, shooting short films and I’m also a photojournalist. One of my goals that I always discussed with my parents was finishing my bachelors degree so that I could write for the L.A. Times and other National publications. I need to get home to continue with my life and pursuing my dream. 

The family member I live with is giving me a place to stay but the conditions are squalid and the situation is nothing short of verbally and emotionally abusive. I sleep on a single mattress that their 5 dogs also sleep and urinate on in the middle of the living room and I’m verbally and emotionally abused almost daily.  

I’ve tried so hard to work and save enough money to get back home and rent a room while I get back on my feet, but it feels insurmountable. The minimum wage here is $10 an hour with the same cost of living as Southern California so it’s basically impossible to pay your bills and save any money. I pay rent to this family member. Buy supplies for the house, personal toiletries and pay for transportation to and from work. After that, I have nothing left. The other issue is that places here hire you and then don’t give you any hours. You have to work 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet but I can’t get multiple jobs because I do not have a vehicle and the area where I live only has 2 bus lines. 

Due to the belongings I have here with me along with my emotional support animals (2 cats) I need to rent a vehicle to drive back to California so I need to come up with enough to be able to rent a car and pay for food, gas and lodging to safely get myself back across the country and rent a room while I get on my feet. 

If you can spare $1, $5 $10 anything, it will help. I am determined to get my life back on track, to achieve my dream of being a writer and to move forward with my life to the best of my ability. 

Once I hit my goal on here and get the money I can be gone and on my way back to California within a week. Thank you for reading my story.