Thank you so much for taking time to read this! One of my aunts, who has always been more akin to a sister to me because of our shared upbringing & small age gap, is in urgent need of help. If we are close, you have heard me speak about her & her kids a ton over the years. She is a mom of 6 kids & recently made the brave and difficult decision to leave an abusive situation & is trying to start over with almost nothing. She is currently supporting her kids & herself after long-term domestic abuse & is going through the incredibly hard transition that comes with leaving such a toxic & dangerous situation.

She just recently left her & the kids' home & is now in a small 2 bed apt housing her & all the kids in a rural part of California, doing everything she can to keep her kids safe & emotionally supported. This has been one of the toughest things she & our family has faced, & we only just became aware of how dire the situation has been. Her only living family besides the kids consists of me & my mom, & we have been & are helping as much as we can, but are struggling to provide tangible & sustainable support between just the two of us at this point.

I’m reaching out to all of you in our community—friends, extended family, acquaintances, & kind strangers—to help lighten her load so she can focus on healing for her & the kids, basic needs, parenting, and just getting the chance to start over for her family. Her car was recently totaled (everyone involved is ok!) which was just another huge financial & mental blow to her situation & ability to seek safety. She has been isolated for a long time & has expended so much energy trying to break this abuse cycle, she is in a critical time, mentally & physically vulnerable, & she is doing her best to keep going every day with the support of my mom & I.

I’m raising funds to help her get through the next few critical months, especially with supporting the kids & having the capability of relocating again if she would need to:

Rent and utilities for the next couple months: $4000

Contribution towards a basic used vehicle for transportation: $3000

Contribution toward her lawyer fees: $2500

Therapy for her & the kids: $1000

Groceries and daily essentials for the next couple months: $1500

This is all considering what my mom & I can already help out with. Any amount helps! Even $1 helps move us forward towards the goal! If you are unable to support monetarily, please share any words of encouragement and resources for survivors, if you know of them.

Thank you so much for reading and sharing this, it is really tough to share about & really means a lot to my family!