Purpose

This is an emergency assistance fund for my friend Apryl who has been trying to escape from an impossible situation since last summer, and so far has not been able to raise the funds needed.

The Situation

During the COVID pandemic Apryl's partner surprised her by announcing that he had purchased a property in the mountains of California, and that they would be moving there from their home in Minnesota. Apryl, who is a brilliant artist and stone-cutter, had little choice but to follow the plan, as the only other option available to her would be to become unhoused. Since then Apryl has faced verbal, emotional and financial abuse at the hands of her (now ex) partner. She often finds herself with no money for food or fuel and has had to reach out for financial aid from friends just to cover her basic needs. Apryl would like desperately to leave, but when food alone is a challenge, the cost of moving is an impossible dream.

What Your Donations Pay For

While the primary goal of this fund is to help Apryl to escape her situation, she also has other more immediate needs that need to be met.

The first are, as mentioned earlier, food and fuel. Because the place where she's currently living is about 100 miles of mountain roads away from the nearest reasonably sized town, the cost of simply keeping food in the fridge is more than one might expect.

Secondly Apryl has a number of number of health problems that need to be addressed, including chronic pain and mobility issues. She has difficulty walking without a mobility aid, and her aid currently has a broken wheel.

Thirdly Apryl is responsible for the care of 2 dogs and a cat which she would never abandon, and who also need to be fed, and may require visits to the vet. These animals also add to the cost and challenge of moving.

In addition to her animals, she also has expensive rock-cutting equipment, which she has no interest in leaving behind, as it could be her only means of earning a living for some time, but it also increases the challenge of leaving.

How Much Should I Give?

Obviously the more you're able to help, the faster Apryl will be able to escape her situation and return to her normal, self-sufficient life, but of course even a little bit helps. $5 may be the difference between being able to get to the grocery store, or going hungry for the week, and 1000 people giving $5 will pay for the moving truck and the trip back to Minnesota. So while giving money is helpful, the most helpful thing you can do is, after you've given, no matter the amount, please ask your friends to help out as well.

Thank you for reading this, thank you for sharing this, and thank you most of all for helping my friend Apryl.

Sincerely and appreciatively yours,

Brendan